Sleep has become optional for some families near Aurora Reservoir, where a sudden, low droning sound has started cutting through the quiet overnight. Neighbors say the hum is new, unnerving, and likely tied to nearby fracking operations associated with the Lowry Ranch project. A homeowner's audio file captured the noise in the early hours of March, and residents say the late-night racket is chipping away at their rest and their nerves. For locals who have already spent years organizing against new wells around the reservoir, the drone feels like one more worry in a growing list.
In a recording shared with CBS Colorado, a bedroom microphone picks up a long, low-frequency hum that neighbors say has jolted them awake more than once. Colin Westerfeld told the outlet he has been roused "about 5 to 10 times" in the last month, with the noise sometimes hitting around 12:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. He said it has kept him up for 60 to 90 minutes at a stretch. The recording's digital timestamp shows it was made on March 3, 2026, at 3:54 a.m., according to the station's reporting.
"This is something I've never heard in six years, and it's loud," Westerfeld told CBS Colorado. Neighbors say they have started cranking up white-noise machines just to make it through the night and are openly wondering whether wells tied to Civitas' Lowry Ranch project are behind the disturbance. Civitas has previously said it would comply with state and county noise regulations and has highlighted modern technologies it uses to limit impacts, according to the outlet.
What is behind the noise?
The Lowry Ranch Comprehensive Area Plan won approval from the state's Energy and Carbon Management Commission in August 2024, clearing the path for dozens of new wells across the ranch east of Aurora, CPR News reported. Opponents and local officials warned that the plan sites operations near homes, schools, and the reservoir and have raised alarms about air quality, truck traffic, and possible effects on the nearby Lowry Landfill Superfund site.
Arapahoe County conditionally signed off on an individual well pad in October 2025 and required wildlife surveys, dust controls, and other mitigation steps as part of that permit, the Denver Gazette reported. In December 2025, the state commission voted to "stay" at least one well pad application while the company submits additional location and impact analysis, according to Colorado Politics.
Neighbors push back
Local activists have organized under the banner Save The Aurora Reservoir, or STAR, to push for larger setbacks and tougher scrutiny of drilling near the water. STAR says on its website that members are still showing up at hearings and filing public comments to demand stronger protections for the reservoir, surrounding neighborhoods, air quality, and other local resources, Save The Aurora Reservoir notes.
Residents who want to report noise or other concerns can turn to the state regulator, which posts community liaison contact details and a hotline for oil and gas issues. The Energy and Carbon Management Commission lists a community email and a phone line for residents on its site, the Energy and Carbon Management Commission says. Arapahoe County also keeps public files that include maps, permit documents, and timelines for the Lowry Ranch project through its oil and gas portal and related project records.
For now, neighbors like Westerfeld are stuck listening for the next overnight hum and waiting to see whether regulators respond. With well pad approvals and stays still working their way through county and state review, the fight over how much industrial noise and activity belongs near a major city reservoir looks likely to play out in hearings, filings, and maybe a few more sleepless nights in the months ahead.
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