This year, a political drama unfolded in a small town north of Colorado Springs, resulting in an upheaval of town leadership and a triumph over a corporation with an estimated annual revenue in the billions.

The controversy engulfed the town of Palmer Lake (population 2,575), which sits just east of the foothills and atop the Denver Basin aquifers, an important source of water for the town. Buc-ee’s, an expanding chain, selected a location a few miles from Palmer Lake to construct a new travel plaza. Their travel plazas are known for their branded snacks, brisket, relatively high wages, clean bathrooms, and rows upon rows of gas pumps. Many Palmer Lake residents, however, opposed the development, vehemently.

There are many compelling reasons why a community would resist the construction of a glorified gas station, but in Palmer Lake, the crux of the issue was groundwater scarcity. And as Colorado becomes increasingly arid, contentious disputes about how to accommodate population growth and commercial development without exhausting groundwater resources are bound to arise more frequently. The Palmer Lake controversy is a harbinger, unless small towns proactively establish rules for growth in a water-limited future.

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Water is of perpetual concern in Colorado, especially in the midst of a climate change-induced megadrought. Colorado’s municipalities, industries, and agriculture rely heavily on surface water (water from rivers, lakes, etc.), especially the Colorado River. And although the Colorado River is diminishing, over-allocated and contentious, it is renewable. Groundwater, stored in underground aquifers that accumulate over millions of years, is not.

Aquifers tapped by wells supply 17 percent of Colorado’s water, but at current withdrawal rates, much of Colorado’s groundwater may become inaccessible in just decades. Groundwater depletion is of particular concern for agriculture, which uses 89 percent of the state’s water. A hodgepodge of laws, regulations and court cases dictate by who and how much water may be extracted, making it difficult for new developments to establish sufficient access to water. To build a travel plaza, Buc-ee’s had to be annexed by Palmer Lake (or another town) to tap into Palmer Lake’s existing water rights.

Buc-ee’s had little reason to suspect that its proposed annexation would be the cause of so much vitriol. In the town of Johnstown, south of Loveland, Colorado’s first Buc-ee’s location has so far generated $1 million of tax revenue and increased foot traffic for local businesses. That was not a sufficient draw for residents of Palmer Lake. Vocal opponents to Buc-ee’s overwhelmed town council meetings and ultimately resulted in the resignation of the mayor and multiple trustees.

Residents also called a special election to pass an ordinance requiring a town vote before new land annexations. Residents opposed to the Buc-ee’s cited concerns about community character, traffic, and preserving dark skies and conservation corridors. Gas stations also increase air pollution and further entrench cars reliant on fossil fuels in an era where electric cars could and should become dominant. However, even though Buc-ee’s committed to fronting the cost of two new wells for itself and the town, the estimated 19 percent increase in Palmer Lake’s water usage for the Buc-ee’s location was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

So what does this mean for the rest of Colorado?

For one, Buc-ee’s fans will have to keep commuting to Johnstown. But more importantly, communities in Colorado can learn from the controversy and create plans to dictate how water should be managed, conserved and allocated in alignment with the Colorado Water Plan. Specifically, communities should develop guidelines for prioritizing water uses. Large population centers have experts and agencies dedicated to ensuring stable access to water as the climate heats up.

The City of Castle Rock, for example, was 100 percent reliant on groundwater from Denver Basin aquifers in 2005. With planning and hefty infrastructure investments, such as water storage capacity and better wastewater treatment, Castle Rock has decreased reliance on groundwater to 69 percent and is aiming for 25 percent by 2050. Expensive water projects may be challenging for small towns to pull off in the same way, but setting stipulations for usage and growth is possible.

The residents of Palmer Lake did an admirable thing in preventing the Buc-ee’s annexation and preserving their groundwater for future use. To prevent another upheaval, the town should perhaps codify water usage guidelines for development. Palmer Lake maybe could have kept its town leaders and avoided a divisive dispute had leaders previously decided not to approve developments with exorbitant water requirements.

Pretty soon, water will determine the success of every proposed development in Colorado. Buc-ee’s may have been the first casualty, but it won’t be the last.