Click the link to read the article on The Sopris Sun website (Annalise Grueter). Here’s an excerpt:
September 23, 2026
Despite recent rain, much of the Roaring Fork Watershed remains in “exceptional” drought as of the autumn equinox. Pitkin and Eagle counties are among the 15.2% in the state categorized in the highest ranking for drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor, alongside Lake and Alamosa counties. The majority of Garfield County is in either exceptional or “extreme” drought, the next highest ranking. The dryness paired with above-average temperatures in 2026 made the January through August period the sixth-driest recorded in Colorado since 1895, with 3.78 fewer inches of rain than average. That decreased precipitation has shown in local watersheds and trickled into recreation management. By June, local angling guides were sharing anecdotes about adjusting trips to early hours of the morning to reduce stress on fish.