Click the link to read the article on Aspen Daily News website. Here’s an excerpt:
September 15, 2026
A portion of the city of Aspen’s water allocation in Ruedi Reservoir will be utilized to support regional drought response efforts, according to an informational memo sent to the Aspen City Council last week. The city will make up to 350 acre-feet of its annual water allocation from Ruedi available to support drought response efforts. It has access to 400 acre-feet annually. The water will be used to assist the Colorado River Water Conservation District’s emergency substitute water supply plan, which provides supplemental water supplies for municipal and domestic historic user pool beneficiaries and other eligible water users whose supplies may not otherwise be fully available during current drought conditions.
“By making a portion of the city’s available contract water supply available for release, Aspen is helping maintain water supplies used to support municipal and domestic water users affected by the current drought conditions and administration associated with the Cameo call,” the memo states.
The Cameo call consists of a series of water rights on the Colorado River. It keeps water instream until it reaches the Grand Junction area, and can mean upstream diversions may need to shut down or release additional water into the river to meet the needs of the Cameo call. The release of the water also provides benefits to streamflows, aquatic habitats, fisheries and riparian resources within the Roaring Fork and Colorado rivers, according to the memo.
