Officials in Colorado say new Aurora Reservoir restrictions are working
Aurora Parks, Recreation & Open Space officials say changes meant to enhance safety at Aurora Reservoir are working. New restrictions were put in place recently following isolated incidents that raised concerns.
As of June 8, visitors to Aurora Reservoir are no longer allowed to bring or drink alcohol at the park. Loud music is also banned.
The City of Aurora also adjusted park hours on weekends from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Previously, the reservoir was open until 9:30 p.m. during June and July.
The city says new weekend hours are meant to improve management and oversight of activities during peak times, ensuring a better experience for all visitors.
A CBS News Colorado crew visited the reservoir on Tuesday.
"The weekdays are so nice. It's calm," said Amy Nieves, a guest at the reservoir. "We did hear that they changed the rules. We were actually just wondering why."
According to the city, several isolated incidents led to staff raising concern to city management in order to mitigate any future incidents.
Police responded to four calls at Aurora Reservoir over the past two weekends. Calls were for disorderly conduct, suspicious activity and alleged assaults between familiar parties.
So far this year, officers responded to seven incidents at the reservoir. In 2021, they had seven calls the whole year.
APD INCIDENT DATA AT RESERVOIR 2021-2024
- 2021: 7 (3 in June, 2 in July, 2 in August)
- 2022: 11 (3 in May, 1 in June, 3 in July, 3 in August, 1in September)
- 2023: 8 (1 in April, 3 in June, 3 in July, 1 in August)
- 2024, to date: *7 (1 in April, 3 in May, 3 in June) *One incident accounted for two calls for service in the system
Between all of these calls, the city says 18 were on weekends.
"Don't ruin it for other people," said Eli, a guest at the reservoir. "I think the majority of people don't do that kind of stuff."
According to Aurora Parks, Recreation and Open Space, the new rules are working.
In a statement to CBS Colorado, Aurora PROS writes:
"The temporary hours and restrictions at Aurora Reservoir helped successfully maintain a family-friendly environment this past weekend. The new hours and restrictions remain in effect but are temporary. The city will reevaluate them weekly and make adjustments as appropriate."
The city says these adjustments follow a careful analysis of park usage patterns, prioritizing the park-goer's safety and overall park satisfaction.
"It's unfortunate. If we wanted to do something at night on the weekends, we can't right now," Amy said. "Leave it how you left it. Just have fun and be safe."
