Basalt, CO
WaterNow and Western Resource Advocates partnered with the Ruedi Water and Power Authority (RWAPA), a consortium of six local governments serving over 32,000 residents in the Roaring Fork Valley, to develop a unified outdoor watering schedule across the region. The project created a consistent regional approach to irrigation, reducing confusion and improving water efficiency across the watershed.
Aspen City Council and Ruedi Water and Power Authority board member
“If we can make this change, the idea that [watering restrictions] change from year to year to year will go away… It’s going to be much easier and less expensive than having to tell people every year what the rules are this summer.”
As a result of this project, RWAPA unanimously adopted a unified outdoor watering schedule across participating jurisdictions in November 2022. The standards aligned irrigation timing and frequency for both residential and commercial users:
The regional outdoor watering schedule reduces confusion across jurisdictional boundaries and improves compliance, supporting the Roaring Fork Valley Water Efficiency Plan conservation goals, and enabling more consistent and effective management of peak water demand throughout the watershed.
Prior to this effort, water providers across the valley had developed independent outdoor watering schedules to meet water efficiency goals, creating confusion for residents, businesses, and landscape and irrigation professionals operating across multiple jurisdictions. WaterNow and WRA developed a unified set of recommended standards grounded in research, stakeholder input, and coordination among member agencies, including consistent schedules, exceptions, and enforcement provisions.
The unified watering schedule demonstrates how regional alignment can improve water conservation outcomes, even when some jurisdictions adopt the schedule as mandatory and others as voluntary. By establishing a consistent schedule, it reduces confusion and makes it easier to follow outdoor watering guidelines across the valley, creating a foundation for future coordinated conservation efforts and helping communities transition more smoothly into drought restrictions when needed.
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