Beloved ‘Dog Heaven’ in Colorado Springs Closed Over Water Concerns

By Seth Boster | The Gazette

One recent afternoon near his Colorado Springs home, Sean Paige was hiking with Nellie the golden retriever en route to a favorite spot in Stratton Open Space: South Suburban Reservoir. 

“She’s still anxious to get there, because she thinks it’s gonna be full of water,” Paige said. 

But Colorado Springs Utilities announced the draining of South Suburban Reservoir in April 2024 for repairs to the dam. Nellie has been among dogs splashing in the water over the years — the place Paige has called “dog heaven” under the gaze of Cheyenne Mountain — but not the past couple of summers during the closure. 

And not for summers to come, following an announcement by Utilities. 

“Now it’s off-limits,” Paige lamented. “Try explaining that to the dog.” 

Utilities expects South Suburban Reservoir to refill next spring. “When that happens, it will not reopen for recreational access,” read the agency’s recent announcement, which recognized the fenced-off site becoming “a favorite destination for many people” over the past two decades. 

“This decision was difficult, but necessary,” the announcement continued, explaining health and safety concerns for people and pets as well as “water quality issues.” 

Frolicking dogs “stir up sediment in the reservoir, increasing the amount of organic carbon and nutrients available to support the growth of algae,” according to Utilities, specifically mentioning harmful blue-green algae. Dogs can also introduce E. coli — another factor in Utilities reportedly removing South Suburban Reservoir from its drinking water system “multiple times over the years.” 

Utilities described the drinking water source as “small” but “important.” South Suburban’s storage up to 241 acre-feet pales in comparison with other system reservoirs such as Rosemont (closer to 2,500), South Catamount (closer to 2,600), North Catamount (12,000-plus) and Rampart (about 41,000).

But South Suburban’s small size compounds concerns, according to Utilities: “It does not hold enough water to effectively dilute these pollutants, making high-quality treatment more difficult.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE GAZETTE