A snow drought and a heat wave have led to the earliest restrictions on water use ever imposed in Colorado, with some residents facing the earliest ever imposed. Denver Water is seeking a 20% cut in water use, and has asked residents to turn off automatic watering systems until mid-May and reduce tree and shrubs watering twice a week. This is the earliest in the year that Denver Water has ever issued a restriction. The situation is described as "quite serious" and could lead to restrictions in two or three months, potentially leading to limited water usage restrictions. The snowpack in Colorado has already lost about 40% of its statewide snowpack since its peak on March 12 and is expected to peak again in late April or early May. The town of Erie declared a water shortage emergency on March 20 after a significant increase in consumption. The dwindling snowpack is likely to raise the risk of severe wildfires, hamper electricity generation at hydropower dams, and force water restrictions for farmers.