Otero County drought today
The U.S. Drought Monitor's category for Otero County, Colorado (FIPS 08089), 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 | 87.3% | 100% |
| D2 Severe drought or worse | 3.9% | 11.8% |
| D3 Extreme drought or worse | 0% | 0% |
| D4 Exceptional drought | 0% | 0% |
Cumulative, as the Monitor reports them: each row includes the rows below it.
What it means for water users
Otero County is in D1 moderate drought: 87.3% of its area is in moderate drought or worse, conditions around the 10th–20th percentile of the record.
By category alone this week: 12.7% D0, 83.4% D1 and 3.9% D2. About 50 of its 1,262 square miles are in D2 or worse.
Against the map of Sep 22, 2026, the category improved from D2 to D1, and the share in D2 or worse went from 11.8% to 3.9%.
D2 or worse on the last 4 maps: 79.9% (Sep 8, 2026), 21.2% (Sep 15, 2026), 11.8% (Sep 22, 2026) and 3.9% (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
Otero County lies in Division 2, the Arkansas basin. Water there is administered by priority: see the basin's active calls and snowpack.
Nearby
Nearest stream gauges: Timpas Creek at Mouth near Swink (9 mi), Arkansas River at La Junta (13 mi), Purgatoire River at Rock Crossing near Timpas (20 mi) and Arkansas River at Catlin Dam near Fowler (20 mi).
Nearby counties this week: Crowley County (D1), Bent County (D1), Las Animas County (D4, D2+ 55.5%) and Pueblo County (D3, D2+ 57.9%).