Water level continues to drop at Rampart Reservoir in El Paso County

“How low will it go?” is the question people have been asking for months about Rampart Reservoir in El Paso County.
The popular recreation spot has steadily lost water since spring because of repairs to broken infrastructure that have delayed proper refilling, and because of strong summer water demand.

According to Colorado Springs Utilities, the reservoir’s normal level at this time of the year is 72 percent but it’s now down to 50 percent and will drop even lower until normal refilling resumes in November.

CSU said the reservoir will likely approach, but not surpass, its record low in 2012.

Because of the low water level, the reservoir’s boat ramp was closed in July and motorized boating is not allowed.

The low level continues to surprise and worry visitors.

“When you see the marks on the banks to show how high the water used to be, it’s amazing,” said a visitor from Texas.

“The fishing is fair and not as good as it could be with a higher water level,” said a Colorado Springs fisherman.

CSU said the reservoir provides around 75 percent of the city’s water usage and there’s still enough to meet customers’ needs.

However, the utility said the reservoir won’t return to its normal level until later next year.