The Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs is facing renewed scrutiny over its water consumption as Colorado enters its third consecutive year of below-average snowpack. The 5,000-acre property, which operates three 18-hole golf courses and extensive landscaping, draws water from multiple sources including Cheyenne Creek and groundwater wells, according to records filed with the Colorado Division of Water Resources.
Local residents near the resort have raised concerns at recent El Paso County commissioners meetings. "We're being asked to cut back on lawn watering while looking at eighteen holes of green grass on the other side of the fence," said Margaret Hunsaker, a homeowner in the Broadmoor Bluffs neighborhood, at a September 2024 hearing.
Resort Grounds
The resort, owned by Anschutz Corporation, has held senior water rights in the region since Spencer Penrose established the property in 1918. Under Colorado's prior appropriation doctrine, these rights predate most residential developments in the surrounding area. Resort management has pointed to conservation measures implemented over the past decade. The property installed a water recycling system for its golf course irrigation in 2019 and converted portions of landscaping to xeriscaping.
A spokesperson for The Broadmoor declined to provide specific consumption figures but said the resort "operates within all legal water allocations and continues to invest in efficiency." Water attorneys in Colorado say the situation reflects broader tensions across the state.
"Senior rights holders are legally entitled to their water, full stop. That's how the system works,"
"The question communities face is whether the law should change, and that's a political question, not a legal one." Some local officials have taken a different view. El Paso County Commissioner Holly Williams said in October that the county should explore whether large commercial users could voluntarily participate in drought restrictions.
"Nobody is talking about taking away anyone's legal rights. We're asking if there's room for partnership," Williams said.
Historical Context
The Broadmoor's water usage became a public issue in 2002 during a severe drought when photographs of the resort's green fairways circulated in local media while surrounding neighborhoods faced mandatory restrictions. The resort at that time released a statement emphasizing its senior water rights.
Colorado Springs Utilities, which manages municipal water supply, reported in November that residential customers reduced consumption by 12 percent compared to the previous year following tiered rate increases. Commercial accounts showed a 4 percent reduction over the same period.
The Anschutz Corporation acquired The Broadmoor in 2011. The resort has since undergone expansions including a new hotel tower completed in 2017 and the addition of The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway in 2021. Employment at the property exceeds 1,800 workers according to filings with the Colorado Department of Labor.
The Penrose Legacy
Historical records show Spencer Penrose secured water rights for the resort before opening day on June 29, 1918. The property was built on land previously used for dairy farming.
Penrose, who made his fortune in Cripple Creek gold mining, also funded the construction of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun, both adjacent to the resort.
Doug Fitzgerald, a water resources engineer who has consulted on projects in El Paso County, said golf course water usage in the region typically ranges from 300 to 500 acre-feet per year depending on course size and grass type. He has not worked directly with The Broadmoor.
At the November county meeting, commissioners voted to table a resolution requesting voluntary commercial participation in drought measures. The item is scheduled for reconsideration in January 2025.