Montezuma County drought today
The U.S. Drought Monitor's category for Montezuma County, Colorado (FIPS 08083), 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 | 99.8% | 100% |
| D2 Severe drought or worse | 89.8% | 94.8% |
| D3 Extreme drought or worse | 0% | 54.3% |
| D4 Exceptional drought | 0% | 0% |
Cumulative, as the Monitor reports them: each row includes the rows below it.
What it means for water users
Montezuma County is in D2 severe drought: 89.8% of its area is in severe drought or worse, conditions around the 5th–10th percentile of the record.
By category alone this week: 0.2% D0, 10% D1 and 89.8% D2. About 1,822 of its 2,029 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 94.8% to 89.8%.
D2 or worse on the last 4 maps: 100% (Sep 8, 2026), 100% (Sep 15, 2026), 94.8% (Sep 22, 2026) and 89.8% (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
Montezuma 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: Mud Creek at State Highway 32 near Cortez (4 mi), McElmo Creek above Trail Canyon near Cortez (6 mi), Lost Canyon Creek near Dolores (10 mi) and Dolores River at Dolores (11 mi).
Nearby counties this week: Dolores County (D2, D2+ 64.7%), La Plata County (D2, D2+ 5.9%), San Miguel County (D2, D2+ 38.2%) and San Juan County (D1, D2+ 2.8%).