Garfield County drought extent drops sharply

October 22, 2026

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Garfield County's drought extent dropped sharply this week, falling from 43.65% in D3 (Extreme Drought) or worse on October 13-19 to 8.30% on October 20-26, with Exceptional Drought now absent.¹ After 15 straight months of extreme to exceptional drought conditions, recent moisture is beginning to ease the short-term deficits, though the underlying water-supply deficit from water year 2026 remains substantial.²

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