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

One of the things we enjoy is helping people better understand the Lower Arkansas Valley and the water issues that connect our communities.

Growth decisions are ultimately water decisions, and the choices being made today outside of the Lower Arkansas Valley will shape the Valley’s future for generations to come.

The Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District recently hosted a tour for members of the Pikes Peak Club from Colorado Springs, showcasing some of the people, businesses, and agricultural operations that make the Valley a special place.

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.

Colorado Springs City Council is about to approve its updated AnnexCOS Plan, its long-range annexation framework that will guide how and where the city grows in the future.

Summer has arrived across the Lower Arkansas Valley, and I want to recognize the producers who continue to adapt to incredibly challenging conditions while producing the food, fuel, and fiber that sustain our communities.

More than 150 people attended The Colorado Sun’s Arkansas River water panel in Rocky Ford on May 7, highlighting how important water and irrigated agriculture are to residents of the Lower Arkansas Valley and communities across the basin.

A recent article from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy explores how political pressure and corruption can influence major urban development decisions.

The Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District thanks our prime bill sponsors Representative Ty Winter, Representative Tisha Mauro, Senator Rod Pelton, and Senator Nick Hinrichsen for their leadership and bipartisan commitment in advancing HB26-1340 through the Colorado General Assembly.

This has been a very important last couple of weeks for the rural communities of southeastern Colorado, with several significant developments, including the passage of HB26-1340, a bipartisan effort to bring long-overdue accountability and responsible land stewardship to permanently dried-up farmland.

Conditions across the Lower Arkansas Valley remain extremely dry and water supplies are significantly limited this year.

More than 100,000 acres of irrigated farmland in the Arkansas River Basin have been permanently dried up, often to supply municipal water demands hundreds of miles away.

Join The Colorado Sun in Rocky Ford for an evening focused on one of Colorado’s most essential resources, the Arkansas River.

At its February 25 board meeting, the Lower Ark District Board formally adopted a proclamation recognizing March 15 as the First Day of Irrigation Season in the Lower Arkansas Valley.

This week, the Lower Ark District plans to introduce legislation aimed at addressing the long-term impacts that can occur when irrigated farmland is permanently dried up as a result of a water transfer.

The Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District heard a presentation from the Fountain Creek Watershed District (FCWD) during its February 2026 board meeting to discuss ongoing projects and funding challenges related to improvements along Fountain Creek.

As we look ahead to the start of irrigation season on March 15 here in the Lower Arkansas Valley, many of us do so with some uncertainty.

Irrigation water turns on March 15, flowing through the ditches and canals of the Lower Arkansas Valley and marking the start of the 2026 irrigation season.