Adams County drought today
The U.S. Drought Monitor's category for Adams County, Colorado (FIPS 08001), the share of its area in each category, and what it means for water users.
Area by category
| Category | This week | Week before |
|---|---|---|
| No category No drought | 13.7% | 21.3% |
| D0 Abnormally dry or worse | 86.3% | 78.7% |
| D1 Moderate drought or worse | 61.1% | 60.3% |
| D2 Severe drought or worse | 49% | 49% |
| D3 Extreme drought or worse | 13.3% | 37.7% |
| D4 Exceptional drought | 3.5% | 3.5% |
Cumulative, as the Monitor reports them: each row includes the rows below it.
What it means for water users
Adams County is in D3 extreme drought: 13.3% of its area is in extreme drought or worse, conditions around the 2nd–5th percentile of the record.
By category alone this week: 25.2% D0, 12.1% D1, 35.8% D2, 9.8% D3 and 3.5% D4. About 572 of its 1,167 square miles are in D2 or worse.
Against the map of Sep 22, 2026, the category is unchanged at D3, with the same share in D2 or worse (49%).
D2 or worse on the last 4 maps: 49.1% (Sep 8, 2026), 49% (Sep 15, 2026), 49% (Sep 22, 2026) and 49% (Sep 29, 2026).
USDA uses the Monitor to trigger drought disaster designations; the county FSA office confirms what applies.
It is not water administration: calls on its streams depend on streamflow and priority, not on this category.
Where its water is administered
Adams County lies in Division 1, the South Platte basin. Water there is administered by priority: see the basin's active calls and snowpack.
Nearby
Nearest stream gauges: First Creek below Buckley Road at Rocky Mountain Arsenal (25 mi), Toll Gate Creek above 6th Avenue at Aurora (28 mi), Big Dry Creek at Mouth near Fort Lupton (30 mi) and South Platte River at Fort Lupton (31 mi).
Nearby counties this week: Arapahoe County (D2, D2+ 42.6%), Denver County (D2, D2+ 100%), Broomfield County (D4, D2+ 100%) and Morgan County (D1).