South Suburban Reservoir is a reservoir in the Stratton Open Space of Colorado Springs that stores raw (untreated) drinking water for our customers before it goes to treatment. While small, the reservoir has played an important role in providing you with clean and safe drinking water since its construction in 1932.
For periods over the last two decades, the fenced reservoir has been opened to the public during warmer months for access to its western shoreline. Informal recreational activities developed over time, including off-leash dog recreation.
Since April 2024, the reservoir has been drained so we could conduct necessary repairs. These will be completed soon, and the reservoir is expected to refill with natural runoff and precipitation next spring. When that happens, it will not reopen for recreational access.
This decision was difficult, but necessary. Increasingly, off-leash dog swimming and recreation has led to management challenges, including safety concerns and water quality issues.
Splashing and swimming stir up sediment in the reservoir, increasing the amount of organic carbon and nutrients available to support the growth of algae, including toxic cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). Additionally, pathogens such as E. coli are introduced when dogs swim in water. These situations not only create a dangerous environment for pets, but they have also required us to remove the reservoir from use in our system multiple times over the years. It does not hold enough water to effectively dilute these pollutants, making high-quality treatment more difficult.
Compounding this, nearly 1,000 dog toys were removed from the reservoir’s basin during clean-outs in 2020 and 2024. With heightened scrutiny around PFAS and microplastics in the environment, an accumulation of dog toys in one of our drinking water reservoirs poses additional risk.
We know that South Suburban Reservoir has become a favorite destination for many people over the years. While public access has been allowed at our discretion, recreational use has never been formally approved by City Council. We must now take responsible and appropriate steps to protect this valuable water resource for our customers.
We appreciate your understanding and hope you continue visiting Stratton Open Space to enjoy its many trails and rich scenery.