Aurora Reservoir extends hours starting Saturday after month of shortened hours

After several weekends of temporarily shortened hours, the Aurora Reservoir is expanding its hours again starting Saturday.

After about one month of shortened hours, the reservoir at 5800 Powhaton Road will be open from 5 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The temporary ban on alcohol at the reservoir, which went into place at the same time as the temporary shortened hours, will remain in effect.

In early June, officials added new regulations to the reservoir, changing the hours from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday.

When the changes were first made, Parks, Recreation and Open Space Director Brooke Bell said authorities implemented them to make the reservoir experience better and help staff manage the large crowds that come to the area in warmer months.

"Aurora Reservoir is a beautiful and unique space within the city, and one that we want all guests to be able to enjoy," Bell said in the release.

Van Holbeck said the changes came after a "careful analysis of park usage patterns," but did not specifically clarify any instances or situations that led to the rule changes.

Removing alcohol from the area helps makes it more family-friendly and reduces "the risk of incidents that can disrupt the peaceful atmosphere of the park," Van Holbeck said.

Officials said visitors to the reservoir would also see extra security on the weekends to make sure people are recreating safely.

After two weekends of the new restrictions, Aurora Parks, Recreation and Open Space spokesperson Sara Van Holbeck told The Denver Gazette that the temporary hour changes and restrictions "helped successfully maintain a family-friendly and enjoyable environment for visitors during the first two weekends they were in effect."

The new hours and alcohol restriction will "remain in effect and are temporary," Van Holbeck said, and the city will reevaluate them each week and adjust them "as appropriate."