A lake in a southwestern Denver park has lost nearly all its water, as residents say they have never seen it this dry before.
Lake Huston used to be where many locals went fishing, but Tiercel Duerson and his young son were seen roaming the muddy plain looking for treasure.
‘I have lived down the street for many years with my dad, and it’s always been full (of water). People fish here, and eagles come here,’ Duerson told KDVR-TV.
The lake began drying up about a month ago when the canal that feeds it shut down after suffering a leak, Denver Parks and Recreation told the local news outlet.
Lake Huston has been used for agricultural irrigation since the 1930s, according to the city of Denver. It is also considered a wetland because of its shallow depth and the vegetation surrounding it.
Now, there’s not even enough water for it to qualify as a swamp by typical standards.
Garrett Scray, who has lived by the lake for eight years, said he was worried about it drying up.
‘It’s more like a pond,’ Scray told 9News. ‘It’s kind of an eyesore now with water down so much and half the lake being mud and just being dead fish floating around.’
Lake Huston, a partially man-made lake in Denver, when it was full. The water went dry about a month ago after the canal that feeds it suffered a leak and had to be shut down
The water level has now receded to the point that the area has more dirt and mud than water. Officials have also blamed the historically dry conditions for Lake Huston’s demise
Resident Chris Burroughs was also saddened by the lake’s condition.
‘I was thinking about all the fish and the pond life that are going to disappear, I mean, it has been extremely dry, and we certainly need rain,’ Burroughs told FOX31.
Large portions of the western United States have endured historically low snowfall this winter. States like Colorado rely on mountain snowpack to run off into rivers and reservoirs. Less snow has contributed to drier conditions across the region.
Much of Colorado was already experiencing drought conditions before this season’s lack of snow. Denver is currently classified as being in a severe drought, according to federal data.
A severe drought designation means crop or pasture losses are likely, water shortages are common and restrictions may be imposed.
Council Member Flor Alvidrez told KDVR-TV that Lake Huston is not the only body of water struggling to sustain itself.
She pointed out that nearby Washington Park has a pond that has extremely low water levels.
Denver’s Lake Huston could have water in it by May 1, according to officials.
A miniature regatta took place on November 5, 1975, on Lake Huston
In Aurora, east of Denver, the 12 reservoirs that feed the city are about 58 percent full, which is roughly 10 percent lower than normal for this time of year.
‘The reality of the situation is that it will continue to draw down,’ said Aurora Water spokesperson Shonnie Cline. ‘We might get a quarter to a third of the normal water we see to replenish reservoirs this year.’
Both Denver and Aurora have developed systems to reuse water, a critical necessity during drought conditions.
Aurora officials say they recycle and treat roughly 90 to 99 percent of its water supply to meet the city’s needs.
