Governor Jared Polis has signed a formal drought emergency proclamation for the state of Colorado, activating the highest tier of the state's drought response framework amid what officials describe as one of the most severe water crises in the region's recorded history.
The proclamation triggers Phase 3 of Colorado's Drought Response Plan, a level that can only be reached through a direct gubernatorial declaration. It followed a recommendation submitted jointly by the Department of Natural Resources and the State Drought Task Force on June 3, and builds on Phase 2 activation, which had been in place since March 16, 2026.
A succession of states have issued drought emergency declarations in 2026, driven by record warmth and historically poor snowpack
The conditions underpinning the declaration are stark. Snowpack this past winter peaked roughly a month ahead of the seasonal average, reaching only 51% of the median — the lowest accumulation recorded since the Snowpack Telemetry Network began collecting data. Runoff projections for May 1 ranged between just 21% and 37% of median values across the state's river basins. All 64 Colorado counties are now in some form of drought, with more than three quarters of the state classified as severe to exceptional according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
The severity is underscored by Colorado's role as a headwaters state: according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture, 83% of its water supply originates as snow or rain in the mountains, feeding rivers that serve communities, farms, and ecosystems across the broader region.
Agriculture has been among the hardest-hit sectors. State and federal funding programmes are now available to producers, including the Agricultural Emergency Drought Response Programme, which provides up to $1 million annually in loans or grants for emergency water augmentation, alongside federal livestock and crop assistance schemes. Under Phase 3, state agencies are directed to reduce outdoor water use at government facilities, while the Drought Task Force will assess unmet needs and report budget shortfalls to the governor, who retains the option to seek a federal disaster declaration if state resources prove insufficient.
Drought declarations multiply
Colorado is far from alone. A succession of states have moved to issue drought emergency declarations in 2026, driven by the same underlying conditions of record warmth and historically poor snowpack. New Mexico declared a combined drought and wildfire emergency on May 20, Utah a statewide drought emergency on May 21, Washington state on April 8 — its fourth consecutive annual declaration — and Idaho across all 44 of its counties on April 13. Montana's statewide drought emergency, first declared in 2021, remains in effect. Oregon has taken a county-by-county approach, with Governor Tina Kotek approving emergency declarations for 12 of the state's 36 counties through three separate executive orders.
The scale of the crisis is reflected in national figures. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, as of June 2, 2026, nearly half of the United States and Puerto Rico were experiencing some level of drought, with conditions described by federal scientists as the result of a historic snow drought across the West, where record-low April snowpack values were set simultaneously in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming.
