Denver Water is pulling more water from rivers, creeks and communities in Grand County to refill its reservoirs after a record-hot summer, sparking pushback from some western Coloradans.
Denver Water’s reservoirs — the water storage for 1.5 million people — are far lower than normal for this time of the year. The utility has issued mandatory restrictions, which means it can also increase the amount of water it pulls from certain streams and rivers on the Western Slope for the Denver area.
But that leaves a trickle of water in Grand County rivers and creeks, and the western communities that rely on them. The Winter Park area’s water supplies will be reduced. Fish eggs can die in shallow ice, impacting environments and fishing outfitters, said Kirk Klancke, president of the Colorado River headwaters chapter of Trout Unlimited…