Good Tuesday morning, Boulder.
Leading today’s edition: Boulder is moving to ban daytime lawn watering for all residents and businesses, part of the city’s first major landscaping overhaul in more than two decades, aimed at conserving water and boosting wildfire resilience.
The proposal would prohibit lawn irrigation between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., when most water is lost to evaporation (with several exceptions), and set new standards for decorative turf and drought-tolerant, fire-resistant plants in new construction and major remodels. It follows Boulder’s recent home-hardening ordinance, which established wildfire-safety requirements for new homes and major remodels.
A public hearing on the landscaping ordinance is set for Thursday, Oct. 16. Por Jaijongkit reports.
Also today: After BRL broke the story that Boulder Falls may never reopen following last November’s rockslide, local historian and BRL contributor Silvia Pettem retraces how Boulder Canyon transformed from an impassable gorge into a mountain gateway. Her piece explores the canyon’s early allure for photographers, stagecoach tourists and even journalist Helen Hunt Jackson, who compared Boulder Creek to an allegro movement in a symphony.
Plus more, Below the Fold:
- BoulderCAST: Boulder warms up, then cools right back down.
- BRL Election Central: Let us help you make sense of your ballot.
- Ballot 2025: Prop LL and Prop MM could shape Colorado’s free school meals program.
- Rescue: Man seriously injured after fall at Sugar Mill site.
- Climate case: 100+ House Republicans ask Supreme Court to block Boulder lawsuit.
Thanks, as always, for reading,
– The BRL team
As your Councilman, Matt Benjamin has delivered progress on housing, homelessness, climate action, public safety, and good governance. He leads with transparency, equity, and accountability to reflect Boulder’s values. With momentum underway and challenges ahead, Matt is ready to keep leading. Re-elect Matt Benjamin for Boulder City Council to keep pushing for progress and building a Boulder that’s inclusive, resilient, and vibrant.
Boulder may ban daytime lawn watering citywide in first major landscaping overhaul in 20 years
The draft rules would prohibit lawn watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., with exceptions, and steer new development toward drought-tolerant, fire-resistant landscaping. Continue reading…
The making of Boulder Canyon: From impassable gorge to mountain gateway
Long before cars crowded its curves, horse-drawn wagons, photographers and church picnickers made Boulder Canyon a symbol of adventure and a lifeline for mountain towns. Continue reading…
Temperatures swing up and down
Boulder’s warming up, for now. Sunshine and a wind shift today will push highs back near 70 degrees, with even toastier temps on deck tomorrow.
Wednesday looks like the week’s sweet spot: breezy, sunny and flirting with 80 degrees, ideal for soaking up the fall vibes, albeit while feeling like summer. Lows will dip into the 40s the next few nights, so no frost just yet.
By Thursday, though, the pattern flips again. A late-week trough will swing in, dragging a cold front through the Front Range and bringing a chance for showers and a noticeable cool-down to wrap up the week.
Election Central on BRL: Let us help you make sense of your ballot and this election
With your ballots in hand, we’re here to make your life a little easier.
The mailers are arriving. Your friends are telling you what they think. Why not spend a few minutes learning about the candidates for yourself? We’ve made it simple.
Here’s what you’ll find in our Election Guide:
- Background on the candidates — including who they are, their experience and what they stand for.
- A quick, pithy overview of what this election is really about.
- Where candidates stand on key local issues:
- Our breakdown of ballot measures — and several perspectives on them (mainly the new mental health sales tax) in BRL Opinion.
- BVSD candidates and their responses to our questionnaire.
And all of our ongoing local election coverage in one place.
Ballot 2025: Prop LL would let Colorado keep extra revenue for free school meals
Chalkbeat has a handy explainer on Proposition LL — and how it pairs with Proposition MM — two measures on Colorado’s Nov. 4 ballot that could determine the future of free school meals for all students.
Proposition LL would let the state keep about $12 million in excess revenue collected for the Healthy School Meals for All program rather than refunding it under TABOR rules. The change would affect only households earning more than $300,000 a year.
Proposition MM, its companion measure, would raise income taxes on those same high-income households to generate new ongoing revenue for the program.
Together, the two measures aim to sustain free breakfasts and lunches beyond 2025. If LL fails, the state must issue refunds, and only higher-poverty schools would continue offering free meals next year. Check out BRL food editor John Lehndorff’s coverage of what’s at stake for BVSD.
Man rescued after significant fall at abandoned Sugar Mill site
A 23-year-old man was rescued late Saturday night after falling about two stories inside the old Sugar Mill property in eastern Boulder County, authorities said.
The man called 911 around 11 p.m. on Oct. 12 to report his injuries. Responders from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Longmont Police Department, Mountain View Fire Rescue and Boulder Rural Fire Rescue used a drone to locate him before cutting through an exterior wall to reach him safely.
He was taken to a local hospital with severe injuries to his face and limbs. Several others found on the property were cited for trespassing. Officials called the incident a reminder that entering the Sugar Mill site is both illegal and dangerous.
More than 100 House Republicans urge Supreme Court to block Boulder climate lawsuit
Over 100 House Republicans, led by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt Boulder’s climate accountability case against Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy, E&E reported.
In a friend-of-the-court brief filed Oct. 9, the lawmakers argue that lawsuits like Boulder’s would let states and cities “dictate national energy policy” and threaten the constitutional balance between federal and state authority. They say federal law, not state courts, should govern disputes over greenhouse gas emissions. The brief references dozens of similar lawsuits underway in more than 20 jurisdictions across the country, including California, Hawaii, Maryland and New York
The filing comes after Colorado’s Supreme Court ruled this spring that Boulder County and the City of Boulder can move forward with their lawsuit in state court, a major win for local governments seeking to hold fossil-fuel companies financially responsible for climate damages.
If the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to take the case, it could decide whether Boulder’s claims — and similar suits across the country — can proceed. Boulder Reporting Lab first covered the lawsuit in 2022. If it goes to trial, the case could enter discovery, potentially surfacing internal industry documents — similar to those revealed in tobacco litigation.
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