The High Line Canal runs through Arapahoe County, but it is not a backyard water source

If you walk or bike in Arapahoe County, you have probably crossed the High Line Canal. It is a long, tree-lined channel and trail that winds through Douglas, Arapahoe, and Denver counties, and it is a favorite for walking, running, riding, and wildlife watching.

It helps to know what the canal is and is not. The High Line Canal was built long ago to carry irrigation water, and it has been owned and operated by Denver Water. In recent years parts of the corridor have shifted toward open space and trail use, with Arapahoe County taking ownership of a stretch to protect it as public space. The canal no longer functions the way it once did as a full-time irrigation delivery system.

Why a buyer should not assume too much: living next to or near the canal does not give a property a right to take water from it. Water in Colorado is tied to water rights, not to whatever channel runs past the lot line. The canal’s value to a nearby home is mostly the trail and open space, not a private water supply.

If irrigation or canal water matters for a specific parcel, confirm it separately through the state water agency and the canal’s owner. For the trail and corridor, check Denver Water and Arapahoe County Open Spaces.