Boulder staff: storage 'normal' but conservation messaging planned as dry winter raises concern

City utility staff updated the board on local water-supply conditions during the meeting and said they are preparing messaging and an April briefing as a particularly dry winter leaves some metrics below average.

A staff presentation noted several reservoirs that bolster Boulder’s storage — including Barker Reservoir and facilities in the Silver Lake watershed and Boulder Reservoir — and concluded that, at present, storage is within a normal range for this time of year. Utilities staff cautioned, however, that snowpack remains below average in parts of the watershed and that mid-April to early May is the key period for making drought-stage and supply decisions.

The utilities team described the analytical process that determines formal drought-stage declarations and emphasized that staff are planning voluntary conservation outreach in the near term. Staff said a utility-bill insert and broader communications are being prepared to encourage residents to delay sprinkler use and adopt conservation measures this spring. The integrated water-supply plan — a separate, more detailed effort — will evaluate longer-term trade-offs and potential supply options if the city needs to expand supplies in the future.

Board members also raised operational questions about how development-related land-use changes and conversion of commercial parcels to residential use might affect water demand; staff said these scenarios are being modeled to estimate realistic capacity and infrastructure needs.

Next steps: a formal water-supply update will be presented to the board in April; staff will continue coordination with regional partners and monitor snowpack and reservoir inflows.