Click the link to read the article on the Summit Daily website (Allison Moore). Here’s an excerpt:
August 17, 2026
Mounting concerns about a lack of surface water prompts Breckenridge Town Council to examine whether portions of the river should be lined
A stretch of the Blue River through downtown Breckenridge appears to have dried up. Residents and town council members have taken notice. James Phelps, Breckenridge’s public works director, said water levels between Skelly Pond near Ollie’s Pub & Grub and the covered bridge near Ski Hill Road have neared historic lows in recent weeks. Bouts of rain have provided only temporary relief. While that stretch of river looks completely dry, Phelps said the water has simply seeped below the rocks into the soil..
At a Breckenridge Town Council work session Tuesday, Aug. 11, council member Dick Carleton requested public works staff lead a longer discussion examining whether the section of river starting at Skelly Pond could be lined to keep more water above ground. Carleton said a group of “informed citizens” approached him with concerns over the lack of water flowing through town…Phelps plans to return to council Tuesday, Aug. 25, with information about what it would take to install a continuous liner through that stretch of river and to gauge the council’s interest in pursuing a design.
The river’s current state, like nearly all other bodies of water across the West, is closely tied to unprecedented drought conditions. Phelps said flows between the dredge pond all the way to Ski Hill Road have approached the lowest levels recorded during 42 years of recorded monitoring. The median flow for this time of year typically remains around 32 cubic feet per second, according to Phelps. In the last two weeks, flows have ranged from as low as 12 cfs to 22 cfs. Rain on Wednesday, Aug. 12, temporarily pushed the flow to about 22 cfs, but by the next day it had already fallen below 16 cfs.
