Drought is leading officials to drain a Park County reservoir this May to preserve water resources.

This will be the second time since 2002 that Antero Reservoir has been drained to minimize water losses due to evaporation, according to a news release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

A severe drought has hit much of eastern and central Colorado, forcing water restrictions on eastern plains ranchers as well as motivating Colorado Springs Utilities to propose watering restrictions.

Summer 2012 was exceptionally hot and dry, and its looking to be a dry 2013, too, especially without reserves of deep snowpack.

On Sunday, the National Weather Service office in Pueblo issued a Red Flag fire danger warming for El Paso County, citing dry fuels and gusty winds. Forecasters said the conditions “create explosive fire growth potential.”

Warm, dry weather is expected in the Pikes Peak region until a storm moves in Thursday.

Dry conditions are already hitting reservoirs. Officials announced this month that Spinney Mountain Reservoir near Lake George will be closed to trailer-launched boats for 2013 by low water levels.

Antero reservoir is a trout fishing spot and starting on Wednesday anglers will be able to take home eight fish instead of two to help empty the reservoir of its trout population. The reservoir will close on May 1 and the remaining water will be drained and stored in Cheesman and Eleven Mile reservoirs.

Antero was closed and drained in 2002, and was reopened at the end of the five-year drought in 2007. It provides some of the drinking water to the Denver area. Eleven Mile is one seven reservoirs that provide water to Denver, according to the Parks and Wildlife website.

This year, once the ice melts on Antero, Parks and Wildlife crews will start trapping and relocating spawning trout. Screens will also be installed below the reservoir to capture fish as they leave, according to the news release. The release gave no indication of when the reservoir would be refilled, but said that officials intend to re-establish the fishery once Antero fills with water.