RENTALS

motor vehicles or trailers “shall be parked on the vegetated areas” of the property.

• e county will also be able to inspect the property to enforce the requirements of the ordinance, including by the Douglas County properties we manage and often gets asked to assist in searching for victims or evidence in other jurisdictions. But CPW is not the overarching authority on water-related deaths for the entire state.”)

In 2022, there were 42 water-related fatalities in Colorado, which was up from 22 in 2021, and 34 in 2020, according to the agency.

“In 2022, the majority of fatalities occurred from people swimming, paddle boarding, kayaking or using an in atable of some kind, and the vast majority were not wearing a life jacket,” the agency said in a news release. “CPW wants to remind the public that paddle boards and kayaks are considered vessels, and life jacket requirements apply.” e parks agency also recommends all boaters and passengers wear a life jacket while on the water.

Sheri ’s O ce, and may enter “at all reasonable times.” e law has some exceptions to who has to follow regulations. e ordinance “shall not apply to” homes that are not leased more than 14 days in a calendar year and not

• Any person who violates any provision of the ordinance would face a ne of $250 for a rst violation, $500 for a second violation and $1,000 for the third and subsequent violations.

“Regardless of your age or experience level, the data shows that life jackets save lives,” Grant Brown, boating safety program manager for the parks agency, said in the release.

State parks sta also emphasized that river water exerts “a very powerful and constant force against any xed object.”

“Just six inches of water can knock a person o their feet. Water owing at seven miles per hour has the equivalent force per unit area as air blowing above 200 miles per hour,” the news release said.

Sta also pointed to the fact that although the air temperature may be hot, “the water is very cold.” e agency also urged the public to boat sober, as “alcohol use is the leading advertised as a short-term rental on a regular basis, the law’s text says.

“Cold water can quickly create a drowning emergency,” the agency said in a release.

Leadup to new law

Just because short-term rentals weren’t regulated in unincorporated Douglas County doesn’t mean they weren’t happening. Airbnb’s website on June 18 showed a handful of listings that appeared to be in unincorporated Douglas County. (Some listings don’t show an exact location contributing factor in recreational boating deaths.”

Duncan also explained the term “swift-water rescue,” which involves fast-moving water conditions.

“Although sometimes called ‘white water rescue,’ it applies to any rescue situation in an environment — rural or urban — with moving water, including one not normally submerged, such as a ooded drainage area,” Duncan said.

While “swift water” has no formal definition in the rescue industry, according to Duncan, many industry professionals accept the following quali cations as standard:

• Water depth of over two feet

• Flow rate of, at minimum, one knot (1.15 miles per hour) on the website’s map.)

• Occurrence in a natural watercourse, ood control channel, or ooda ected environment.

Over the past two years, county sta met with the commissioners multiple times to discuss a potential ordinance and other possible options for allowing and regulating short‐term rentals, a county sta report says.

“ ere were also multiple live town halls held on the topic for the board (of commissioners) to discuss options with the public,” the report says.