Headlines Thursday, June 11, 2026
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06-11-26MMHeadlinenews KGNU News
Longmont bans hyperscale data centers due to concerns about energy and water use
The city of Longmont has banned so-called hyperscale data centers. The City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday night that sets limits on energy consumption to protect the city’s water grid, power supply, and neighborhoods from resource strain.
According to council member Matthew Popkin, who brought the ordinance forward, the ordinance helps establish “guardrails” to determine which data centers are appropriate for the city.
The measure was passed amid concerns about nationwide impacts of data centers on local communities. Key concerns include excessive water and energy usage that affect neighboring communities.
Longmont joins Denver and Jefferson counties in Colorado’s growing trend of restricting the development of data centers.
Popkin says data centers are welcome if they serve a purpose for the local community and do not put a strain on resources.
Boulder expands cattle grazing program to help with wildfire mitigation
This year, Boulder is expanding its cattle grazing program to include high-fire risk areas. The city’s program expansion, which it published on Tuesday, pertains to city-managed lands west of Boulder. The work builds on over a decade of land management efforts in the Shanahan Ridge area.
The cattle will move north across about 65 acres of high priority areas located within roughly 100 to 300 feet of residential neighborhoods.
The targeted grazing will last around six weeks with the intention of reducing easily ignitable materials in grassy landscapes that can contribute to wildfire spread. Additional grazing projects are planned for August and September.
The City of Boulder Wildfire Ready Team collaborates with regional experts to develop science-based wildfire risk reduction approaches in grassland ecosystems, including cattle grazing and perimeter mowing. Temporary trail closures may occur during grazing operations for safety and resource protection.
In related news, about 300 goats from Goat Bros, LLC. are headed to Harlow Platts Community Park to graze on invasive weeds over the next week. To celebrate the goats’ return, the city is holding its annual Meet and Bleat event Saturday morning at 1360 Gillaspie Drive.
Despite dry winter, Boulder reservoir levels expected to stay normal this summer
Boulder Reservoir is expected to maintain normal water levels throughout the summer, despite record-low winter precipitation and ongoing drought conditions, according to reservoir manager Stacy Cole.
This contrasts with the nearby Union Reservoir, which announced its swim beach will be limited to wading this summer because of low water levels. This means that Boulder Reservoir could receive an influx of visitors.
Aside from recreational use, Boulder Reservoir is an irrigation source for farmers in unincorporated Boulder County and supplies water to Erie and Lafayette.
The Colorado-Big Thompson Project, which supplies water to Boulder Reservoir, is built to endure several years of low precipitation. The water stored in Boulder Reservoir this summer likely comes from snowmelt in 2024 and 2025, rather than the below-average runoff we experienced this year.
Water levels are expected to start decreasing after Labor Day, as recreational activities slow down.
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