Make no mistake, this type of fight for water has been happening since the West was settled. And let's face it folks, much of the west is desert land and was not meant to provide for the copious water needs that are demanded by rapidly growing cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Denver, Tucson, Palm Springs ... the list could go on!

A century's worth of dams and other projects have left the West's ecosystem in shambles. The waters of the Colorado River and Arizona's Gila River (off the top of my head) are so taxed that they run completely dry before reaching their principal tributary. Meanwhile, in sprawling Colorado Springs, no public figure has shown the leadership or courage in addressing the problem of rampant and uncontrolled growth in their city. At some point, perhaps perilously too late, Colorado Springs will realize its water supply is dangerously finite. Some experts predict that disaster for all of us could be awaiting from such poor environmental stewardship.

Alright, I'll get off my soap box! In this pictorial, I started from the bottom of Ruxton Creek, which flows into Fountain Creek in downtown Manitou Springs, and walked my way upstream. Enjoy!

Love, Steve :)

Ruxton Creek, Along Lower Ruxton Avenue

That's the very end of Ruxton Creek as it flows into Fountain Creek at Soda Springs Park in Manitou Springs. It ain't much but a trickle right now.
Start walking up Ruxton Avenue to follow the creek. By the way, I LOVE the Filthy Wilma's building! :)
Early on, the stream goes under all sorts of buildings.
A resident posts this sign near the creek. Click the picture to read it through!
Understandably, many residents are unhappy.
In this picture, I am standing INSIDE the river bed. This creek couldn't scare a mouse these days!
Not far from the creek is Twin Springs, along the 100 block of Ruxton Creek. If the creek continues to run at its dismal state, some are concerned it could harm the mineral springs aquifer below Manitou Springs.
Another shot of the dry river bed.

Ruxton Creek, Along Upper Ruxton Avenue

	Near Pilot Knob and Ruxton, the creek starts to show it's beauty...
	Iced over!
	Now I'm standing in the middle of the river bed, just upstream from Iron Spring, and this is how it appears as I look straight down. (My shoe is placed to give depth.)
	From the spot above, the view looking downstream.
	Spots like this are fairly common. Miniscule riffles give the feel of a running creek, but with so little water, puddles of water sit below seemingly motionless and stagnant.
	On a side note, the big tunnel that runs below the Iron Springs Chateau building is funky and scary at the same time! :)
	I probably could have taken a better pictures of the Cog Railway station, which the creek runs alongside of, but oh well. Other related pictorials: Lower Barr Trail Middle Barr Trail Upper Barr Trail Fun atop Pikes Peak Pikes Peak Donuts Frolics on Pikes Peak rocks Manitou Incline Ruxton Creek in Fall Colors

Ruxton Creek, Upstream at the Utilities Pipe

Facing at the utilities spot, looking downstream. Ruxton Creek is bountiful with water, even during a comparatively dry winter season.
My camera doesn't quite capture it, but looking upstream, Ruxton Creek is a bustling mountain waterway!
That's the actual inlet for the pipe. Now remember, Colorado Springs owns the water rights of this river.
I'm telling ya, it's really pretty up there with all that water running!
Just below the utility inlet, things change... Standing on that bridge looking downstream, there's some snow and a few "moving puddles," but that's about it.
Just below the intake.
That's what's left of the creek as one looks downstream.
The water that survives trickles inconspicuously under large rocks.
Ain't much there folks!