Although housing costs are still lower in Parachute and neighboring Battlement Mesa than much of the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys, the average price of a single-family home has more than doubled over the past decade.
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Posted inWater
States repeat talking points with little progress on deal as Colorado River crisis deepens
A question looming over this week’s conference was: Will the federal government step in?
Posted inWater
December water forecast a sobering backdrop to Colorado River conference
The high-stakes fourth tool — which water managers across the basin are counting on to rescue reservoirs, set a new management paradigm and provide long-term stability to the system — is new guidelines for how the reservoirs will be operated and shortages shared after 2026.
Posted inEnvironment
St. Benedict’s Monastery sells for $120 million
Sale and closure of the monastery has been a possibility for years, as the monks of St. Benedict’s have grown older and their community has gotten smaller. Five monks celebrate Mass there now, down from 18 members present in 2009.
Posted inEnvironment
St. Benedict’s Monastery announces last Mass Jan. 11
Contemplative Outreach of Colorado’s post on their website Dec. 5 indicated a sale of the monastery was imminent, but also stated that “we do not know who the buyer is or what will be forthcoming at this time.”
Posted inEnvironment
Local public-lands group moving from crisis reaction to long-term plan
This was not a typical summer season for the White River National Forest, but thanks to unprecedented efforts from local organizations, visitors may not have noticed. The U.S. Forest Service did not hire seasonal workers to manage the influx of crowds, but it did offer incentives for employees to quit. Funding shrank and uncertainty grew. […]
Posted inWater
Conservation studies’ findings have lessons for water managers
But as climate change continues to fuel shortages, makes a mockery of century-old agreements and pushes Colorado River management into crisis mode, the Upper Basin can no longer avoid scrutiny about how it uses water.
Posted inWater
State ramps up water measurement on Western Slope
The push for more-accurate measurement comes at a time when there is increasing competition for dwindling water supplies, as well as growing pressure on the Colorado River’s Upper Basin states (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) to conserve water.
Posted inEnvironment
Transportation coalition seeks consensus on high-occupancy toll, congestion-pricing recommendations
The Transportation Coalition for the 21st Century has narrowed down its potential recommendations for relieving traffic congestion in the Roaring Fork Valley to two scenarios: congestion pricing or a hybrid plan that would start with a high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane and work toward congestion pricing. Both scenarios include carpooling and public-transit incentives.
Posted inEnvironment
Private ski area proposal near Steamboat divides community
As Routt County awaits the first public hearing on a proposal to develop a private ski resort and elite enclave 20 miles south of Steamboat Springs, there is widespread anxiety and divisions across the community are deepening. Reanna Sullivan, whose hillside home faces the prospective ski area, ticks off concerns associated with many new high-end […]