On July 30, the Grand County Drought Preparedness Committee officially declared that Grand County has entered into stage one drought, due to below-average precipitation and information from the U.S. Drought Monitor indicating that the majority of the country is experiencing moderate to severe drought.

The U.S. Drought Monitor is a map released every Thursday that shows where drought is and how bad it is across the nation. It has six classifications that range from normal and abnormal conditions to extreme and exceptional drought.

Information for the maps comes from a variety of meteorologist and climatologists partners like the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Currently, the U.S. Drought Monitor classifies about 67% of Grand County in a moderate drought with 12% of land experiencing severe drought conditions, primarily in the drier west end of the country.

The Grand County Drought Preparedness Committee is made up of members from different interests who look at various factors before deciding an appropriate response.

“We’re keeping a close eye on the west end of the county, where dry conditions have taken hold and are steadily spreading east,” the news release from the committee reads.

July precipitation has been 30-50% below average, the release states, and the dryness only continues to intensify.

August monsoons may eventually bring more moisture and relief, but it will take more than a few quick showers to fix the problem. Droughts are long term problems that build up and ease slowly.

The committee said that there are numerous actions that the public can take to help conserve water resources. While the recommendations are voluntary, taking action can help mitigate drought effects which can lead to other weather hazards like wildfires, heat waves or hazardous air quality.

One easy way to conserve water is to limit outdoor watering to just two days a week and to only water during the cool hours in the early morning from 6 to 10 a.m. to reduce evaporation and make every drop count.

Sport fields, golf courses, agriculture and parks are encouraged to reduce water user by 10%. The public can also check their irrigation systems and hoses for leaks, since small drips can waste hundreds of gallons over a season.

Grand County will remain in the drought warning stage until the committee meets again in August.For more tips and other water resources, visit CO.Grand.CO.US/1349/water-conservation.