Arapahoe County is going “all in” on open space water conservation as Colorado’s drought continues, county officials said.

Arapahoe County Open Space officials are modernizing irrigation systems, rethinking turf and cutting water use when possible, according to a statement on the county’s website.

Dove Valley Regional Park has started using evapotranspiration irrigation, which waters plants based on the water they lose. The irrigation change has saved more than one million gallons of water compared to 2025, the county’s website said.

At Arapahoe County Fairgrounds, a grassy area was recently replaced with Tahoma 31 Bermudagrass, which is hardy in the winter and drought-resistant. The pilot program at the fairgrounds has saved almost 400,000 gallons of water annually.

Cheyenne Arapahoe and Long’s Pine Grove parks are adjusting watering to use water more efficiently. The county’s newest park, Arcadia Park, was built using Bermudagrass to conserve water.

County officials have planned more upgrades for next year, including converting more grass at the fairgrounds and adding real-time flow sensors to detect leaks, the website said.

“Together, these improvements strengthen the county’s infrastructure, conserve limited water resources and protect the parks and trails our community loves,” the website said. “And if the rain gods are listening, we’ll gladly take a fluffier winter to keep the momentum going.”

Arapahoe County water users rely on various providers, including Aurora Water and Arapahoe County Water and Waste Authority.

The latter has implemented two-day-per-week watering restrictions.

Aurora Water, which remains under Stage 1 drought restrictions, also maintains its two-day-per-week watering schedule, banning watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.