Just the Facts - July
We have launched Just the Facts, a monthly Q&A about a key community topic. Our goal is to not only provide you with current, factual information, but spotlight our extraordinary, dedicated staff. This will be placed on the Community Corner page at eaglevail.org, and noticed via official EagleVail Metro District communication channels. Our goal is to address a key topic factually and proactively to better improve our ability to be in front of community questions. Please see below for July 2026's Just the Facts.
Just the Facts: July 2026
We’re in the midst of summer this July month and continued drought conditions; EagleVail Metro District continues to manage the lack of rainfall alongside its guests and residents as we continue to take our operations and maintenance lead from Eagle River Water & Sanitation District Stage III water restrictions and from our water engineer. A 25% water reduction was recognized in June; 30% is expected in July; and up to 45% in August, pending stream flow and (hopeful!) monsoonal rains.
Q: What is the current status of the Recreation Pool?
A: After identifying recent mechanical and operational issues with the Recreation Pool (the “Baby Pool”), the Baby Pool was temporarily closed for a few days last week to work with our pool contractor and Eagle River Water & Sanitation District (ERWSD) to investigate a significant increase in the June water bill and overall water usage.
Potable water is used to maintain the Baby Pool. Testing revealed that the Baby Pool consumes about the same amount of water as the much larger Main Pool. However, unlike the Main Pool, the Baby Pool was not designed with a recirculating system that uses water, making it significantly less efficient during periods of extreme drought. As a result, water usage has exceeded ERWSD’s tiered thresholds, leading to higher rates and associated water-use penalties. A temporary modification has been implemented to significantly reduce water consumption, and as a result, the Baby Pool has reopened.
Q: EVMD’s pocket parks are brown! Are they being watered at all?
A: Yes, all pocket parks are being watered contrary to rumors. As a reminder, The EVMD has been actively working with community partners to respond to these conditions in a responsible way. One example is supporting the ERWSD’s “Live Like a Local” campaign, which encourages practical, sustainable water use habits. As part of that effort, the Metro District is limiting irrigation in pocket parks to just two days per week, in line with the current watering schedule. These parks (West Park, Trout Pond Park, Coyote Park and Ptarmigan Park) use the same potable water that residents rely on at home, so managing that use carefully is an important step.
Potable water is treated water that comes into your home. It’s what you use for drinking, cooking, showering, and maintaining your yard. In EagleVail, this same high-quality water is also used to maintain smaller community spaces like pocket parks. Because potable water requires significant treatment and infrastructure, it’s especially important that we use it efficiently. That’s why you’ll see tighter controls, like the two-day-per-week watering schedule, applied to areas that rely on this resource.
Start times for our pocket parks are: Tuesday at 9 p.m. and Friday at 9 p.m. See schedule below.
To further improve accuracy, an additional weather station has been installed to capture more localized conditions. This matters because weather can vary even within a relatively small geographic area and having better coverage means better decision-making across all managed spaces, from golf courses to parks and open areas.
While the system is still new and staff are actively learning and fine-tuning the software, early expectations are promising. The goal is simple but important: reduce unnecessary water use while maintaining healthy, functional landscapes throughout the community. It’s a behind-the-scenes change, but one that could have one of the biggest long-term impacts on how we manage its most important resource.
Also, EVMD has an all-organic lawn care program underway at West Park. This is a pilot program intended to evaluate alternative maintenance practices and explore opportunities to reduce future chemical applications while maintaining healthy turf conditions. We’ll share results at the end of the summer.
Q: It is nice to see the start to some afternoon rains. I assume we’re still supporting fire restrictions?
A: Absolutely. Eagle County remains at Very High Fire Danger, and Stage 2 Fire Restrictions remain in effect and is experiencing extreme drought conditions. While we have not experienced a large wildfire locally, the conditions across our forests continue to become increasingly concerning. Please continue to avoid any activity that could put you and your fellow residents at risk. Together, we can make a change, not a spark.
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