Garage Fire Spreads to Camper in La Junta; Crews Contain Blaze, No Injuries Reported
Bent's Old Fort NHS to Reopen for Guided Tours
La Junta Fire Department Reports Otero County 387 Fire Burns 116 Acres
SECO News Facebook Feed
The West’s Favorite Son Rode the Santa Fe Trail
SecoNews SwapShop

Colorado Springs Voters Reject Karman Line Annexation Amid Lower Arkansas Valley Water Concerns


Description: The Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy Released the Following Regarding the Karman Line Annexation Ballot Initiative being Voted Down by the Citizens of Colorado Springs...

Colorado Springs Voters Reject Karman Line Annexation Amid Lower Arkansas Valley Water Concerns

(ROCKY FORD, CO – June 18, 2025) – On Tuesday, June 17, Colorado Springs voters rejected the Karman Line annexation in a special municipal election. The unofficial results released by the City of Colorado Springs City Clerk's Office showed 81.8 percent of voters were against the annexation, while 18.2 percent of voters supported it.

The vote overturns a decision made in January by the Colorado Springs City Council that approved the annexation on a 7-2 vote. The Karman Line annexation included nearly 1,900 acres in El Paso County, located approximately 3.5 miles from the city limits. The developer planned to build 6,500 homes and commercial space on the site. This type of expansion, known as a flagpole annexation, allows a city to incorporate land that is not directly adjacent to its boundaries by connecting it through a narrow strip of land.

Colorado Springs residents, and beyond, opposed the project primarily due to the added strain it would place on city services and the increased demand for water. During testimony to their City Council in January, Colorado Springs Utilities stated that the city currently has enough water to support the development. However, they also noted that any new annexation, including Karman Line, would add to the city’s 34,000 acre-feet annual water supply gap to fully build out land already within current city limits.

In February, the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District passed a resolution opposing any new annexations by Colorado Springs that would exacerbate the city’s future water supply shortfall.

Over the last six weeks, nine more Lower Arkansas Valley counties, municipalities and organizations united and passed similar resolutions to amplify their opposition to new annexations in Colorado Springs that add to their future water supply gap, including:

Resolutions available HERE. 

“Thank you to Colorado Springs voters for recognizing the concerns of the Lower Arkansas Valley about water, the lifeblood of our food systems, rural economies, and agricultural heritage,” said Jack Goble, General Manager of the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District. “And thank you to the people of the Lower Arkansas Valley for coming together with a shared message. The coordination and unity across our communities played a meaningful role in shaping this outcome.”

“We’re at a defining moment in Colorado, with the opportunity to choose the kind of future we want to leave for the generations that come after us. Polling consistently shows that Coloradans deeply value agriculture and rural communities, and yesterday, Colorado Springs voters affirmed those values.”

“Colorado’s Front Range communities have an opportunity to manage growth responsibly while protecting our limited water supplies. We’re hopeful we can work with our urban neighbors to develop fair, collaborative solutions that bring long-term certainty for all of us.”

About the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District:
Since 2002, the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District has served Pueblo, Crowley, Bent, Otero, and Prowers counties with a focus to safeguard water resources in the Lower Arkansas Valley today and for future generations. www.lowerark.com