Located in the heart of Colorado’s high country, Summit County’s Town of Frisco has implemented mandatory water use restrictions amid a strain on the area’s water infrastructure amid low creek flows.

The current restriction level is set at ‘Phase 2,’ which is considered to be a precautionary tier of restrictions, not an emergency. The goal of these restrictions is to reduce strain on the town’s water pumps given low creek flow, as well as to protect creek habitat. At this time, drinking water supplies and water used for fire protection are not at risk.

A few key water use changes that are required by these restrictions include the following:

• Restaurants and other commercial establishments can only serve water upon customer request
• Washing of paved areas is prohibited
• Washing of structures, motor vehicles, or boats can only take place if the hose has an automatic shut-off
• No water use for irrigation sake on Mondays
• Addresses that are an even number can participate in irrigation on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, but only from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.
• Addresses that are an odd number can participate in irrigation on Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday, but only from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.
• It’s important to note that some exceptions do exist related to watering some plants. Flowers, decorative plants, bushes, and trees can be watered at any time if one is using drip irrigation, a water can, or a hose with an automatic shut-off valve

According to the town, creek flow on August 15 was at 2.60 CFS, which is just above the state’s August minimum of 2.50 CFS. That said, the flow of 2.60 CFS is below the town’s threshold for mandatory restrictions to be put in place.

Per the US Drought Monitor, 89.56 percent of Summit County is currently experiencing ‘severe drought,’ which is the second of four tiers of drought severity. Three months ago, none of the county was experiencing drought at that level, with no drought at this level present in mid-August of 2024 either. At the statewide level, about 40.16 percent of Colorado is currently at this tier of drought or worse.

Additional information can be found here.

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