Breckenridge imposes outdoor watering restrictions as town engineer declares town-wide water shortage

Breckenridge Town Council approved more stringent water restrictions, limiting outdoor watering to two days per week, as town officials respond to drought conditions and declining streamflows in the Blue River. 

The new Stage 2 restrictions come as the town faces a water shortage tied to this year’s historically low snowpack and reduced runoff into Goose Pasture Tarn, according to Shannon Cahill, town engineer. The restrictions officially take effect on Friday, May 1.

“We remain in a sphere of drought here in Summit County, throughout the state and the greater Western U.S.,” Cahill told council members at a meeting Tuesday, April 29. “The historically low snowpack has already directly impacted streamflow in the Blue River, and this subsequently affects the town’s ability to supply treated water to our customers.”

Until this week, Breckenridge allowed outdoor watering three days per week. The new temporary restrictions reduce that to two days in hopes of cutting outdoor water usage by roughly 30%. The town largely sources its drinking water from snowmelt (and other high-altitude surface water) collected in the Blue River Basin. 

“The goal of the Stage 2 water restrictions is to balance customer demand with a decreased raw water supply from the Blue River,” Cahill said. 

Cahill said that if the increased restrictions don’t help consumers conserve as much water as expected, the town would then have to draw from the Sawmill Reservoir just west of downtown. 

“If demand (for) water exceeds the supply, we will be forced to use stored water from the reservoir, and then we would need to purchase water to refill the reservoir for winter use,” Cahill said. “The inflows from the Blue River are correlated to both snowpack and precipitation.”

The new restrictions exempt any newly installed landscaping, along with hand watering and drip irrigation for flowers and plants. Council member Dick Carleton clarified whether downtown businesses could continue watering flower baskets and using microsprayers. 

“You can drip, irrigate anything at any time, you can hand water anything at any time, and that includes flowers,” Cahill responded. “At this point, everyone’s decorative flower baskets wouldn’t be impacted.” 

When Carleton asked whether increased restrictions could eventually affect drip irrigation systems for flower boxes, Cahill said that would require future council action. However, she said she doesn’t think it will come to that.

“I think that’d be a pretty draconian measure,” she said. 

Mayor Kelly Owens said members of a town water committee indicated at a recent meeting wanting to preserve Breckenridge’s downtown appearance for summer visitors.

“It was important to them to show people who are coming to town that Breckenridge is open and ready for business,” Owens said. “I think as a community, we really want to be able to focus the water where it really needs to be focused so that people still want to come to Breckenridge and enjoy.”

Cahill said the town has already launched several of its own conservation efforts, including reusing water from plant baskets, modifying sprinkler schedules for irrigated landscape areas and limiting vehicle washing for safety only. 

“We are being really innovative in capturing some of that runoff that typically drips through our baskets,” she said. “We’re going to capture that and reuse it.”

The town will continue to maintain high-use turf areas at the Riverwalk Center, the Breckenridge Golf Club and other local parks, while reducing water use in less trafficked areas. 

Council member Steve Gerard asked what next steps the town would have to take if the new restrictions fail to curb demand. 

Cahill said staff would likely recommend reducing outdoor watering to just one day per week before considering additional indoor watering restrictions.

Gerard also asked whether the town’s recently installed smart water meters could help residents monitor personal usage. 

“Absolutely,” Cahill said. “We encourage anyone who has a smart meter to sign up for our WaterSmart program, and users can track by the hour how much water they’re using.”

The meters can also detect leaks in the system, which Cahill said prevents much larger water losses. 

Cahill said the town already began outreach efforts ahead of the restrictions, including a meeting earlier this month with representatives from local homeowners associations, property managers and landscaping companies. Staff from the town water, community development, engineering, sustainability and streets and parks departments, along with representatives from High Country Conservation Center, facilitated the meeting. 

“We really didn’t feel like we got any pushback,” Cahill said. 

Gerard also asked how residents should report violations if they see others ignoring the new restrictions. 

“In the event of what might be an obvious lack of respect for the plan, how would you like to see feedback coming into town?” Gerard asked Cahill. 

Cahill said residents can either submit concerns through a feedback box on the town’s water conservation webpage, or call the town directly. Enforcement of the restrictions will be relatively minimal, she added.

“We don’t want to be heavy-handed with enforcement, but we would love everybody to help us do our best, especially if they see anything going on,” Cahill said. 

Cahill and other town staff plan to reevaluate water use and demand every 30 days and may recommend additional changes to Town Council if drought conditions worsen. 

A frequently asked questions page will be maintained on the town’s website labeled “2026 Water Restrictions.” TinyUrl.com/4u58nmwy. The page also includes information on High Country Conservation Center’s water conservation programs and other resources.