DENVER — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis activated the state’s Drought Task Force on Tuesday as low snowfall and record warmth intensified drought conditions.
The task force was last activated in 2020, a year marked by the Cameron Peak, East Troublesome, Pine Gulch, Grizzly Creek, and Logan wildfires. The East Troublesome fire stands as the third-most destructive wildfire in Colorado history, according to the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.
The activation creates a coordinated, statewide team to improve resource sharing and response efforts and comes as more than half of the state is under extreme drought conditions.
“Colorado is experiencing the warmest year so far in our 131-year record, and one of the driest,” Polis said in a news release. “Activating the Drought Task Force will help ensure we are protecting one of our most precious resources by closely tracking impacts, supporting communities, and coordinating better as we prepare for the year ahead.”
The task force includes the Colorado Departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture, Local Affairs, and Homeland Security and Emergency Management. It assesses drought conditions, communicates local impacts to state leaders, and can form regional or sector-specific workgroups.
Dan Gibbs, executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, said his agency will play a central role in shaping the state’s short‑ and long‑term drought response.
"My department will be a key partner in really looking at what short, medium, long-term approaches that we can recommend to the governor on looking at the reality right now of warmer temperatures," Gibbs said.
Polis also activated Phase 2 of Colorado's drought response plan. The Water Conservation Board will keep tracking indicators like snowpack, streamflow, soil moisture and reservoir storage. If drought worsens, the state will advance to Phase 3 for an official declaration.
"We're going to bring in the best expertise. If we need national experts, if we need local experts, if we need statewide experts, we want to hear from folks, and we're going to be making recommendations to the governor ongoing as we learn more and evaluate what the drought looks like. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we get some more snowstorms this year, but it doesn't look good," Gibbs said.
Statewide snow water equivalent currently ranks among the lowest in more than four decades, according to the governor's office.
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