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- Currently — June 30, 2023: Colorado is officially drought-free for the first time in four years.
Currently — June 30, 2023: Colorado is officially drought-free for the first time in four years.
This good news comes as western states begin a major drought-busting policy effort.
Eric Holthaus
June 29, 2023
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The weather, currently.
For the first time in nearly four years, the state of Colorado is drought-free.
Last May, drought covered more than 93% of the state. That number is now down to 0%, according to the latest Drought Monitor. This is great news for a state that has defined the western drought for decades, complete with wintertime wildfires, decimated snowpack, and a plunging Colorado River.
The turnaround is not without its downsides, of course. Waves of severe weather, hailstorms, and flooding have struck the Denver metro area in recent weeks with more than 200% of normal rainfall so far this year.
The next three years are critical for the future trajectory of Colorado, and of the entire Colorado River basin, as federal officials have begun a process to renegotiate with states on new rules governing water use over 250,000 square miles (650,000 sq km).
In the future, large scale rewilding efforts to reintroduce wolves, beavers, and other keystone species of healthy wetlands in the Rocky Mountains show promise if coupled with efforts to phase out water-intensive industrial-scale agriculture and ranching in these sensitive areas.
