From Rich Kopcho · 50 years in the 970
Lakes of the 970
Northern Colorado has more lake property than most buyers realize — and a more complicated ownership structure than any other region in the country. Irrigation companies, recreation leases, metro district mills, seasonal drawdowns, and surface rights that belong to someone else entirely. Here's what you actually need to know.
Loveland Lakes — What the Listings Don't Tell You
Lake Loveland drains every August because the City of Greeley owns the water — not Loveland. Horseshoe stays fuller. Boyd Lake jumped 66.5% year-over-year. The ownership structures, surface rights, and 2026 valuations for every lake in Loveland.
Lake Loveland · Horseshoe Lake · Boyd Lake
Read guide →Larimer County Lakes — What 'Lakefront' Actually Means
Terry Lake, Cobb Lake, Richards Lake, and Carter Lake. In Larimer County you rarely own the water — the lake belongs to an irrigation company. What you're buying is a leased recreation right with hard limits, transfer fees, and a seasonal drawdown that can drop the lake 10–15 feet by September.
Terry Lake · Cobb Lake · Richards Lake · Carter Lake
Read guide →Weld County Lakes — The Resort Community Reality
Water Valley, Ptarmigan, Pelican Lake Ranch, and Windsor Lake. These are engineered amenity communities — the developer created the lake as the product. That lake view comes with metro district mill levies that can run 60–100+ mills. Know the full cost before you fall in love with the water.
Water Valley · Ptarmigan · Pelican Lake Ranch · Windsor Lake
Read guide →Professional Reference Documents
Larimer County Lakes — Technical Reference
TLRA fee schedules, RLOA tag agreements, irrigation ownership structures, property tax benchmarks, and 2025–2026 sale data. 40 citations.
Weld County Lakes — Technical Reference
Metro district mill levy tables, certified governance structures, motorized boating rules, aquifer water rights, and 2025–2026 price data. 51 citations.