La Plata County drought today
The U.S. Drought Monitor's category for La Plata County, Colorado (FIPS 08067), 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 | 72.8% | 100% |
| D2 Severe drought or worse | 5.9% | 56.6% |
| D3 Extreme drought or worse | 0% | <0.1% |
| D4 Exceptional drought | 0% | 0% |
Cumulative, as the Monitor reports them: each row includes the rows below it.
What it means for water users
La Plata County is in D2 severe drought: 5.9% of its area is in severe drought or worse, conditions around the 5th–10th percentile of the record.
By category alone this week: 27.2% D0, 66.9% D1 and 5.9% D2. About 100 of its 1,690 square miles are in D2 or worse.
Against the map of Sep 22, 2026, the category is unchanged at D2, and the share in D2 or worse went from 56.6% to 5.9%.
D2 or worse on the last 4 maps: 98.2% (Sep 8, 2026), 98.2% (Sep 15, 2026), 56.6% (Sep 22, 2026) and 5.9% (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
La Plata County lies in Division 7, the San Juan/Dolores basin. Water there is administered by priority: see the basin's active calls and snowpack.
Nearby
Nearest stream gauges: Animas River at Durango (2 mi), Animas River below Durango Pump Plant near Durango (2 mi), Hermosa Creek near Hermosa (10 mi) and Los Pinos River near Ignacio (17 mi).
Nearby counties this week: San Juan County (D1, D2+ 2.8%), Montezuma County (D2, D2+ 89.8%), Archuleta County (D1, D2+ <0.1%) and Dolores County (D2, D2+ 64.7%).