Welcome to Pagosa Area Water & Sanitation District

April 22, 2026
The PAWSD Drought Management Plan (DMP) sets trigger points for Voluntary drought procedures and four mandatory drought restriction stages from Low through Severe.

The trigger points for the Stage 1 – Low drought restrictions are any one of the following:

1. On or before April 30th, SNOTEL Water Equivalency Reaches (SWE) zero;
2. On or before May 7th, a call is put on Fourmile Creek; or
3. A combination of the water level in the Hatcher Reservoir, the flow in the San Juan River, and the drought condition as listed in the National Integrated Drought Information System for our area.

The goal of Stage 1 – Low drought restrictions is to reduce water consumption throughout the District by 10 - 20%. Stage 1 – Low water use restrictions include: Irrigation is limited to 6 PM - 9 AM. Gardens (e.g., edible and ornamental) may be hand watered using a hose or drip irrigation. Restaurants shall serve water only upon the request of customers. Hotels are encouraged to replace towels and bed linens for new guests and at the request of existing guests.

More info:

• PAWSD entered Voluntary drought restrictions stage on April 6, 2026 because of San Juan River Flows, NOAA Extreme Drought designation, and SWE.
• At the April 9, 2026 Regular Board Meeting, the PAWSD Board of Directors voted unanimously to enter Drought Stage 1 – Low, per the PAWSD DMP, once the SWE reaches zero. The SWE dropped to zero on April 22nd, 2026.
• A water rate adjustment of 1.25 times the standard tier rate is in effect for residential usage of more than 5,000 gallons a month. This can equal rate increases. This will begin on April 29, 2026. NOTE: There is no tier-rate adjustment or surcharge for commercial users or residential usage under 5,000 gallons per month at Stage 1 – Low.

Sign up for Dropcountr to track water use and receive alerts! Instructions for setting up your account are on the PAWSD website www.pawsd.org > Customer Care > Water Monitoring (Dropcountr). Please call the PAWSD office at 970-731-2691 if you have questions or need assistance setting up your Dropcountr account.

The District appreciates everyone’s cooperation in using less water. If you have any
questions regarding the current Drought Management Plan, it can be found on the
website at https://www.pawsd.org/water-service/water-conservation/