Aspen ponders water shortage declaration amid growing drought concerns

Aspen City Council declared a voluntary stage one water shortage in response to mounting drought conditions and the city’s limited water storage capacity. 

The proposal, introduced during Tuesday’s regular meeting under the consent calendar, was passed unanimously.

The declaration marks the first step in the city’s water shortage ordinance and does not carry mandatory restrictions. Instead, it urges residents, businesses, and visitors to conserve water through voluntary measures, such as watering gardens during cooler hours or every other day, repairing leaks promptly, and avoiding unnecessary uses like washing sidewalks or driveways. The goal is reduce all water use by 10 percent.

Aspen’s water system depends entirely on surface water from Castle and Maroon Creeks, high-mountain tributaries highly sensitive to snowpack levels and seasonal runoff. 

With no major reservoirs and only three to five days’ worth of treated water stored at a time, the city is particularly vulnerable to disruption, making early-stage conservation planning critical.

“When we turn on the tap while doing the dishes, we do not really think where our water is coming from,” said Mayor Rachel Richards. “The city of Aspen only has a surface water program, with very limited storage right before treatment. It can be a three to five-day supply.” 

Utilities Resource Manager Steve Hunter said that nearly the entire county is in drought conditions. 

“Currently, 82% of Pitkin County is classified as severe drought, with the remaining 15% in moderate drought, and a sliver of extreme drought in the western county,” he said. “Our big reservoirs are still empty, but we did have a nice reprieve with rain last week, although it was not a sign of the monsoon, but the remnant of tropical storm Alvin.”

The Roaring Fork River is flowing at just 60% of normal for this time of year. 

“The SNOTELs are all melted off, but we still have snow in the higher elevations, which is our saving grace,” Hunter noted. “Our temperature outlook for the next three months is predicting higher than average temperatures. But the good news — if there is a silver lining — is that meteorologists are predicting a wetter-than-average monsoon, which generally starts in mid-July. That’s why we are only recommending a phase one water shortage, not a stage two.”

Should conditions deteriorate, the city may escalate to stage two or higher, which could entail mandatory restrictions and potentially financial penalties for non-compliance, but the escalation would have to go before city council to be enacted.

The city tracks climate and hydrologic indicators — such as snowpack, streamflow, and weather forecasts — in real time to determine when more serious measures may be needed. A stage one declaration serves primarily to raise public awareness and encourage preemptive conservation.

According to city documents, “The purpose of a Stage One declaration is to alert the public and city water customers that conditions are changing and that an appropriate response now can delay or eliminate the need for more restrictive phases.”

Aspen is also working closely with neighboring water districts to ensure consistent public messaging throughout the valley.

Although the city’s treatment facility is currently meeting demand, officials say the proposed measure is not just about present conditions but about fostering a culture of conservation and long-term water resilience.