Denver County drought today
The U.S. Drought Monitor's category for Denver County, Colorado (FIPS 08031), 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 | 0% | 0% |
| D0 Abnormally dry or worse | 100% | 100% |
| D1 Moderate drought or worse | 100% | 100% |
| D2 Severe drought or worse | 100% | 100% |
| D3 Extreme drought or worse | 0% | 50.9% |
| D4 Exceptional drought | 0% | 0% |
Cumulative, as the Monitor reports them: each row includes the rows below it.
What it means for water users
Denver County is in D2 severe drought: 100% of its area is in severe drought or worse, conditions around the 5th–10th percentile of the record.
About 153 of its 153 square miles are in D2 or worse.
Against the map of Sep 22, 2026, the category improved from D3 to D2, with the same share in D2 or worse (100%).
The share in D2 or worse was the same, 100%, on all 4 maps from Sep 8, 2026 to 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
Denver 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: Toll Gate Creek above 6th Avenue at Aurora (4 mi), Sand Creek above Burlington Ditch near Commerce City (5 mi), Sand Creek at Mouth near Commerce City (5 mi) and South Platte River at 64th Avenue, Commerce City (5 mi).
Nearby counties this week: Broomfield County (D4, D2+ 100%), Jefferson County (D3, D2+ 100%), Adams County (D3, D2+ 49%) and Douglas County (D3, D2+ 90%).