Water is Colorado’s most precious resource, and the earlier residents learn to use it responsibly, the better.

That was the overarching message of the 2026 Pikes Peak Children’s Water Festival, held Wednesday at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

More than 475 fourth-grade students from Colorado Springs School District 11 and Harrison School District 2 attended the event, which featured 21 presenter stations from a dozen different organizations.

“The main goal is to educate students about the value of water, of protecting this precious resource and to get them excited about a possible career (in water management,” said Birgit Landin, senior conservation specialist for Colorado Springs Utilities.

Colorado has a long history with children’s water festivals, officials said. Greeley has the state’s longest-running festival at 35 years. Grand Junction, which has held a similar event for more than 30 years, has the largest with more than 1,500 students.

“Colorado Springs was probably the biggest city that didn’t have a water festival,” Landin said. “In 2017, we decided to change that.”

Wednesday’s water festival was the city’s seventh since 2017, officials said. The event was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, venue difficulties forced another cancellation.

“We’re so grateful to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame for offering their space, free of charge,” Landin said. “That helps us put on this event at no cost to the students.”

The presenter stations offered a broad range of learning activities for the youngsters. Students could build sand landscapes to observe how fast-moving water can cause erosion, simulate a rainstorm to learn about pollution and build an aquifer to learn how water moves underground, among other activities.

Jennifer Sullivan, Utilities’ laboratory water quality assurance lead, ran a testing station with several water samples, only one of which was safe to drink.

“Why don’t you drink water from a creek? Why don’t you drink from a rain puddle? Because it’s dangerous,” Sullivan said. “We’re hoping to teach them how to know their drinking water is safe.” 

Learning about the many uses of water and its value to Coloradans should begin at an early age, said Tristan Gearhart, CSU’s chief planning and finance officer.

“It’s important that our young students are able to learn about water and how we can stretch it to the maximum here in the dry, arid West,” said Gearhart, a Colorado Springs native and Mitchell High School graduate.

“Knowing to turn off your water while you’re brushing your teeth starts when you’re little. (Conservation) takes everybody, every single day, making conscious choices about the way they use water.”

Making the activities fun is critical to the learning experience, Gearhart said.

“It’s a lot of fun and a lot of learning at the same time,” he said.

It is difficult to quantify how much a water festival can help the city save water, but CSU officials believe every little bit helps.

“When I started at Colorado Springs Utilities 15 years ago, the average water usage was 97 gallons per person per day,” Landin said.

“That number is down to 70. That’s what we need in order to have a sustainable water supply for the future so these kids can grow up, have families and continue to live here. Events like this will hopefully plant that seed early.”

Howbert Elementary School student Lexa Martinez said she learned a lot about water’s importance in everyday life.

“Water is really important,” Martinez said. “And it’s better for you than (soda) pop.”

Fellow Howbert fourth-grader Ruby Kute agreed.

“We need water to stay alive,” Kute said. “It helps us have energy. We need to use it carefully, so we don’t waste it.”

Because the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association is set to leave Colorado Springs for Cheyenne, Wyo., taking the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum with it, the Children’s Water Festival will have to find a new venue for 2028. Landin said she is confident they will find a partner willing to help educate youngsters about the importance of water.

“These are going to be the future leaders of our community, and water is such a key to make this community thrive,” she said. “It all starts with the kids.”