DENVER, April 2 (UPI) -- Coloradoans were making ready Friday for their fifth year of drought after a "grim" report on the state's fresh water supplies.
The high country snowpack, considered a critical indicator of fresh water supplies, dropped alarmingly in March, the Rocky Mountain News reported, making strict summer watering rules almost a certainty for many communities.
The statewide snowpack measured just 65 percent of average, well below the 94 percent of average recorded a year ago, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
"The message is grim," said Roger Pielke Sr., state climatologist. "Water managers need to plan now to conserve. We're in very poor conditions for water this summer."
The precipitous decline in the snowpack since March 1 is one of the most dramatic melt-offs ever recorded in a single month, the Conservation Service said.
Denver Water, the state's largest water utility, has warned customers to prepare for watering restrictions and surcharges.
