08/27/2025
Public Service Announcement Regarding Hale Reservoir
No Swimming
Fishing Allowed, but please do not eat fish from the pond
Please keep your dogs out of the pond as well
Hale Reservoir is an old farm pond built early in the last century. It contains groundwater as well as runoff from stormwater and irrigation.
PFAS
Like other waterbodies in this region, we have found that Hale Reservoir contains significant levels of PFAS. PFAS have been found to be harmful to human health. These “forever chemicals” can also affect the health of dogs, so we recommend keeping them out of the pond as well.
Blue-Green Algae
Hale Reservoir is also subject to algae blooms and eutrophication. Blue-green algae is natural to Colorado and can become toxic at certain levels. Eutrophication is a process where the water becomes overly enriched with nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, leading to an excessive growth of algae and aquatic plants. This overgrowth blocks sunlight and consumes oxygen in the water, which can kill fish and other aquatic life. This is a natural process, but it is made worse and precipitated by runoff from fertilized lawns in the case of our pond.
What We Are Doing About It
We are planning to install an aeration system in the pond to keep the pond oxygenated. This should solve the blue-green algae problem, but the PFAS in Hale Reservoir cannot be mitigated because they are coming from groundwater contaminated decades ago.
What You Can Do To Help
Stop using fertilizers and chemicals on your lawn. Keep the storm drains clean. Stay out of Hale Reservoir, and share this information with your neighbors.
