Arapahoe County drought today
The U.S. Drought Monitor's category for Arapahoe County, Colorado (FIPS 08005), 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 | 47% | 43.2% |
| D0 Abnormally dry or worse | 53% | 56.8% |
| D1 Moderate drought or worse | 48.5% | 48.5% |
| D2 Severe drought or worse | 42.6% | 46.4% |
| D3 Extreme drought or worse | 0% | 28.6% |
| D4 Exceptional drought | 0% | 0% |
Cumulative, as the Monitor reports them: each row includes the rows below it.
What it means for water users
Arapahoe County is in D2 severe drought: 42.6% of its area is in severe drought or worse, conditions around the 5th–10th percentile of the record.
By category alone this week: 4.5% D0, 5.9% D1 and 42.6% D2. About 340 of its 798 square miles are in D2 or worse.
Against the map of Sep 22, 2026, the category improved from D3 to D2, and the share in D2 or worse went from 46.4% to 42.6%.
D2 or worse on the last 4 maps: 46.5% (Sep 8, 2026), 46.4% (Sep 15, 2026), 46.4% (Sep 22, 2026) and 42.6% (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
Arapahoe 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: Cherry Creek near Parker (25 mi), Toll Gate Creek above 6th Avenue at Aurora (26 mi), First Creek below Buckley Road at Rocky Mountain Arsenal (27 mi) and Cherry Creek below Cherry Creek Lake (28 mi).
Nearby counties this week: Adams County (D3, D2+ 49%), Elbert County (D1, D2+ 4.7%), Denver County (D2, D2+ 100%) and Douglas County (D3, D2+ 90%).