Sara Taylor, the city’s recreation area supervisor, said Sunset Pool is scheduled to open Thursday, weather permitting, and that city staff expect conditions to improve heading into the holiday weekend.

“We’re going to keep our website up to date, but it looks like weather is going to be awesome for Saturday, Sunday and Monday,” Taylor said.

The city previously announced in a news release the Union Reservoir swim beach would remain closed for the 2026 season because shallow water conditions do not allow for safe swimming. However, Taylor clarified that the beach itself will still be open to visitors.

“The beach is, quote unquote, closed, because the water is not deep enough to swim, but the beach is still available for use,” Taylor said.

According to Taylor, the city plans to rope off a designated wading zone where visitors can enter the water and cool down, though the water will remain shallow enough for people to touch the bottom at all times. The marked-off area will be no deeper than about 3 feet.

Taylor said the wading area will operate at visitors’ own risk, meaning lifeguards will not monitor the public swim area. Lifeguards will still be present for scheduled camps and group activities at the reservoir.

“It¶¶Òőap still going to be at the same location. We’re still going to have the beach sand. It¶¶Òőap just really shallow,” Taylor said.

The city will monitor the water levels and announce if anything changes. Union Reservoir will remain open for other activities, including boating, paddleboarding, fishing, picnicking and dog beach access. Rocky Mountain Paddleboard rentals are still scheduled to begin May 23, according to the city.

Forecast models show a good chance of 5 to 8 inches over most of the Interstate 25 corridor and up to a foot closer to the foothills and the Palmer Divide, forecasters said Tuesday.

While snowy roads will cause headaches for commuters on Wednesday morning, tree damage will likely have a bigger impact, according to the agency.

Just 3 to 5 inches of wet snow is enough to break small tree limbs, while 8 inches can cause significant damage to large trees and up to a foot “could result in widespread/nearly catastrophic tree damage,” forecasters said.

plans to place crews on standby to respond to and repair any outages caused by the spring snowstorm, according to utility officials.

“If you see a downed or sagging power line, stay away,” Xcel officials said. “Never touch or move a downed power line; instead, leave the area and report it immediately by calling 1-800-895-1999.”

The storm is on track to be one of Denver’s largest May snowstorms on record, , but it won’t be enough to reverse the drought.

As of Tuesday evening, from the weather service included:

• 1 inch in Brush and Fort Morgan, with up to 3 inches possible
• 6 inches in Aurora, Arvada, Brighton, Commerce City, Denver, Littleton and Parker, with up to 8 inches possible
• 7 inches in Centennial, Broomfield, Highlands Ranch and Lakewood, with up to 8 inches possible
• 7 inches in Winter Park, with up to 14 inches possible
• 8 inches in Fort Collins, Monument Hill and Roxborough Park, with up to 10 inches possible
• 9 inches in Black Hawk and Central City, with up to 12 inches possible
• 9 inches on U.S. 6’s Loveland Pass, with up to 17 inches possible
• 10 inches in Boulder and Georgetown with up to 12 inches possible
• 10 inches on U.S. 40’s Berthoud Pass near Winter Park, with up to 19 inches possible
• 10 inches on Colorado 14’s Cameron Pass, which runs between Fort Collins and Walden, with up to 13 inches possible
• 11 inches in Conifer, with up to 13 inches possible
• 12 inches in Estes Park, with up to 15 inches possible
• 13 inches in Eldora, with up to 16 inches possible
• 17 inches at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, with up to 21 inches possible

Outside of Colorado’s mountains, where snow started falling earlier Tuesday, the heaviest snow will hit overnight and into Wednesday morning before tapering off by the afternoon, .

Most of Colorado was under severe weather alerts Tuesday evening, according to the weather service.

for heavy snow and hazardous travel were issued Monday for higher-elevation areas in Boulder, Grand, Jackson and Larimer counties. Those warnings will remain in effect until 3 p.m. Wednesday.

will be in effect for the metro area from 8 p.m. Tuesday to 3 p.m. Wednesday, according to the weather service. That includes parts of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Jefferson and Larimer counties.

, which rank below winter storm warnings in , will cover parts of Adams, Arapahoe, Elbert, Grand, Jackson, Lincoln, Morgan, Park, Summit, Washington and Weld counties from 8 p.m. Tuesday to 3 p.m. Wednesday.

will also cover large swaths of Colorado — including the Western Slope, Eastern Plains, urban corridor and southern state — from Wednesday night into Thursday morning. The Yampa River Basin is under an additional freeze watch for Tuesday night.

“Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing,” forecasters wrote in the watch.

Low snow in the Colorado mountains during the exceptionally warm winter has led to below-average flows in the streams and rivers that supply metro Denver – around 18% of the norm this week in the Colorado River Basin and 2% of the norm in the South Platte River Basin, according to measurements.

“The precipitation amounts, especially across metro Denver, are not that impressive. It really didn’t do much at all to put a dent in the drought. We would need a prolonged period of well-above-average precipitation to have relief,” meteorologist Zach Hiris said. “We’ve got way too much ground to make up before we start thinking about relief or lifting those water restrictions.”

Even with the quarter-inch of rain that fell on metro Denver since Sunday, Denver Water reservoirs remained mostly less than 80% full. Denver Water officials have imposed two-day-a-week yard watering restrictions for the 1.5 million residents it supplies in Denver and surrounding suburbs in an effort to reduce use by 20% — necessary to avoid more severe restrictions this summer.

“We implemented drought restrictions because we needed to, and it is incredibly unlikely we will be able to lift them at any point this year,” Denver Water’s supply manager Nathan Elder said Friday. “We’re not on the edge of drought where a couple of storms can pull us out.

“The damage to our water resources has already been done,” he said. “Rain helps, of course, as the more it rains, the less people water, and rain helps keep our reservoirs from getting lower. Unfortunately, rain does not add significant amounts of water to reservoirs in the same way snowmelt runoff does.”

And , with its storage reservoirs 57% full, will continue to direct the city’s six “water monitor” officers to enforce their mandatory two-day-a-week restrictions. They’ve issued many warnings so far, Aurora Water spokeswoman Kirby Shedlowski said. “It¶¶Òőap in the hundreds.” Tickets for households that repeatedly violate the rule range from $125 up to $500.

“Our water comes from snowpack and the snowpack melting out of those mountains. The snowpack is so low this year that we just aren’t seeing the same water yields that we used to,” Shedlowski said. “We may be getting some rain down here. That helps with putting moisture into the soil. We would need to see a significant amount of rain to see any changes in water storage.”

Looking ahead, NWS forecasters predicted weekend temperatures warming to around 70 degrees, with possible afternoon rain Monday through Wednesday. “It’ll be a similar pattern to what we saw this week. The mountains will probably see a little bit of snow,” Hiris said.

Until mid-May, rain is likely to fall on Front Range cities, he said. “Beyond that, it looks as if we will get into warmer spring and summerlike patterns.”

The couple bought their 23-acre property in 2017 as a place away from the chaos of Denver life, and where Josh could heal from the brain injuries and trauma he suffered while serving in the U.S. Army. For years, they lived in an RV on the property in the central high valley, which is surrounded by mountains, as they built a home.

They learned how to use excavators and other heavy machinery. They dug out their basement, installed a septic tank and plumbing lines, and wired a solar-powered electrical system. They bought and transported a two-room log cabin from Montana. They installed a playground for their children, ages 7 and 1.

On March 25, they received their certificate of occupancy and officially moved into their cabin.

“It¶¶Òőap a sanctuary,” said Josh Kimbrough, 41. “It’s the first time in a very long time that I’ve been able to reduce my stress level enough to do some meaningful therapy work and become the person I want to be — versus the constantly triggered, high-anxiety person I’ve been.”

But what was meant to be a long-term home now feels uncertain. In February, Aurora Water announced its plans to on a swath of land that includes the Kimbroughs’ parcel.

The decision by the faraway city’s water utility has pitted two pursuits of stability against each other: Aurora Water’s hunt for reliable water supplies and the Kimbroughs’ search for peace.

“It has completely stripped me of all sense of stability and security for my family,” Josh Kimbrough said.

Aurora Water, for years, has sought to build a new reservoir so it can store more water for extreme drought years like this one.

The new body of water, to be named the Wild Horse Reservoir, would become the city’s largest at a capacity of 95,000 acre-feet. It would significantly  from 150,000 acre-feet to 245,000 acre-feet. An acre-foot of water is the amount of water it takes to cover an acre in a foot of water — more than 325,000 gallons — which is enough water for three Aurora households’ annual use.

The project is critically important for the growing city, said Sarah Young, an assistant general manager for the utility.

“If we don’t have the ability to store water for times of drought or emergencies, then we lose the ability to provide water to over 400,000 people,” Young said.

‘Not an easy decision,’ utility says

Aurora Water first planned to build the new reservoir at a different site that’s closer to Hartsel. It purchased the vast majority of the land needed to construct the reservoir there, but it stopped short of exercising eminent domain on the remaining necessary parcels.

However, showed that the current site, located farther south, made more engineering sense.

The southern location would require one dam instead of three, which would simplify operations and greatly reduce the risk of problems, said Zachary Henry, a communications strategist for Aurora Water working on the reservoir project. The southern site also would not require the creation of a new quarry for dam materials, minimizing environmental impacts.

But there’s one complication: People live on the 1,700 acres of land the utility needs for the reservoir.

“This was not an easy decision for us, even though all the engineering and costs led to this site,” Young said. “We really struggled with this decision because of the residents living down there.”

Several hundred people own land in the planned reservoir’s footprint, but only seven of those properties include a habitable residence — including the Kimbroughs’, Young said.

The city has already purchased several properties that were for sale in the area and is working with other landowners who would rather sell now than wait. Aurora water officials are talking with the remaining owners to determine the best way forward without resorting to eminent domain to seize the land.

“We have a lot of time,” said Lyle Whitney, a project manager with Aurora Water who has overseen communication with landowners. “We don’t want to rush; we want to make it right.”

The utility’s leaders want to offer landowners deals that are as good or better than their current situation, Whitney said.

Aurora Water officials acknowledged the uncertainty the reservoir plans created for landowners in the footprint. They have had multiple conversations with the Kimbrough family to find solutions.

“I understand his desire for stability and peace up there, and we’re trying to do right by them,” Henry said.

Loss of stability

But up in South Park, Kimbrough once again is struggling to sleep at night.

He lies in bed and runs the numbers: how much they might get for their land, what that money could buy elsewhere, whether they could afford the property tax there.

Kimbrough received an honorable medical discharge from the Army in 2006 after serving three years and deploying during the Iraq War to Baghdad, where he and held multiple forward operating bases. During his service, he suffered two traumatic brain injuries — one during a training exercise when his parachute malfunctioned, and the second when rocket-propelled grenades exploded just feet from a Humvee he was leaning halfway out of.

After his discharge, he returned home to the Denver area and enrolled at Metropolitan State University, where he met Sarah. But he struggled to find stability and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Four times, he was admitted to emergency mental health services.

South Park was his escape.

And now, learning that he and his family might have to move from the land they poured thousands of hours into has been crushing, he said. Kimbrough has spent much of his time working on the property, but now the remaining projects — landscaping, finishing the basement — seem pointless to pursue.

The couple planned very carefully so that they could afford to own a house and raise a family on their budget. They worry that fair market compensation for their modestly valued property in a remote valley would not be enough to buy a home elsewhere.

Even if Aurora were to acquire a larger or more expensive home for them, they worry they would not be able to afford the property tax on Kimbrough’s fixed disability income.

“I don’t think Aurora has the same ideas of what people value as what my family values,” he said. “We don’t value quantity and bigger houses — we value quality time and living within our means.

“We’re very happy out here in the middle of nowhere, without electric bills and water bills and huge property bills.”

The permitting for the reservoir is in early stages, and construction on the dam won’t begin until 2028 at the earliest, Young said. After the dam is complete, it will take several more years to fill the reservoir. The project is expected to cost more than $1 billion, she said.

The amount of time before the water flows is little comfort to the Kimbroughs. The family hired an eminent domain attorney to prepare — a large, unexpected expense. It’s one of the expenses they .

“It¶¶Òőap really hard, personally, to have gone to war for this country,” Kimbrough said, “and then have the Aurora government come and rip out every bit of stability from under my feet.”

This year, though, the 1,700-acre lake in Loveland may see boating restrictions due to low water caused by drought. And it’s not the only Front Range reservoir facing potential recreation impacts this year.

Low water levels could also affect access and boater capacity at Cherry Creek Reservoir and Barr Lake, according to a round-up compiled by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Few impacts to boating are expected at Chatfield Reservoir, though, due to its size and topography. A major expansion project completed in 2020 increased Chatfield’s “full” level by 12 feet.

Fed by the Big Thompson River with headwaters high in Rocky Mountain National Park, Boyd Lake currently is at roughly one-third of its capacity. The lake typically rises with river runoff until mid or late May, but that may not occur this year.

“Boaters should expect very low water levels through the season,” Parks and Wildlife said of Boyd Lake in a news release. “The Heron Cove boat ramp is closed due to the low water levels. All vessels must be launched from the main boat ramp. If restrictions need to be enacted, CPW likely will limit the number of boats allowed to be launched for safety reasons, rather than closing the reservoir to all boating.”

Cherry Creek Reservoir did not refill to average water levels last year due to the drought, and it starts the 2026 boating season at the same height it was when the 2025 season ended last fall.

“In an average year, the reservoir loses approximately three vertical feet of water due to evaporation,” the CPW release said. “The expected evaporation, coupled with the inability to refill the reservoir due to low snowpack, may result in boating restrictions and boat ramp closures for Cherry Creek State Park. The timing of potential closures is dependent on precipitation throughout the rest of spring and summer.”

Barr Lake near Brighton is fed by the South Platte River. It typically fills during winter and is drawn down in the summer to serve irrigation interests.

“The reservoir started the 2026 boating season at full capacity,” CPW said of Barr Lake. “With the current water level, any potential boat ramp closures would likely not be until July or August.”

CPW is warning boaters to be aware of potential dangers caused by low water hazards.

“Sandbars, uneven lake bottom topography, fishing habitat structures, rocks, stumps and other debris in the water may become visible obstacles,” CPW said. “Boaters should be prepared for slower speeds and be aware of surroundings while recreating.”

Stand on one of the many foothills surrounding Denver and one feature dominates the view: the beautiful canopy created by millions of trees growing throughout the city. It¶¶Òőap difficult to imagine this area without trees, and it¶¶Òőap also hard to believe that there were almost no trees in the area prior to the arrival of settlers around 1858. With the exception of some native cottonwoods lining the creeks flowing eastward out of the foothills, no trees grew here naturally.

As prospectors and settlers in covered wagons, on horseback, and even traveling on foot flooded the Front Range in response to rumors of the discovery of gold, the population in the area exploded. While the Gold Rush was somewhat disappointing and short-lived, in the following years settlers continued to travel to the area, some bringing their own trees with them.

Because of the surrounding topography, the Denver basin lies in a semi-arid “rain shadow,” meaning that much of the moisture moving over the mountains falls at higher elevations, leaving little precipitation as the weather moves eastward over the city. Denver is high and dry.

But trees need water to survive. We all want the beauty of trees that cool the environment, add interest to the landscape, and provide refuge for local wildlife, including small mammals, birds and insects. With precipitation rates decreasing in recent years and water possibly becoming more scarce as demand outstrips supply, it makes sense to plant trees that can provide beauty and shade but require relatively less water.

Many trees currently growing in the metro area require a fair amount of water. Fortunately, there are cultivars (cultivated varieties) that can thrive here while requiring low to medium irrigation and can also adapt well to our alkaline soils. Here are the deciduous trees and conifers that perform well along the Front Range under sometimes difficult conditions for many other trees.

Deciduous trees

Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus): Podless cultivars are Espresso, Decaf, Skinny Latte and Prairie Titan. This tree has a low to medium water requirement. It prefers sun and can tolerate a wide range of soils, making it an excellent landscape tree. It has an interesting trunk texture and twig shape that is evident in winter. Early settlers used the seeds from native cultivars as a substitute for coffee beans. There are no pods to rake up in the fall with these varieties.

Elm (Ulmus davidiana David): Greenstone, Choicecity, Northern Express and New Horizon are cultivars that are resistant to elm leaf beetle and Dutch elm disease. At 50 feet tall, these varieties are smaller than the American elm, thrive in full to part sun, and require low to medium water.

Hawthorne (Crataegus viridis Green ‘Winter King’): This member of the rose family is outstanding as an ornamental tree. Spring blooms are white followed by orange fruit that can persist throughout the winter. The mature height is 20 to 30 feet tall and wide. It has a dense growth habit, and mass plantings can form an attractive hedge. It requires low to medium irrigation.

Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos): Thornless Common Imperial is a compact cultivar maturing at 30 feet tall. Shademaster has a vase-shaped habit and grows to 35 feet tall. Skyline is a large, thornless shade tree maturing at 45 feet. They require full to part sun and medium water. Imperial turns a rich golden orange in fall. Trunks of young trees should be wrapped in the winter.

Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum): This common horse chestnut is native to Europe. It is salt-tolerant and requires medium irrigation. It¶¶Òőap a showy tree that attracts wildlife such as birds and squirrels, and it matures at 70 feet tall.

Linden (Tilia tomentosa Silver): Sterling Silver is up to 70 feet and 30 feet wide. Heart-shaped leaves with fruit clusters form in late summer. It tolerates sun and heat, has a low to medium water requirement, and is more resistant to the Japanese beetle.

Maple (Acer grandidentatum ‘Bigtooth’): This Colorado native requires low to medium water and matures at 35 feet tall. It is tolerant of diverse soil types and is a great choice for the Front Range area.

Maple (Acer tataricum ‘Hot Wings’): A smaller landscape tree, it matures at 15 to 18 feet tall with low to medium watering requirements. It does best in full sun to partial shade. Cream colored flowers in the spring are followed by brilliant red samaras that stand out in contrast to the green foliage.

Maple (Acer saccharum ‘Caddo’): Mature height is 30 to 50 feet. Native to Oklahoma, the leaves are deeply lobed, resistant to leaf scorch, and tolerant of high pH soils. This tree has a low to medium water requirement. Fall color ranges from yellow to orange.

Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) Chinkapin: Mature height is 40 feet tall with low to medium water needs. Flowers in the spring are followed by acorns in the fall, and it is a favorite of urban wildlife.

Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) Saskatoon: A large multi-stemmed shrub or small tree reaching 18 feet in height, it produces clusters of white flowers in spring, followed by blue to purplish small, edible fruit that is high in essential minerals and can be eaten fresh or cooked. It is a favorite of local birds. Serviceberries have beautiful fall color.

Conifers

Commonly called evergreens, conifers can be a great addition to any landscape. They retain their needles throughout the winter, adding structure and a splash of color to an otherwise leafless view. During all winters, conifers need occasional watering when the ground is not frozen to maintain plant vigor and to keep their needles intact. Three conifers stand out as examples that thrive in Denver’s alkaline soils:

New Mexico Juniper (Juniperus monosperma): Native to the Southwest, this juniper is one of the most common cultivars. It grows to a maximum height of 40 feet and prefers dry conditions. It tolerates many types of soils, and its blue, fleshy cones are a food source for birds.

Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum): Popular varieties are ‘Welchii,’ ‘Gray Gleam,’ ‘Cologreen,’ ‘Wichita Blue’ and ‘Moonglow.’ They can reach 40 feet high and are drought-tolerant.

Pine (Pinus cembra) Swiss Stone Pine and (Pinus flexis) Vanderwolf’s Pyramid: Both have a low to medium water requirement and stand at 30 feet high.

As we move toward an uncertain precipitation future along the Front Range, trees and other plants that thrive here while demanding less water may be the best choice. Many of the trees listed can be found at local independent garden centers or can be ordered online.

Colorado State University offers a for the Front Range and their cultural requirements at planttalk.colostate.edu, and information on, at engagement.source.colostate.edu.

Judy Kunz is a freelance writer and a Colorado Master Gardener who lives in Arapahoe County.

“We are facing a very challenging fire year where our resources will be tested, across not only Colorado but across the West,” said Mike Morgan, the director of , at a news conference announcing .

The Front Range and northwestern Colorado face the highest risk of fire through June and July, Gov. Jared Polis said. The plains east of Interstate 25 will also face increased risk during windy days until the grasses turn green, according to the outlook.

But every corner of the state will be vulnerable.

Drought covered all of Colorado as of Tuesday, according to . Much of the northwest corner of the state was categorized as in exceptional drought — the most severe category used by the monitor. The Denver metro was in extreme drought, the second-most-severe category.

At this time last year, only 44% of the state was in drought, and none of that drought was classified as exceptional.

“We haven’t had enough rain and we haven’t had enough snow — and it’s going to be a challenging year for us,” Morgan said.

The impact of this winter’s record-low snowpack on the upcoming fire season is difficult to overstate, said , a researcher at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, who studies climate, wildfires and mountain forests across the West.

“It’s simply drier, so it’s easier to ignite, and if it does ignite, it spreads more easily through the forest,” he said.

The precipitation that fell across the Front Range and central mountains in recent days will do little to reverse months of warm, dry weather, Polis said Thursday during the briefing at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport near Broomfield. It’s unclear how strong the summer monsoon pattern will be this year, and it’s unclear whether it will bring late-season moisture, according to the outlook.

Much of the West faces a similarly grim fire outlook, Polis said. That means that resources shared regionally — like federal firefighters and equipment — will be in high demand and hard to come by.

The higher wildfire risk and strain on firefighting resources mean that Colorado will not allow any fires to burn longer than necessary, Morgan said. In past years, fire officials have allowed fires to continue burning if they did not pose a threat and provided ecological benefit.

The state in recent years has significantly increased its own firefighting capacity, including by purchasing several planes and helicopters. But in that same time period, climate change, drought and an increasing number of people living in wildfire-prone areas have increased risk, Polis said.

Between 6,000 and 7,000 wildfires spark in Colorado during an average fire year, and fire crews contain the vast majority of them before they become large and destructive, Morgan said. About 90% of those fires are caused unintentionally by people, he said.

All of the 10 largest wildfires in Colorado history have . Four of the top five have burned since 2020.

“Since the 1990s, the number, intensity, complexity, and impacts of wildfires in Colorado have been growing exponentially and experts predict that it will continue to
worsen,” the fire outlook report states.

Climate change is increasingly shaping wildfires, Kulakowski said. Vegetation dries out faster as temperatures warm, allowing fires to ignite more easily and spread more rapidly.

Repeated warm years give plants little opportunity to recover.

“For a long time, there have been forecasts and predictions about the amplification of wildfires,” Kulakowski said. “We had a lot of time — this isn’t a surprise to anyone who’s been studying this for the past couple of decades. But we’re here now, (and) this is happening.”

Regional leaders from the U.S. Forest Service and the newly created said they planned to hire as many firefighters as they had previously. Budget cuts to the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior will not impact firefighting capabilities, they said.

While summer wildfires are inevitable, federal disaster aid to help those impacted by blazes is no longer dependable.

The Trump administration in recent months has denied access to millions of dollars in federal disaster recovery money, including for the Lee and Elk fires that burned more than 137,000 acres in northwest Colorado last August.

Polis said post-fire recovery is much more difficult and slow without federal dollars.

“We hope that federal partnership comes back,” Polis said, noting that the state has counted on federal disaster relief for years.

Firefighters have already battled several wildfires this year, including the 2,100-acre currently burning east of Trinidad. The term “fire season” is irrelevant in Colorado these days because the risk is not contained to seasons, said Stan Hilkey, the executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety.

Polis and other state leaders urged Coloradans to and harden their properties so they’ll be less susceptible to flames.

“Let the professionals do the fireworks this year,” Morgan said.

Fires not only impact those who live near the flames but also water resources, insurance rates and air quality, officials said.

“Fire is a problem for all of us,” Morgan said. “It doesn’t matter where you live in Colorado or the Western United States.”

Four river events for kayaks, rafts and stand-up paddleboards have been moved from Gore Creek in Vail to river venues that are 35-60 miles away. Four other river events involving kayaks and rafts have been canceled. A fishing event also will be moved.

This year’s Mountain Games are scheduled June 4-7. The event, a major annual happening in the Vail Valley, dates back to 2002 when it was founded as a local whitewater festival known then as the Teva Mountain Games. In its current iteration it includes mountain and road cycling, running, climbing, yoga and disc events.

River events being moved will take place either at the Glenwood Whitewater Activity Area in Glenwood Springs, 60 miles from Vail, or the Upper Colorado River in Bond, 35 miles from Vail.

“Contingency planning is part of every Mountain Games, as water levels fluctuate from year to year, which is why our team has spent the last several months monitoring conditions and working to find solutions,” said Peggy Wolfe, operations director for the Vail Valley Foundation which organizes the event, in a news release. “We’re now putting that plan into action to ensure athletes and spectators have a safe and memorable experience.”

That’s why — low-water landscaping that uses native plants to conserve resources and restore natural ecosystems — is more important than ever.

Just don’t call it that anymore.

“People came to equate xeriscaping with places like Arizona and lots of rocks and heat islands,” said Bea Stratton, Denver Water’s landscape transformation program manager. “We wanted to shift that mentality.”

Denver Water may have coined the term xeriscaping in the 1980s, but employees stopped using it in 2024 in favor of ColoradoScaping. That state-specific branding makes room for plants that are mostly (but not 100%) drought-tolerant, and for yards that sport colorful flowers, shrubs and adapted to Colorado’s climate — as opposed to the decidedly scrubby, gravelly aesthetic associated with the term xeriscaping.

“You can still do pocket lawns with mixtures of native and low-water items,” said Abby Rupsa, principle designer and owner of , a Federal Heights landscaping company. “But you can do it a very beautiful way versus it being this harsh, barren landscape. And truth be told, we absolutely need that vegetative coverage in Colorado as opposed to just having hardscaping.”

How-to guides for ColoradoScaping have evolved with the terminology, Stratton said, in order to embrace recommendations, for example, that low-water vegetation should cover about half of your yard. That helps cut down on the heat islands that form when there’s no plant life, she said — and the need is greater than it once was.

Prolonged bouts of warm weather across the Colorado River basin are projected to reduce the amount of water delivered during the spring 2026 runoff to just a third of normal, according to federal forecasters. And half of the supply used by Denver Water’s 1.5 million customers comes from the Colorado River.

“Denver is essentially a high plains desert,” said Ian Schillinger-Brokaw, urban ecology project manager for Denver Parks & Recreation. He oversees the restoration of city-owned plots that were planted with thirsty Kentucky bluegrass into native ecosystems that require far less water and maintenance while enhancing natural beauty.

“For people moving here from the East Coast, it might be really comforting to see turf grass,” he said. “But from an ecological standpoint, it’s a missed opportunity to bring wildness and variety into the city.”

Nancy Leavitt, an environmental planner with Denver Water, to describe this type of water-wise landscaping. She combined “landscape” and the Greek word “xeros,” which means dry, to create the term, according to Denver Water. (It’s not “zero-scaping,” as some have called it.)

ColoradoScaping is meant to combat the image of a beige, gravel-cacti expanse. But whatever it’s called, some people still don’t even know it’s an option, Stratton said. Like Denver Parks & Recreation, Denver Water partners with diverse cities, residents and homebuilders. Its staff educates and provides resources to homeowners who could cut their water bills in half by swapping Kentucky bluegrass with prairie meadow grasses (see more ideas at ). That includes a one-time, for lawn replacement.

Last year alone, Denver Water transformed 1 million square feet of landscape, Stratton said. In one instance, Denver Water and Denver Parks & Recreation partnered in a 2023 program that began replanting a quartet of wide, grassy medians along Quebec Street, just south of Interstate 70 near Denver’s Central Park neighborhood, with .

That has led to water savings of more than 8.5 million gallons annually, and looks even prettier while benefiting local wildlife and insects, said Schillinger-Brokaw, who led the project. Similar projects are taking place in Cherry Creek and Montbello.

The vegetation includes bursts of purple and yellow that bloom May through September. Schillinger-Brokaw has been visiting the Quebec site for three years, but it was only this spring that he saw a kestrel (or small hawk) there for the first time.

“If you look at a lot of Denver’s public parks, there’s this monoculture with only two or three different species being represented in grass and trees,” he said. “We want to turn that into 20 species.”

The same can apply to your home yard and garden, he said, considering that the smaller scale will yield faster results. Plants often need two to three years to get fully established, so they’ll still require some water. That also means being careful if you’re designing everything around gravel, rocks or boulders, as those can absorb heat and create urban heat islands — or pockets of high temperatures where vegetation won’t grow.

What else to keep mind? The experts have some ideas.

You’ll save money

ColoradoScaping is about conservation, but also your wallet. that customers who ColoradoScape use 60% less water, which is particularly helpful when drought restrictions come into play, as they will again this summer in the metro area. Denver Water’s current definition of “efficient” is using 12 gallons of water per square foot of landscape, which itself can often be cut in half with drought-resistant plants.

They also estimate that ColoradoScaping can increase property values by 10% to 15% by adding resilience and subtracting maintenance. (Turf grass, for example, usually requires not just lots of water, but mowing, herbicides and fertilizers.) Getting started isn’t free, as there are always upfront costs. But it’s still cheaper than a Midwest or East Coast-style yard.

You’ll help nature

ColoradoScaping with native plants gives insects, birds and other animals cooler, layered environments as compared with short, exposed, single-species turf grass (go ahead, call it biodiversity).

“These plants aren’t meant to be hyper-controlled,” Rupsa said. ” If you’ve got hyssop (a flowering, herbaceous sub-shrub), it might need to lay over on rock if it gets too big. But that¶¶Òőap OK because it might shade something else that needs a little shelter or coverage.”

It’s Colorado-adapted

Get the best of the plains and high desert vegetation by mixing fetching varieties that play well together. Trade bluegrass for the much better-adapted Karl Foerster grasses. Mix yucca or lavender into your succulents, or sprinkle wildflowers and sunflowers into the mix for later-season blooms. If something dies, it won’t immediately stand out in your yard — as opposed to a brown hedgerow or crispy patch of grass.

Yards can be treated like a green roof, or a naturally planted rooftop that collects runoff and reduces heat reflection while cutting down on heating and cooling costs. It’s particularly helpful for slopes prone to erosion. Sedum groundcover and/or succulents can turn it into a green, mat-like surface that better retains water and soil, and that can better attract vital pollinators.

It’s highly flexible

As noted, new plantings can take a little time to get established, so they will need upfront care. But it’s still less resource-intensive than moist-climate plantings. You can do as much or as little as you want in terms of square footage, and at the smaller scale, results will appear faster, according to . You can keep your existing trees, but be careful not to damage the root zone around them when removing turf.

“It won’t look like the Amazon jungle right off the bat,” Schillinger-Brokaw said. “It’s OK to allow plants a year or two to grow in. Just like angsty teenagers, they can be temperamental.”

It’s not just for exposed residential yards. Denver Water offers tips and guides for narrow strips of land, extra-dry and shady areas and truly low-water environments that require heavy duty plantings.

Attitudes are changing

Many new home developments and HOAs that once required a certain percentage of a yard to include turf grass are now relaxing and looking at alternatives. Denver Water signed a memo of understanding with various municipalities and utilities throughout the Colorado River Basin to reduce its “non-functional turf grass” areas by 30%, or about 75 million square feet.

They also apply for grants to (currently working in Lafayette) but also field requests and fund an increasing number of projects in all corners of the city, both residential and commercial.

“It’s definitely become more common since the pandemic, which really revamped people’s ideas of how to develop their homes outside,” Rupsa said. “So if you’re going to change, you might as well do it the right way.”

Those experiences stay with you. They also teach a simple lesson: when it comes to wildfire, denial, delay and ideology come at a very high cost.

That is why wildfire awareness matters. May is not just a marker on the calendar. It is the beginning of wildfire season. It is a warning. In Colorado, this is the moment to prepare for the dangerous months ahead and to be honest about what real prevention requires — proactive forest treatment prevents the worst.

Wildfire is not only a forest issue. It is a public safety issue. It is a health issue. It is an economic issue. Lives are put at risk. Homes, businesses and ranches are destroyed. Watersheds are damaged. Entire communities are left to recover for years. Even far from the flames, smoke can turn the air hazardous, especially for children, seniors and those with respiratory conditions.

Colorado has learned these lessons the hard way. We know wildfire cannot be eliminated. But we also know the severity of these disasters is not simply something we are powerless to address. There are practical, science-based steps we can take to reduce risk. The problem is that for too long, too many people have treated active forest management as too invasive rather than absolutely necessary.

That needs to change.

We should say clearly what too often goes unsaid: healthy forests do not maintain themselves, and neglected forests do not become safer with wishful thinking. In many high-risk areas, doing nothing is not conservation. It is complacency and it is dangerous.

For years, there have been loud voices opposing the very tools that can help reduce catastrophic wildfire risk — strategic thinning, fuel reduction, forest clearing where appropriate, and prescribed burns when conditions allow. Too often, these arguments are dressed up as environmental virtue. In reality, blocking responsible management can leave forests less healthy, communities more vulnerable and firefighters facing even greater danger.

Colorado needs a more mature conversation, especially as we deal with prolonged drought, warming temperatures, pine and Ponderosa beetles, and other threats to forest health. Stewardship is not abuse. Forest management is not the enemy of healthy ecosystems. If anything, refusing to use proven tools in fire-prone landscapes is its own kind of recklessness.

We should be working closely with the United States Forest Service and the Colorado State Forest Service and local governments to accelerate projects in areas already designated as high wildfire threat. We should prioritize the places where fire risk, community exposure and forest conditions demand action most urgently. We should support mechanical thinning, hazardous-fuel removal, and controlled burns when science and on-the-ground expertise indicate they make sense.

And yes, when and where appropriate, responsible access and carefully managed resource activity can be part of healthier forests and stronger rural economies. That should not be controversial. It should be common sense.

None of this means every acre should be treated the same way. It means decisions should be driven by science, local knowledge and public safety — not by rigid ideology or pressure from groups more interested in stopping management than solving problems.

Colorado’s forests protect water supplies, support wildlife, provide recreation, sustain local economies and define the character of our state. If we want those public benefits to endure for generations to come, we have to be willing to manage these lands responsibly.

The costs of inaction are simply too high. Every year we delay needed work, we increase the odds that the next fire will burn hotter, spread faster and do more damage. Every year we refuse to confront reality, we make future losses more likely and more expensive.

Coloradans deserve better than another season of hand-wringing followed by disaster. They deserve leaders willing to act before the emergency, not just speak solemnly after it.

We have both seen wildfire from the seat of state leadership. We know the fear, the destruction and the heartbreak it leaves behind. We also know Colorado has the expertise and the tools to do better.

Learn to Live Wildfire Friendly with less ideology, more science; less obstruction, more stewardship; less talk, more action.

Because when wildfire threatens Colorado, doing what works is not optional. It is our responsibility.

Gov. Bill Owens is a Republican who served from 1999 to 2007. Gov. Bill Ritter is a Democrat who served from 2007 to 2011.

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