Colorado-Nebraska Water War Escalates

Colorado asked the U.S. Supreme Court Monday to dismiss part of Nebraska’s lawsuit over the South Platte River Compact. The state also filed counterclaims accusing Nebraska of taking its water.

Colorado argues Nebraska wells near the border deplete Lodgepole Creek and parts of the river. Nebraska counters that Front Range growth could dry up the South Platte before it reaches the state line.

At the center of the fight is Nebraska’s long-unbuilt Perkins County Canal, a project critics call the “canal to nowhere.” Colorado says it may never yield enough water to justify its cost.

The case now goes before a court-appointed special master, and interstate water disputes often take years to resolve. Both states remain in drought.

Denver Watering Ban Kicks In

Denver Water’s ban on lawn watering and spray irrigation begins today, with the utility’s reservoirs at 67% of capacity compared with a typical 91% this time of year.

Single-family customers face a $500 fine for a first violation and $1,000 after that, and repeat offenders risk a water shutoff. The ban will last at least through spring.

Separately, Aurora City Council voted Monday to ban evaporative cooling systems in new commercial, multifamily, and industrial buildings. Officials said the move is aimed largely at data centers.

The unanimous Aurora ordinance also bars spray irrigation from Oct. 1 through April 30, though parks and athletic fields get until mid-October. Hand-watering trees and shrubs is still allowed.

Colorado Among Worst Speeding States

Nearly one in 10 Colorado drivers has a speeding violation on their record, placing the state ninth nationally in a new analysis.

The study also weighed ticket rates against speeding deaths and found the most-ticketed states are not always the deadliest. North Carolina ranked first overall.

A separate study found Colorado had the fifth-highest share of fatal crashes tied to aggressive or careless driving in 2024. Troopers wrote over 42,000 speeding tickets last year.

Colorado drivers fare better on temper, though, ranking a calmer 28th in a national road rage survey. Nebraska, Mississippi, and Arkansas topped that list.

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➤ Statewide: The Colorado Energy Office will get $250 million in federal funding to strengthen links between the Eastern and Western power grids. The project would more than triple transfer capacity. (More)

➤ Colorado Springs: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ordered military academies, including the Air Force Academy, to stop granting tenure to civilian faculty. Current tenure appears unaffected. (More)

➤ Northern Colorado: Crews near Carr are building a pipeline for the Vita H2O Project, which will store water in an underground aquifer for dry years. First deliveries are expected in early 2029. (More)

➤ Mesa County: Commissioners unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on data centers in unincorporated parts of the county. Officials say no data centers have approached them about building there. (More)

➤ Weld County: A citizens group is collecting signatures to force a vote on commissioners’ approval of Global AI’s data center near Windsor. It needs at least 9,103 valid signatures within 45 days. (More)

➤ Boulder County: A judge set a $5 million bond for former deputy Tyler Reilly, accused of shooting at the sheriff’s headquarters and Broomfield police cars. Investigators say six vehicles were struck. (More)

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➤ Nathan MacKinnon scored twice in a four-goal second period and added a rare fight as the Avalanche beat the Kings 8-4 in their season opener. Colorado scored four power-play goals. (More)

➤ Colorado will reportedly start Isaac Wilson at quarterback against No. 12 Texas Tech on Saturday after he replaced a benched Julian Lewis against Baylor. Deion Sanders hasn’t publicly named a starter. (More)

➤ Nuggets coach David Adelman says he plans to feed newcomer DeMar DeRozan the ball often as the veteran scorer leads Denver’s second unit. DeRozan is expected to come off the bench this season. (More)

➤ Pat Bryant admitted he “sold” a late pass interference call that wiped out a Rams interception and set up Bo Nix’s winning touchdown in the Broncos’ 30-26 Sunday night victory over Los Angeles. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NHL | WNBA | Soccer

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➤ The Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mine generated more than $830 million in economic activity last year, according to a new report. The mine accounts for more than half of Teller County’s GDP. (More)

➤ The Bravo! Vail Music Festival generated $40.3 million in direct economic impact this summer, including $26.5 million in the Town of Vail. More than 54,000 people attended. (More)

➤ Northglenn is drafting what officials believe are the metro’s first rules for drone delivery hubs after Walmart proposed a drone nest at a local store. Council could act on the rules in October. (More)

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➤ A hungry bear raided a bread booth at a farmers market in Aspen, gorging itself on freshly baked bread before authorities chased it off. (See Video)

➤ Loveland Ski Area tested its snow guns Tuesday, marking 60 years of snowmaking at the resort. It’s aiming for a mid-October to early November opening, depending on the weather. (More)

➤ Air Force veteran Maury Smith was honored for conducting final honors for nearly 3,000 veterans at Fort Logan National Cemetery. He has volunteered about 22,000 hours with the VA. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ Two retirement destination rankings crown completely different winners, and one snubs Florida entirely. (See Top 10)

➤ Surgeons at an Ohio hospital are accused of amputating the wrong appendage of a 74-year-old Army veteran. (Hear Details)

➤ Tennessee’s first execution of a woman in more than 200 years was halted about an hour before it began. (Listen Now)

Is there a bear problem where you live?

1. Yes, they’re everywhere
2. We get a few
3. No, not really
4. There are no bears here

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever won money on a lottery ticket?

1. Yes, a little: 58%
2. No, never won: 24%
3. No, never played: 16%
4. Yes, a lot: 2%

What is the most rainfall ever recorded in 24 hours in Colorado?

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