Denver Enacts Water Cuts

The Denver Board of Water Commissioners voted Wednesday to implement mandatory Stage 1 drought restrictions for the first time since 2013.

Targeting a 20% cutback in water use, the rules limit outdoor watering to two days per week and ban it from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., among other measures. The restrictions apply to 1.5 million people in the metro and could extend through 2026. See the rules here.

Much of the state is in severe drought following a historically dry winter. Colorado’s weakest snowpack in decades is already melting, raising concerns about long-term reservoir shortfalls.

Some municipalities, like Thornton and Erie, had already implemented limits, while others are waiting until later this spring to decide. See a list here.

Vail, Alterra Face Antitrust Lawsuit

A new class-action lawsuit alleges ski industry giants Alterra Mountain Company and Vail Resorts have “unlawfully inflated prices” through practices linked to their season passes.

According to the complaint, the two companies coerced guests into buying the multi-mountain Epic and Ikon passes by charging “exorbitantly high prices” for single-day lift tickets. The passes can cost upward of $1,000, while day tickets can exceed $300 on peak days.

The lawsuit argues this pricing scheme violates antitrust laws, unfairly pressures independent ski areas, and has “driven up the cost of skiing and snowboarding across North America.”

The class, while not yet certified, is slated to include anyone in the U.S. who bought either pass in the last four years. Alterra declined to comment on the suit; Vail Resorts called the claims “without merit.”

Mystery Time Capsule Opened

On Tuesday, Gov. Jared Polis, with the help of History Colorado, opened a 117-year-old “mysterious box” found buried beneath the base of a statue outside the State Capitol.

A construction crew found the capsule last year during work to remove the pedestal of On Guard, a bronze figure honoring Coloradans who fought for the Union during the Civil War.

Inside the tin box were historic newspapers, a two-page typewritten letter, business cards, and a booklet of legislative acts related to the statue’s installation. See photos here.

According to History Colorado, the craftsmen and committee members responsible for the monument left the capsule there in 1907, just 13 years after the Capitol opened in 1894.

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➤ Fremont County: Highway 115 remained closed Wednesday as the 24 Fire held at 7,385 acres and reached 44% containment. Investigators say the cause was a vehicle malfunction. (See Details)

➤ Statewide: A House committee on Tuesday advanced a bill that would require certain large employers to pay a $2,300 fee for each Medicaid-covered part-time employee to help fund the program. The bill is estimated to bring in $85 million during its first full year. (See Details)

➤ Northwest Colorado has seen some of the state’s highest gas prices amid a nationwide surge, with Glenwood Springs posting an average of $4.371 per gallon Wednesday. (See Map)

➤ Vail: A yearslong overhaul of Interstate 70 on West Vail Pass is gearing up for its final construction season, keeping it on track to finish in 2026, CDOT said in an update. (See Details)

➤ Statewide: In other CDOT news, the department plans to use roughly $12 million in unused snowplowing funds for wildfire mitigation efforts. (More)

➤ Loveland: The driver of a vehicle died Tuesday night after crashing on residential property, igniting a fire that fully engulfed a detached garage and damaged a nearby home. (More)

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➤ Colorado native Mikaela Shiffrin won the women’s overall World Cup skiing title this week for the sixth time in her career. She’s now tied all-time with Austrian skier Annemarie Moser-Pröll, who won her titles in the 1970s. (More)

➤ Colorado Mesa women’s basketball plays Indiana University of Pennsylvania today in the program’s first Division II Final Four appearance. (More)

➤ University of Colorado men’s basketball secured a commitment from Australian forward Goc Malual, who’s been playing professionally in Sydney this season. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NBA | MLB | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | NCAAB | NCAASB | Soccer | Tennis

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➤ Google hired a Boulder quantum physicist to help speed up development of its first quantum computer and expand into neutral-atom technology, where he’ll lead a small Colorado-based team. (See Details)

➤ A proposed ballot measure would amend the state constitution to guarantee “the right to purchase natural gas for cooking or heating.” A package of competing measures would impose additional liability and restrictions on oil and gas operators. (See Details)

➤ Welton Street Café, a family-run Denver business, won a $1 million judgment against a contractor accused of stalling and botching construction on a new location. (More)

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➤ NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers, a Woodland Park High School and Air Force Academy graduate, spoke about piloting the recent SpaceX Crew-10 Mission, what it’s like in space, and her journey to achieving a childhood dream. (Watch Interview)

➤ The 49th season of Survivor—a reality series where island castaways compete for a $1 million prize—featured a Denverite who finished in sixth place, lasting 23 days in the Mamanuca Islands of Fiji. (Read Story)

➤ A Longmont pizza chef representing Colorado in an international competition shared his favorite tips for making better pizza at home. (See Tips)

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Would you compete on Survivor if given the chance?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Not sure

Yesterday’s Results:

Would you attempt the 9-9-9 Challenge (nine beers and nine hot dogs in nine baseball innings)?

1. No: 66%
2. Yes: 18%
3. You call that a challenge?: 16%

What is the highest average gas price ever recorded in Colorado?

Show me the answer