Aguilar faces water deadline as augmentation pond finally holds water

Aguilar’s water fight has entered a critical countdown. Trustees said at their March 24 meeting that the long-troubled augmentation pond is finally holding water, but Las Animas County’s smallest town still has to prove it can meet a state compliance requirement due in early May or risk slipping back into deeper trouble.

That pond matters because it sits at the center of Aguilar’s water court obligations tied to a December 2014 decree. The town released its first augmentation water for 2026 on March 13, and officials have said the reservoir is essential for compliance and for storing water during the non-irrigation season. Aguilar’s website says the town remains under stage 3 water restrictions, a sign that the crisis is still shaping daily use even as the system shows its first real signs of stability.

Progress has not erased the unfinished work. The pond is operational and collecting water, but final construction items, including fencing and spillway easements, are still unresolved. The town also has a 3% water-rate increase in place beginning with February 2026 billing, and its website lists Bond Ordinance No. 2026-291, underscoring how much financing and compliance remain intertwined in the town’s water recovery.

At the same time, trustees are dealing with a second pressure point: public safety staffing. The town’s website shows a current posting seeking a full-time marshal, and the March 24 regular meeting agenda included the vacancy as officials weighed whether Aguilar can realistically fill a role that has been open for some time. In a town this small, the marshal question is part of the same basic challenge as the water deadline. Aguilar is trying to keep essential services functioning at the same time it is rebuilding its infrastructure.

The stakes are sharpened by the financial damage already done. On Oct. 7, 2025, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said former town administrator, clerk and treasurer Tyra Marie Avila faced felony charges after investigators said more than $26,000 in public money tied to the augmentation reservoir project was diverted and commingled with the town’s general fund. The town later set up a separate water-project account controlled by the mayor and a USDA official.

That history helps explain the distrust still hanging over the town. As trustee and mayoral candidate Vernon Thorn said, “Everything here has been based on lies and corruption.” Colorado Municipal League Executive Director Kevin Bommer offered a different view, saying, “I don’t think anyone’s counting them out yet. I sure am not.”

For Aguilar, the pond finally holding water is a real milestone. Whether it stabilizes service or merely buys time will depend on what the town does before the early-May deadline arrives.