FARMINGTON — Local government officials are growing increasingly concerned about drought conditions in San Juan County and are proposing some restrictions.
Farmington may enter stage one of its drought management plan, and San Juan County could restrict fireworks use.
The Farmington City Council and the San Juan County Commission will discuss the restrictions during their meetings on Tuesday.
The state Office of the Engineer sent a letter April 19 to ditch officials regarding the drought.
When the city of Farmington released its Water Tip Wednesday — a weekly conservation tip the city releases online and through social media — the Animas River was flowing at 14.1 cubic feet per second, less than 2 percent of normal.
(Photo: Hannah Grover/The Daily Times) Farmington Public Works director David Sypher said those two indicators prompted the city to consider entering stage one of the drought management plan, which calls for voluntary conservation to reduce water use by 10 percent.
San Juan County Fire Chief Craig Daugherty said conditions do not look like they will improve.
The drought also has caused the county to consider restricting fireworks to prevent fires.
That meeting will focus on the drought management plan.
Jeanene Valdes, a member of River Reach Foundation, said she and other officials of the nonprofit organization that stages the RiverFest celebration each Memorial Day weekend are concerned about the low level of the rivers.