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CSU Climatologists Need Help Keeping An Eye On Moisture Levels

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) - Cities all along the Front Range announced residential watering restrictions, most limiting watering to two days a week.

It's the first time in 10 years Fort Collins has put those strict rules in place and it's the earliest ever for the restrictions to begin.

Now climatologists at Colorado State University want some help in tracking what promises to be another dry summer.

They are already closely monitoring the reservoirs like Horsetooth Reservoir which supplies Fort Collins and Greeley.

"With the drought conditions, we're not sure what the quota will be which will tell us how much water we'll be able to get out of that system," explained Nolan Doesken, a CSU State Climatologist. "We don't think it'll be very high so we can want to be proactive and begin the restrictions."

That's an assessment with which Denver Water agrees, declaring a Stage 2 Drought at the end of March before imposing its water restrictions April 1.

Doesken calls the water outlook bleak. "The overall picture so far is still a drought picture. The snowpack is still well below average."

That below average snowpack makes every drop of precipitation more valuable. Tracking precipitation also helps determine drought patterns.

That's why CSU is looking for volunteers to train as weather spotters. By getting more detailed information from across the state, the climatologists do a better job.

"My job is monitoring the climate across Colorado," Doesken said. "Precipitation is arguably the most important aspect of our climate and this helps me, big time, do a much better job than otherwise."

Additional Resources

If you'd like to volunteer to learn how to be a weather spotter and help track that precipitation, there are series of training events set up.

• April 3 (6:30-8:30 p.m.) Highlands Ranch Library, 9292 Ridgeline Blvd., Highlands Ranch

• April 6 (10 a.m.-noon), Aurora Central Library, 14949 E. Alameda Pkwy., Aurora

• April 13 (12:30-230 p.m.) Castle Rock Library, 100 S. Wilcox, Castle Rock

• April 16 (6:30-830 p.m.) Aurora Central Library, 14949 E. Alameda Pkwy., Aurora

• April 25 (6:30-8:30 p.m.) SE Aurora Library (Tallyn's Reach), 23911 E. Arapahoe Road, Aurora

• April 27 (10 a.m. to noon), Adams County Regional Park (Fairgrounds), 9755 Henderson Road, Brighton

For more information, or to sign up to volunteer, go to www.cocorahs.org or contact Chris Spears at chris.spears@colostate.edu.

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