Water Conservation Plan
The City of Steamboat Springs and Mount Werner Water & Sanitation District adopted the 2020 Water Conservation Plan and an ordinance implementing a new watering schedule on May 5. The plan looks to preserve the health of Fish Creek and the Yampa River and protect drinking water supplies while reducing the carbon footprint of the Yampa Valley.
Water supply stressors, such as population growth, climate change, a Colorado River Compact call, and wildfire in the Fish Creek Basin, could limit the ability of the city and district to reliably provide clean drinking water into the foreseeable future if conservation measures are not enacted. The 2020 plan set a goal to reduce per household water use by 10% in 10 years – ambitious yet attainable goal.