Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District

09/03/2026

We appreciate and thank the engaged and supportive citizens of Colorado Springs who recently took the time to come down to meet with us at the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District. They dove in and learned about our history, met with farmers, and saw firsthand what is at stake in protecting agriculture and water in the Lower Arkansas Valley.

Learn more about the visit: https://www.lowerark.com/lower-valley-water-news/pikes-peak-club-colorado-springs-visits-the-lower-arkansas-valley

08/31/2026

When citizens come together, they have the power to shape the future of their communities.

08/27/2026

A MUST watch.

MIRASOL: Looking at the Sun, directed by Ben Knight, is now available to watch free, anytime, anywhere.

The 37-minute film tells the story of multi-generational farming families in Pueblo County. It takes a powerful look at what can be lost when water and farmland disappear, and why protecting the Lower Arkansas Valley matters.

The Lower Ark District was proud to invest in this film and help bring this important story to life.

Watch the full film here:

This is "MiraSol | Looking at the Sun" by FELT SOUL MEDIA on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

08/24/2026

When farmland is dried up so cities can grow, that’s not economic progress—it’s the relocation of opportunity from one community to another.

08/20/2026

Colorado Springs’ future growth could have real consequences for the Lower Arkansas Valley.

The City Council will soon approve its updated AnnexCOS Plan, which will guide how and where the city grows in the future.

Because growth decisions are ultimately water decisions, the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District participated in the public review process by submitting a letter outlining our recommendations.

We respectfully encourage the City to establish a clear policy: Colorado Springs should first demonstrate sufficient water supplies are available to serve already-annexed, yet-to-be-developed land before approving additional annexations that would create new water obligations.

This is about responsible growth and making sure new water demands from Colorado Springs don’t come at the expense of the Lower Ark.

Learn more: https://www.lowerark.com/lower-valley-water-news/why-colorado-springs-future-growth-decisions-matter-to-the-lower-arkansas-valley

08/17/2026

Out-of-state investors see profit. We see the future of our farms, families, and communities in the Lower Arkansas Valley.

Learn more: https://www.lowerark.com/lower-valley-water-news/texas-speculators-invest-in-lower-arkansas-valley-water-and-farms

08/14/2026

08/13/2026

Xcel Energy Plans to Sell 30% of its Lower Arkansas Valley Water to Colorado Springs Utilities

For nearly 150 years, water from the Las Animas Consolidated Canal has irrigated farmland in Bent County just south of the City of Las Animas.

In the 1970s, Public Service Company of Colorado (a subsidiary of Xcel Energy) acquired approximately 75% ownership in the Las Animas Consolidated Canal Company to use the associated water for cooling operations at a proposed power plant that promised local jobs and economic opportunity to the Valley.
The plant was never built.

But the water remained and was leased back annually to farmers, benefiting the people and communities throughout the Lower Arkansas Valley.

Now that water is about to be sold.

Learn more: https://www.lowerark.com/lower-valley-water-news/xcel-energy-plans-to-sell-30-of-its-lower-arkansas-valley-water-to-colorado-springs-utilities

08/10/2026

Colorado Springs' future growth decisions matter to the Lower Arkansas Valley because every growth decision is ultimately a water decision.

Learn more: https://www.lowerark.com/lower-valley-water-news/lower-arkansas-valley-communities-unite-against-colorado-spring-annexations

08/05/2026

The famous melons of the Lower Arkansas Valley are making their way to farmstands and markets across Colorado.

Here are a few simple tips to select the perfect melon.