The springs in Manitou Springs are getting an assist from some rain. Water managers say it is the right kind of rain, as opposed to the flash flooding that happened earlier this month. This kind of rain is helping offset the dro ught conditions from earlier this summer.Umbrellas and hoodies are the fashion trend of the day in Manitou Springs."It just like started just raining at like 4 a.m. just constant since then," said Nichole Saffeels.Enough rain to wake her, but not so much she is concerned."It's just rain, like it's a constant rain, but it's not like storming, it's just like consistent," Saffeels said.She is also aware it has been a dry summer."I think we need it, definitely," Saffeels said.Ben Schmitt tracks the water supply for Manitou Springs and agrees this storm is dropping rain at a good pace."While rain is great, it's great if it's slow, easy moving rain that comes down and doesn't create a lot of turbidity," Schmitt said.Turbidity is when water is rushing so fast it gets clouded with debris. Rain at a slow to moderate pace seeps into the ground and adds just enough water to put some extra in Manitou's one storage reservoir. It is important for use in homes and businesses and essential to public safety."If we have a bigger event like a wildfire or something like that, we need to make sure we have that reserve capacity to be able to bring into the system, so keeping that resource whole is like keeping your bank account topped off in case of an emergency," Schmitt said.Back in the spring, Manitou put water restrictions in place because snowpack was at 9% of normal, and the city considers snow its second water storage resource. Recent rain has helped bring water levels in the community's one reservoir up to a more comfortable level. Still, water restrictions remain and city leaders believe conservation needs to remain a priority."I don't think we are quite out of the woods yet, just based on the patterns growing up here my entire life, and seeing this, there's a noticeable shift in the patterns that we're seeing for storage and snowpack," Schmitt said.There are no complaints about the water reprieve from the rain. Now what water managers want to see is a much better snowpack year on Pikes Peak."This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."_______Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching. ...read more read less