Snowmass board looks to conserve water, protect Colorado River
Water Resources manager says irrigation causes water waste
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Irrigation is a major source of water waste in Snowmass, a critical issue as the town draws entirely from local streams.
Once diverted, much of the water never follows its natural course to the Colorado River, according to Water Resource Manager Darrell Smith, who presented to the Environmental Advisory Board earlier this week.
“Water is a scarce resource on the Western Slope and in the Colorado Basin as a whole,” Smith told The Aspen Times on Thursday. “So it’s part of doing our part to not use the water we have available to excess.”
Many second homeowners expect their lawn is green, and plants are watered by the time they arrive for the summer months, Smith said. The top 10% of Snowmass irrigators triple the average rate of water use.
“They own this valuable property, but golly, it’s going to be ready for them,” he said amid a laugh.
The Roaring Fork Valley watershed provides 10% of the total water volume to the Colorado River Basin, according to the Roaring Fork Conservancy. But the river no longer reaches the Pacific Ocean. It dries up in Northwestern Mexico due to human water usage, according to USGS.
“Climate change will make this problem worse because hotter summers make people irrigate more,” Smith said of human river use.
The Colorado River is predicted to drop 29% by 2050 in the Upper Colorado River Basin due to a hotter and drier climate, according to a 2021 USGS study. When temperatures increase, plants need more water, and people irrigate more, drawing more from the watershed, according to him.
Forty million people currently rely on the river for agricultural use or municipal needs, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.
Smith advocated that Snowmas residents do their part to minimize the strain on the river.
“We need to develop good habits as citizens of the area,” he said.
As it stands, 35% of annual water usage in single family Snowmass residences comes from irrigation, primarily between June and September, he said. The top 10% of irrigators use 2,100 gallons per day — three times the 700 gallons used by the average Snowmass irrigator.
While 95% of indoor water use returns to streams, only 20% of irrigated water returns, according to Smith.
To reduce water usage from irrigation, he said residents could plant water-conserving plants rather than “thirsty” greenery like traditional lawn grass — sod rolled out across the front lawn.
He also suggested Snowmass could implement municipal codes constraining the amount of water usage per lawn.
Denver recently passed a law prohibiting certain landscaping practices, such as planting non-functional turf, or sod used only for ornamental purposes. The law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
Aspen, too, requires residents to keep their water use under 7.5 gallons per square foot of lawn per season. While this requirement doesn’t prohibit residents from planting lawn grass, it reduces the amount they can plant, Smith said.
Water conserving plants include Subalpine Fir, Hedge Maple, Rocky Mountain Maple, Moonshine Yarrow, and Persian Stonecress, among others.
The board discussed pushing for a similar conservation policy in Snowmass.
“My goal is not to get rid of all grass in the village,” Smith told The Aspen Times. “It’s striking a balance and being efficient with the water we have.”
He added that residents could get their water usage evaluated to see if they are over-watering their lawn. Though the evaluation costs $350, the water district can provide the homeowner with that same amount in credit to improve their water system. They can also match homeowners’ expenditures on their systems with a one-to-one investment of up to $1,100, according to him.
The board agreed to advocate for water conservation policy to Town Council.
“I think procedurally, we would just wait for the district to approach the town, and then this board would give their recommendation,” said Greg LeBlanc, assistant town manager.
Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.
Snowmass board looks to conserve water, protect Colorado River
Irrigation is a major source of water waste in Snowmass, a critical issue as the town draws entirely from local streams.
Mountain retreat near Ruedi Reservoir accused of permit misuse
Pitkin County Commissioner Patti Clapper said that Tuesday’s Board of County Commissioners regular meeting will address the COVID ordinance and subsequent sunset date, but that the permitting process that Beyul is currently going through cannot be discussed until the permit application is complete.
