Aspen Water Restrictions 2026
Pitkin County · Colorado
Published:
Restrictions Active - Stage 3 Water Shortage: First-Ever Mandatory Restrictions
2
Days/Week
12:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
Allowed Hours
Stage 3 penalties under Aspen Municipal Code Section 25.28.040; punitive drought surcharges apply (Tier III +50%, Tier IV +125%)
Max Fine
Find Your Watering Day
Enter the last digit of your street address:
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| Address Ending | Watering Day |
|---|---|
| Even-numbered addresses | Tuesday & Friday |
| Odd-numbered addresses | Wednesday & Saturday |
Allowed Watering Hours
Under Stage 3, outdoor irrigation is allowed only on your two assigned days and only outside the 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. window, when evaporation is highest. There is no outdoor watering on Mondays, Thursdays, or Sundays. Filling or refilling pools, hot tubs, and decorative water features is prohibited, as is non-commercial vehicle washing and the washing of sidewalks, driveways, and patios. The city has also shut off the downtown Dancing Fountain for the duration of Stage 3.
Still Allowed
💧 Hand Watering
Allowed with shut-off nozzle. Hours: Hand watering with a shut-off nozzle is allowed on your two assigned days during the permitted overnight and evening hours.
🌿 Drip Irrigation
Exempt from day-of-week limits. Must follow allowed hours.
Fines & Enforcement
Stage 3 penalties under Aspen Municipal Code Section 25.28.040; punitive drought surcharges apply (Tier III +50%, Tier IV +125%)
Stage 3 enforcement is ramped up compared with the warning-first approach Aspen used in 2025. Violations carry penalties set out in Aspen Municipal Code Section 25.28.040, and punitive drought rates take effect under Section 25.28.050, raising bills for Tier III customers by 50 percent and Tier IV customers by 125 percent while the restrictions are in place. Confirm current penalty amounts with the Water Department before assuming a figure.
Citations begin May 15, 2026🏠 HOA Rules During Restrictions
Colorado law (HB 21-1229) prohibits HOAs from requiring cool-season turf or penalizing homeowners for xeriscaping or drought-tolerant landscaping. Under Stage 3, HOA common areas are held to the same two-day schedule as residential properties.
If your homeowners association sends a violation notice for a dormant or brown lawn during the current restriction period, respond in writing citing the applicable law and include a copy of the City of Aspen Water Department's current restriction order. Most HOAs will rescind the notice once they are made aware of the legal protections in place. If the issue persists, contact your county’s code enforcement division for assistance.
Why These Restrictions Exist
On May 12, 2026, the Aspen City Council voted to declare a Stage 3 water shortage, effective May 15, 2026. It is the first time Aspen has reached Stage 3 since the city adopted its formal drought mitigation response plan in 2020, and it follows a Stage 2 declaration that took hold in the fall of 2025.
Aspen draws essentially all of its water from Castle Creek and Maroon Creek, two snowmelt-fed streams that rise in the wilderness above town and flow into the Roaring Fork River and onward to the Colorado River. The city has almost no reservoir storage, so its supply tracks streamflow almost in real time. A winter of record-low snowpack, record-high spring temperatures, and weak runoff left both creeks well below the levels Aspen needs, and the U.S. Drought Monitor places the Roaring Fork headwaters in D4 exceptional drought, the most severe category.
Stage 3 sets a system-wide reduction target of 15 to 25 percent, with outdoor use expected to fall 25 to 60 percent. Outdoor irrigation is limited to two assigned days per week and barred during the midday hours, decorative water features are shut off, and the city has moved from the educational, warning-first posture of 2025 to formal enforcement with penalties and punitive drought rates.
This deficit has accumulated over the current water year and represents a significant departure from historical averages for the Aspen area. Water supply reservoirs and aquifer levels are well below seasonal targets, necessitating mandatory conservation measures.
How to Keep Your Lawn Alive During Aspen Water Restrictions
9 tips tailored for Aspen homeowners during Stage 3 Water Shortage: First-Ever Mandatory Restrictions restrictions.
Stage 3 is mandatory: irrigate only on your two assigned days and only between midnight and 8:00 a.m. or 6:00 p.m. and midnight, when evaporation in the Roaring Fork Valley is lowest.
Aspen lawns are predominantly cool-season Kentucky bluegrass; under Stage 3, expect brown dormancy and accept it. Bluegrass recovers on its own once cooler, wetter weather returns.
At roughly 7,900 feet elevation, Aspen's thin air and intense UV push evaporation higher than at Denver; water in the coldest part of the night for the best infiltration.
Mountain soils above town drain fast; use a cycle-and-soak approach, running each zone in short bursts with pauses, so water reaches roots instead of running off.
Castle Creek and Maroon Creek have almost no storage behind them, so every gallon you save on a lawn stays in the stream system that supplies the whole city.
Second-home and short-term-rental owners should switch off automatic controllers entirely when a property is vacant; Stage 3 compliance is tracked by meter address regardless of occupancy.
Convert thirsty turf along driveways and parking strips to native plantings such as rabbitbrush, blue grama, and serviceberry that thrive at Aspen's elevation.
Mulch shrub and perennial beds 3 inches deep to cut surface evaporation; drip irrigation on those beds is the highest-leverage upgrade for a mountain yard.
Check aspen.gov/1157/Drought-Watch for the current Stage 3 status and the assigned-day schedule before adjusting your irrigation controller.
Aspen Water Restriction FAQs
What days can I water my lawn in Aspen?
What hours can I run my sprinklers in Aspen?
What are the fines for water violations in Aspen?
Can I install new sod or seed in Aspen during restrictions?
When will water restrictions end in Aspen?
Is this really the first time Aspen has declared Stage 3?
What days can I water my lawn in Aspen under Stage 3?
What outdoor water uses are banned under Stage 3?
How is Stage 3 enforced and what are the penalties?
Why does Aspen run short of water so quickly in a dry year?
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