Superior CO Water Restrictions 2026

Current water restrictions in Superior, Colorado

Superior declared Stage 1 Mandatory Water Restrictions in spring 2026 alongside neighboring Louisville, in response to Colorado's lowest-snowpack winter on record. Outdoor irrigation is limited to two days per week by address parity, with a midday blackout from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

If any city in Colorado has a unique relationship to landscape and water, it's Superior. The town was the hardest-hit community in the December 30, 2021 Marshall Fire — the most destructive wildfire in state history by structure count. More than 500 homes burned in Superior alone. Entire neighborhoods in Sagamore, Original Town, and Rock Creek were nearly completely destroyed. Five years later, the rebuilding is still active. New homes need new sod, new shrubs, new street trees, and new irrigation systems — and they all need water during establishment, the very thing Stage 1 is designed to limit.

Superior's water utility, the Town of Superior Water, has worked closely with Louisville on coordinated supply and rule-making. Both communities draw from the same combination of Colorado-Big Thompson (C-BT) project water via Northern Water and the local Coal Creek watershed. A registered 30-day establishment exemption for new sod and landscape installation is available for fire-rebuild and other new construction; without it, brand-new sod installed in May 2026 cannot be watered enough to establish.

The Marshall Fire remains the defining recent event in Superior's civic life. Five years on, the rebuild is the lens through which residents view almost every town policy — and Stage 1 is no exception.

Your assigned watering schedule

Address last digit	Allowed days	Allowed hours
Even (0, 2, 4, 6, 8)	Tuesday and Saturday	Outside 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9)	Wednesday and Sunday	Outside 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Hand watering with a hose and shut-off nozzle is permitted on any day, outside the daytime blackout. Drip irrigation for trees and non-turf plantings is exempt from the day-of-week schedule.

• New sod and landscape (Marshall Fire rebuilds): 30-day establishment exemption available through Town of Superior Water. Register with the utility before installation. Provide proof of recent construction or sod-installation invoice.
• Drip irrigation for established trees: exempt from the day-of-week schedule. Critical for Superior's mature pre-fire trees that survived the burn.
• Reclaimed water: Superior's parks and select common areas use reclaimed water on a separate commercial schedule.
• Vehicle washing: permitted with a hand-held hose with shut-off nozzle, outside the daytime blackout.

Fines and penalties

The Town of Superior enforces Stage 1 through Code Enforcement and Town of Superior Water with a progressive penalty structure:

• First violation: a written warning, logged against the customer account.
• Second and subsequent violations: escalating civil fines under the town's drought ordinance.
• Persistent or willful violators: Town of Superior Water can pursue service-restriction action.

Like Louisville, Superior has emphasized that enforcement during the rebuild's peak landscape-installation period will favor warnings and the registered establishment exemption over citations. Homeowners who skip the exemption and water aggressively without registration risk standard penalties.

To report a violation, call Town of Superior Water at 303-499-3675 or use the town's online reporting form. Reports do not require the reporter to be identified.

Other outdoor water rules

• Watering during measurable rain: prohibited. Functioning rain sensors required on automatic systems under Colorado law.
• Excessive runoff: water sheeting onto streets, sidewalks, or storm drains is a violation regardless of day or hour.
• Pressure washing: permitted only for surface preparation prior to paint, sealant, or repair, or where required for health and safety. Cosmetic pressure washing of homes is restricted.
• Decorative fountains: must recirculate water.
• Pool filling: top-offs permitted; new fills require coordination with the utility.

Superior's water supply and source

Superior's water portfolio mirrors Louisville's by design — the two communities have a long-standing joint infrastructure agreement that lets them share storage, treatment, and emergency-supply arrangements:

• Colorado-Big Thompson (C-BT) project via Northern Water — the largest single source. C-BT delivers Western Slope water through the Adams Tunnel under Rocky Mountain National Park.
• Coal Creek watershed — the local surface-water source draining the foothills above Superior and Louisville. Coal Creek peaks earlier in the season during low-snowpack years like 2026 and provides less peak-summer flow than during normal years.
• Reclaimed water for parks, common areas, and select commercial properties.

The shared-supply relationship between Superior and Louisville is one of Colorado's more interesting examples of municipal water cooperation. The two towns are separated only by U.S. 36 and McCaslin Boulevard but operate as separate political entities. The joint infrastructure agreement means that when supplies are tight in one, they're tight in both, and the Stage 1 declarations were coordinated for that reason.

Coal Creek's role during a low-snowpack year deserves particular attention in Superior. The creek runs through Original Town and downtown Superior, and was the path the Marshall Fire took as it moved east into town in December 2021. The creek's riparian vegetation has been gradually recovering from the fire, but mature cottonwood and willow trees that lined the creek for decades are largely gone. The hydrology of the creek post-fire is different — runoff timing has shifted earlier, and base flows in dry summers are lower than the historical norm.

HOA, brown lawns, and the rebuild

Colorado Revised Statutes § 37-60-126 protects homeowners from HOA enforcement actions for compliance with declared water-conservation measures. The statute prohibits HOAs from requiring landscape irrigation inconsistent with measures imposed by a water provider and protects xeriscape and drought-tolerant landscaping choices.

Superior's HOAs — particularly in Rock Creek Ranch and the various Sagamore subdivisions — went through significant landscape-rules updates after the Marshall Fire. Many revised covenants explicitly to allow more fire-resistant and drought-tolerant landscape designs. Stage 1 reinforces those revisions: even properties whose original covenants required green bluegrass lawns are protected during the declared shortage.

For Marshall Fire rebuilds, the landscape-design choice is significant. Defensible-space best practices — non-combustible mulch and minimal vegetation in the immediate 5-foot zone around the structure, low-water and fire-resistant plantings in the next 30 feet, and managed vegetation beyond — argue strongly against high-maintenance turf-heavy designs. The combination of Stage 1, post-fire lessons, and ongoing drought risk points toward xeriscape, native plantings, and rock-mulched defensible space.

Sample HOA response:

"Dear [HOA Architectural Review Committee], the Town of Superior and Town of Superior Water have declared Stage 1 Mandatory Water Restrictions. My lawn reflects compliance with that declaration. Under Colorado Revised Statutes § 37-60-126, the Association may not enforce covenants requiring irrigation inconsistent with the utility's water-conservation measures. Please withdraw the violation. Sincerely, [Your name]"

Lawn survival guide for Superior

Superior lies in USDA Hardiness Zone 5b/6a:

Grass type	Drought tolerance	Mow height	Notes
Kentucky Bluegrass	Moderate; goes dormant under stress	3–4 in	Most common Superior turf
Tall Fescue	Higher than bluegrass; deeper roots	3–4 in	Better choice for fire-rebuild lots
Buffalograss	Very high; native short-grass	2–3 in	Excellent low-water and low-fuel choice
Blue Grama	Very high; native bunch grass	3–4 in	Naturalized look

For Marshall Fire rebuild lots: defensible-space best practices argue for buffalograss or fine-fescue blends with non-combustible mulch in the immediate 5-foot zone around any structure. Pairs well with low-water perennial plantings beyond.

Mow on the high end. Bluegrass and fescue retain moisture far better at 3.5–4 inches than at 2 inches.

Skip summer fertilizer. Fertilizer pushes growth the limited irrigation cannot support.

Mulch beds heavily. Two to three inches of bark mulch dramatically reduces evaporation. In defensible-space zones immediately around structures, use rock mulch or other non-combustible material.

Brown is not dead. Bluegrass and fescue go dormant under stress and recover reliably with cooler temperatures.

Frequently asked questions

My entire property was destroyed in the Marshall Fire. Can I get a landscape exemption?

Yes. Register with Town of Superior Water for the new construction / new landscape exemption before you install sod or shrubs. The exemption typically grants 30 days of unrestricted establishment watering for new sod and seed, after which the standard 2-day-per-week schedule applies. Drip irrigation for trees and shrubs is exempt from the day-of-week schedule entirely once they are established. Provide proof of recent construction or sod-installation invoice when registering.

What days can I water in Superior?

Even addresses water Tuesday and Saturday. Odd addresses water Wednesday and Sunday. No watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Why does Superior follow the same rules as Louisville?

Superior and Louisville have a long-standing joint water infrastructure agreement. The two towns share storage, treatment, and emergency-supply arrangements. They draw from the same C-BT allocation and the same Coal Creek watershed. When supply conditions warrant a Stage 1 declaration in one, they warrant it in the other, and the declarations were coordinated for consistency.

I'm rebuilding in Sagamore. Should I use bluegrass or something else?

That's your choice — but the combination of Stage 1, defensible-space best practices, and ongoing Front Range drought risk argues strongly for buffalograss, fine fescue, or a mixed-meadow approach rather than a full bluegrass yard. Buffalograss in particular is well-suited to Superior's sun, wind, and soil conditions and needs roughly half the water of bluegrass once established.

What about my mature trees that survived the fire?

Drip irrigation for established trees is exempt from the day-of-week schedule. Surviving mature trees are valuable assets that have already paid back their water investment many times over; they generally need less supplemental water than turf and benefit greatly from a deep, slow weekly soak via drip. The Front Range Tree Recommendation List from CSU Extension is a good resource.

How is Coal Creek doing post-fire?

Coal Creek's riparian vegetation has been gradually recovering since the Marshall Fire, but the mature cottonwood and willow gallery that lined the creek for decades is largely gone. Hydrology has shifted somewhat — earlier runoff peaks, lower base flows in dry summers — and the creek's contribution to the joint Superior/Louisville supply during low-snowpack years is reduced.

How long will Stage 1 last?

Through at least the 2026 irrigation season. Recovery to non-restriction status requires multiple consecutive wet winters and recovered C-BT allocations.

What time can I water in Superior?

Watering is allowed Not 10am-6pm. Watering outside these hours is a violation even on your assigned day.

What are the fines for watering violations in Superior?

First offense: Written warning. Repeat violations: Escalating fines. Contact Town of Superior Water for the full enforcement schedule.

When will water restrictions end in Superior?

Current Stage 1 Mandatory Water Restrictions restrictions are in effect through Until drought conditions improve. Monitor https://www.superiorcolorado.gov/water for the latest status.

Can I hand water during Superior water restrictions?

Yes. Hand watering with a hose fitted with a shut-off nozzle is generally allowed on any day during permitted hours. Drip irrigation and soaker hoses are also typically exempt from the day-of-week schedule. Confirm specifics with Town of Superior Water.

How do I report a water waste violation in Superior?

Contact Town of Superior Water at 303-499-3675 or visit https://www.superiorcolorado.gov/water. Most utilities accept online reports and respond within 48 hours.