Pro Water

Colorado Springs doesn’t have a water shortage. We have a water strategy problem — and it’s being manipulated by a single developer looking to control your neighborhood’s future.

The city owns one of the strongest municipal water portfolios on the Front Range, with enough water rights to support nearly double our current population. Even in dry years, we have 25,000+ acre-feet in reserve — that’s enough to cover all projected growth for decades.

The real issue? A development cartel led by Norwood, wants you to believe there’s not enough water for the 6,500-home Karman Line project… while simultaneously pushing over 95,000 homes in Banning Lewis Ranch and other projects they control.

We don’t have a water crisis. We have a monopoly problem.

Is there a water shortage in Colorado Springs?

No. And the data proves it.

Actual annual water usage: ~70,000 acre-feet
System capacity (RMD): 95,000 acre-feet/year
Legal water rights held: Over 400,000 acre-feet/year*
Strategic expansion potential: Up to 140,000 acre-feet/year with the (already planned and in the works) infrastructure improvements

🔍 (Source)

We use less water per person today than we did 30 years ago, even as our city has grown. That’s thanks to smart conservation, native landscaping, and engineering foresight.

Water Colorado Spring’s Owns VS. Water Colorado Springs currently uses — WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

The Norwood cartel and their cronies love to toss around scare tactics. So let’s clear this up:

Water Colorado Springs owns is what we legally own — rights to over 400,000 acre-feet.
Water we currently use is what we can physically treat, move, and use — currently 95,000 acre-feet, expandable to 130,000–140,000.

Colorado Springs Utilities indicates we have current water capacity for an additional 78,000 homes — which is a 20 year buffer with the current rate of growth — without buying a single new water right. That includes Karman Line and everything else in the city’s growth plan.

The Gary Bostrom Reservoir: Water Security Done Right

The Gary Bostrom Reservoir isn’t a wish list item — it’s a strategic, shovel-ready project that could add30,000 acre-feet of new storage capacity.

Enables emergency backup, flow regulation, and peak-demand protection
Allows CSU to operate smarter, storing surplus water during wet years for use during dry ones
Unlocks an estimated 15,000–20,000 acre-feet of additional reliable water annually

This is water we already own. This is infrastructure the city has already planned. This is real security — for everyone.

One of the best features about Gary Bostrum Reservoir? It’s nearly twice the size of Rampart Reservoir (160 times bigger than Prospect Lake in Memorial Park!!) and will be an amazing playground for Colorado Springs! Paddleboarding? Check. Fishing? Check. Family hikes, canoe rides, nature habitats, and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation at the foot of America’s mountain?? Check, check, and double check!

The Norwood Water Double Standard

Let’s break down the hypocrisy:

Project

Homes Proposed

Water Problem?

How does the developer who owns 85% of the city’s developable residential land get a free pass on water restrictions — while attacking a community-backed, locally-designed project for being unsustainable?

The truth? They’re protecting their monopoly — not the city’s water.

Vote Yes on Issue 1: Smart Growth. Real Water Security.

The Karman Line Project is:

Backed by actual water supply and infrastructure
Designed with modern water efficiency standards
A fraction of the size of Norwood’s unchecked developments
A catalyst for fairness and innovation in how we grow

Don’t let a single developer use fake scarcity to shut down competition.

Colorado Springs has the water. What we need is the will to use it wisely— and the courage to stand up to the monopoly.