Archive - Aspen Journalism

Data dashboard: Roaring Fork Basin snowpack is close to normal

by Laurine Lassalle December 4, 2023December 4, 2023

• Snowpack at Indy Pass reached 68.9% of median on Dec. 3 and 88% of median at McClure Pass.
• The Fork ran at 102.5% of average at Emma on Dec. 3, up from 87.2% of average last week.
• On Nov. 26, minimum air temperatures at ASE dropped as low as -2°F.

Environment

Colorado wildlife officials aim to reduce hunter crowding, sustain elk herds

by Elizabeth Stewart-Severy December 3, 2023December 1, 2023

Although elk population numbers in northwest Colorado currently meet objectives set by the state, those numbers are probably not sustainable. Meanwhile, the state’s hunters have expressed concerns that they see more humans than animals during hunting seasons

Water

Colorado lawmakers expected to consider state permit program protecting wetlands

by Heather Sackett December 1, 2023December 4, 2023

While it is not always clear whether a wetland has a direct surface connection to a qualifying stream, experts say the decision removed federal protections from at least half of Colorado’s wetlands.

Water

The outliers in urban residential landscaping: Why these homeowners tore out their turf

by Allen Best November 30, 2023December 1, 2023

“If you make it easy to conserve water, they will do it,” he said. “If you make it really difficult, then they will come back to it when they have time. That is the reason that so many people continue with their current landscaping year after year. It takes time to make changes.”

Local Public Data

Data dashboard: Summer occupancy was lower this year than in the past couple of years

by Laurine Lassalle November 27, 2023November 27, 2023

• October occupancy in Aspen peaked in 2021 after the 2020’s slow down due to the pandemic as the October occupancy reached 54.4% that year.
• The USGS sensor below Maroon Creek recorded the Fork running at 91 cfs on Nov. 26, or 91.5% of average. On Nov. 19, the river was running at 117 cfs.
• High air temperatures at the Aspen airport dropped from 55°F on Nov. 15 to 38°F on Nov. 20.

Water

How bluegrass lawns became the default for homeowners associations

by Allen Best November 21, 2023November 30, 2023

Pollan and other writers have traced our modern idea of a lawn to the early 17th century. In at least one telling, aristocrats wanted clearings around their castles for defensive purposes. They either had animals graze it or dispatched servants with scythes to keep the grasses low.

Local Public Data

Data dashboard: Streams are flowing faster than last week

by Laurine Lassalle November 20, 2023November 27, 2023

• The Fork ran at 17.6 cfs on Nov. 19 or 56.8% of average. That’s up from last week when the river ran at 15.7 cfs and 47.6% of average.
• Lake Powell was 37.18% full on Nov. 19, down from 37.27% on Nov. 12.
• High air temperatures at ASE went from 41°F on Nov. 9 to 58°F on Nov. 13 before going down to 55°F on Nov. 15, which is about 14 degrees above normal.

Water

At Colorado River’s headwaters, questions about whether there’s enough water for lawns

by Allen Best November 15, 2023November 30, 2023

“It’s not about drought years,” says Eagle River Water and Sanitation District’s general manager. “It’s about a drying climate. We have to get people to shift their attitudes, to know that water is getting to be more scarce.”

Local Public Data

Data dashboard: Local streams are slowing down

by Laurine Lassalle November 13, 2023November 20, 2023

• The Fork ran at 297 cfs on Nov. 12 at Emma, down from 316 cfs last week.
• Lake Powell’s elevation reached 3,572.3 feet on Nov. 12, which is the same as on Nov. 5.
• High air temperatures increased from 30°F on Oct. 29 to 63°F on Nov. 6 before dropping o 41°F on Nov. 9.

Water

Colorado squeezing water from urban landscapes

by Allen Best November 9, 2023November 30, 2023

Like weekly haircuts for men, a regularly mowed lawn of Kentucky bluegrass was long a prerequisite for civic respectability in Colorado’s towns and cities. That expectation has begun shifting.