GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo.—The “hot pots,” an area of warm water in the Colorado River fed mostly by discharge from the Hot Springs Lodge and Pool, are officially off limits to swimmers, soakers and others unwilling to pay an entrance fee to the famed hot springs-fed pools.
“No trespassing” signs went up two weeks ago and the first citations under the new restrictions were issued last Wednesday, Police Chief Terry Wilson said Tuesday.
The area, a popular hangout, has seen a lot of criminal activity and problems over the years, Wilson said, including drownings.
“We’ve had sexual assaults. We’ve had overdose deaths. We’ve had juvenile drinking on a routine basis,” he said.
The area, near the Glenwood Springs exit on Interstate 70, sits on the Colorado Department of Transportation’s right of way. Making them off limits was a joint effort between the city, CDOT and the pool.
Besides the crime and other problems, the hot pots aren’t healthy, Wilson said. The discharge comes from a storm drain pipeline connected to the pool and the street above.
“Years ago the output water was tested. It didn’t exactly come back as something you’d want to plunk down in your bathtub and take a relaxing sauna in,” Wilson said. “I’m not getting in.”
