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.

We appreciate the editorial board of The Colorado Springs Gazette for highlighting how vital agriculture is to Colorado’s economy, contributing $47 billion annually and supporting communities across our state.

Colorado is a power player in our nation’s agriculture sector, from farming and ranching to the science that supports it.

At the Lower Ark District’s January 2026 board meeting, Nancy Gedeon with the Colorado State Demography Office presented on population trends and projections for Pueblo, Crowley, Otero, Bent, and Prowers counties, along with insights into El Paso County.

Colorado’s latest effort to examine how the state grows is the Strategic Growth Report published by the Department of Local Affairs on October 31.

As the year comes to a close, we’ve been reflecting on what a pivotal year this has been and how clearly people are making their voices heard, both at the ballot box and in their communities.

A newly released report from the Pikes Peak Community Foundation shows that residents across the Pikes Peak region, specifically in El Paso and Teller counties, deeply value the preservation of local farms and agricultural.

On November 7, the Lower Ark District attended the Annual State Demography Summit, which offered valuable insights into Colorado’s changing population and what these trends mean for communities across the state.

On October 31, nearly 100 stakeholders from across Colorado joined Representative Ty Winter and the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District, both in person and virtually, to discuss and provide input on our proposed revegetation legislation, which we anticipate introducing during the 2026 legislative session.

The Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District extends its deepest gratitude to Director Reeves Brown of Buelah, Colorado, who recently retired after 16 years of dedicated service on our board.

On September 11, the Northern Water Board of Directors unanimously approved a resolution calling for water to remain in Northern Colorado as a linchpin of agricultural productivity and economic prosperity, and preserving the supply for future generations that will call Northeastern Colorado home.

We had the privilege of hosting a farm tour for a passionate group of folks from Colorado Springs and El Paso County. These community leaders understand the connection and impacts that growth in their community has on our rural agricultural communities in the Lower Arkansas Valley.

On June 19, 2025, following the decisive defeat of the Karman Line Annexation proposal, our District took a moment to recognize the extraordinary grassroots effort that made it possible. The letter below, written in the days after the election, was addressed to several of the local leaders who helped organize and inspire a broad coalition of residents to take a stand.

“We recognize that Colorado Springs is growing, and we’re not here to stand in the way of progress,” said Rob Oquist, Otero County Commissioner. “But growth must be balanced with long-term water planning. Voters in Colorado Springs have a real opportunity to consider how decisions made today will affect not just their own community, but rural areas like ours that are part of the same watershed.

On Tuesday, June 10, 2025, the city councils of both Las Animas and Rocky Ford unanimously passed resolutions at their regularly scheduled meetings, formally opposing any new annexations in Colorado Springs that would increase its existing 34,000-acre-foot annual water supply gap.

Communities throughout the Lower Arkansas Valley are uniting in opposition to new annexations by the City of Colorado Springs that would exacerbate the city’s already projected 34,000 acre-feet annual water supply gap to support build out of land already within its city limits.

On May 5, 2025, at a regularly scheduled meeting, the City Council of the City of La Junta in Otero County, Colorado, passed a resolution formally opposing any new annexations in Colorado Springs that would increase its existing 34,000-acre-foot annual water supply gap.

On April 21, 2025, the Crowley County Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution, standing with the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District and others, against any new annexations in Colorado Springs. 

On April 15, 2025, the Otero County Farm Bureau Board of Directors passed a resolution in opposition of any new annexations in Colorado Springs.

On April 8, 2025, the Prowers County Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution stating that it unequivocally stands in support of the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District, Otero County, and other regional stakeholders in opposing any new annexations or expansions by the City of Colorado Springs.