Colorado residents distraught after lake in beloved local park DISAPPEARS

By JAMES CIRRONE, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 15:18, 7 April 2026 | Updated: 15:24, 7 April 2026 A lake within a southwestern Denver park has lost nearly all its water, as residents say they've never seen their local body of water 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 fishing 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 as early as the 1930s, according to the city of Denver. It's also considered a wetland because of its shallow depth and the types of vegetation that surround 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 (pictured full), a partially man-made lake in Denver, 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 (pictured most recently). Officials have also blamed the historically dry conditions for Lake Huston's demise Resident Chris Burroughs was also saddened by the state of the lake. '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 isn't 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. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.