Colorado Springs is in the midst of dramatic growth, with new housing developments spreading into previously undeveloped areas. The city’s population is projected to surge beyond 400,000 by 2070. Recent annexations like the 1,900-acre Karman Line project near Schriever Space Force Base are examples of this trend, raising urgent questions about water sustainability.

To ensure growth doesn’t outpace available resources, the City Council adopted a requirement that water supply must be at least 128% of projected demand before approving new annexations. The Karman Line passed this test—but only narrowly.

In response to long-term needs, Colorado Springs Utilities has outlined a 50-year Sustainable Water Plan. This includes aggressive conservation efforts, new water reuse systems that will treat wastewater to drinking standards, storage expansion projects such as the proposed Montgomery Reservoir enlargement, and voluntary agricultural water-sharing agreements to avoid harming rural communities. These strategies aim to diversify the city’s water sources and reduce its dependence on unpredictable conditions.

Despite these measures, uncertainty remains. Droughts and earlier snowmelt—both worsened by climate change—could reduce water availability. In 2025, snowpack levels were below average, and runoff occurred earlier than expected. Fortunately, wet years in 2023 and 2024 left the city with nearly three years’ worth of stored water, but that reserve could diminish quickly under prolonged dry conditions.

Travas Deal, CEO of Colorado Springs Utilities, emphasized that the key to success lies in flexibility, innovation, and adapting to climate variability.

Still, water policy has drawn criticism, particularly from farmers in the Lower Arkansas River Valley. Some believe the city’s agricultural water-sharing programs are ultimately detrimental, arguing that these transfers quietly erode farmland viability. Critics suggest that the city exhausted its “moral water supply” long ago and now relies heavily on resources from rural communities.

The future of water in Colorado Springs hinges on three major factors: whether residents continue to comply with conservation efforts like limiting irrigation; whether planned infrastructure projects can be implemented effectively and on time; and how well the city adapts to climate-related stresses.

If all goes according to plan, Colorado Springs could meet its water needs for the next half-century. But if the city falls short on any front, the consequences could ripple across both urban and rural communities—and redefine the region’s future.

©️ The Rocky Mountain Dispatch LLC. 2025