After days of soaring temperatures and increased water use, the City of Canyon has entered Stage 1 drought conditions.
City officials announced Wednesday that the action was triggered after water demand exceeded 65% of the city's available water production capacity for more than five consecutive days, meeting the threshold outlined in the city's drought contingency ordinance.
The Stage 1 designation calls for voluntary water conservation by Canyon utility customers. Residents are encouraged to follow even- and odd-day watering schedules based on their address, reduce landscape irrigation, avoid unnecessary water use such as washing vehicles or filling swimming pools, repair leaks and broken sprinkler systems, and keep irrigation water off streets and sidewalks.
The city said Stage 1 restrictions can be lifted once water demand and other triggering conditions remain below the threshold for five consecutive days.
The announcement comes as much of the Texas Panhandle continues to battle severe drought and prolonged triple-digit heat. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Randall County was classified in Severe Drought as of July 28, with a drought intensity score of 300 out of 500.
Canyon is not alone in dealing with strained water supplies. Other communities across the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles have also implemented drought restrictions or other conservation measures as dry conditions persist.
The National Weather Service also issued a heat advisory for Palo Duro Canyon State Park from 2 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, while the rest of the region remained under a hazardous weather outlook because of dangerous heat.
