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Superior plans voluntary water watch after Northern Water sets 80% CBT quota; town targets irrigation cuts
Summary
With Northern Water's April quota at 80% and Windy Gap firming still years away, staff recommended maintaining voluntary conservation and focusing reductions on irrigation and reuse to preserve carryover reserves.
Superior
Town water staff briefed the council on 2026 supply projections and asked the council to support a voluntary conservation watch that would prioritize irrigation cuts and operational savings while the town preserves carryover water reserves.
Key numbers and supply: Town staff said Northern Water approved an 80% quota for this water year and that Superior holds 2,080 CBT (Colorado-Big Thompson) units. Windy Gap firming, which would make additional units reliably available, remains contingent on a multi-year mitigation process and is not expected to yield significant new supply this year.
Brandon (water staff) presented the town's portfolio and short-term outlook: without additional Windy Gap deliveries this year the town estimates 1,700 acre-feet available for the remainder of the water year (through Oct. 31). Staff noted the town typically carries over roughly 416 acre-feet as a reserve and recommended planning around preserving that carryover if possible.
Andrea, the town's water attorney, emphasized how CBT and Windy Gap accounting works and why carryover is a valuable drought buffer. She said 2026 hydrology looks poor and that several regional utilities are preparing restrictions.
"This year's drought is shaping up to be among the worst on record," Andrea said during the briefing, urging that the town act prudently while avoiding unnecessary mandated curtailments.
Conservation approach: Staff recommended the town remain at a voluntary "watch" level that asks for a 10'20% reduction overall, focused primarily on irrigation because roughly 45% of the town's Northern Water supply is used for outdoor watering and reuse supplementation. Staff suggested immediate operational steps—adjusting irrigation schedules and using reuse flows where possible—and asked to engage HOAs and large landscape contract holders to reduce turf watering and look for turf-to-xeriscape conversions.
Longer-term resilience: The briefing noted reuse-storage expansion (additional reservoirs for recycled water) as a mid-term resilience investment that would make better use of Windy Gap deliveries when they become available. Staff said such storage has appeared on the town's five-year list for some time and will be a topic for future capital planning.
What's next: Staff will bring a formal drought-response plan to council in May that would establish watch triggers and mandatory steps if storage or deliveries fall below defined thresholds. In the meantime, staff asked the council to approve continued voluntary conservation messaging and to let staff pursue operational and outreach measures focused on irrigation reductions.
