“Some of the objections for Aspen having a celebration each year are the lack of housing, the shortage of dining space for more than ordinary crowds, disrupting the free and easy life of some few Aspenites, and generally cluttering up the streets and shops with extra people, some of them with money to spend.”
Posted inEnvironment
Pitkin County moving to place a cap on exterior energy use
The Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on Dec. 6 approved on first reading a package of code amendments that place a cap on exterior energy use at 200 million British thermal units (Btu) per year and per parcel and implement new “electric-ready” requirements.
Posted inWater
Bill limiting nonfunctional turf planting clears Colorado Senate
“If we don’t have to start watering that turf in the first place, we never have to replace it in the future,” state Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, a co-sponsor, said in making the case for the proposed new state standard.
Posted inWater
Company drops bid for Thompson Creek reservoir water rights
Companies have been able to hang onto these conditional water rights in some cases for over 50 years without using them because Colorado water law allows a would-be water user to reserve their place in the priority system based on when they applied for the right — not when they put water to use — while they work toward developing the water.
Posted inLocal Public Data
Data dashboard: Lake Powell’s water levels are slowing dropping but remain higher than last year
• Snowpack in the Roaring Fork basin reached an average of 9 inches of snow-water equivalent per site on Jan. 28, or 100% of median. That’s the same as last week.
• Lake Powell was 35% full on Jan. 28, down from 35.25% last week but up from last year’s 23.46%.
• High air temperatures at the Aspen airport went from 26°F on Jan. 17 to 42°F on Jan 21 before going down to 39°F on Jan. 24, which is about 4 degrees above normal.
Posted inLocal Public Data
Data dashboard: Snowstorms boost snowpack
• The monitoring station at McClure Pass, located at elevation 8,770 feet, recorded a SWE of 7.2 inches on Jan. 21 or 84% of median. That’s up from a SWE of 6.1 inches on Jan. 14.
• Lake Powell was 35.25% full on Jan. 21, down from 35.54% last week.
• High air temperatures at ASE went from 21°F on Jan. 8 to 38°F on Jan. 18.
Posted inIn search of community
During Aspen’s Quiet Years, a challenged but cohesive community takes hold
“The lights of Aspen began to dim and softly flicker for almost 50 years. Still, the lights never went out. These were the years between prospecting and prosperity, … Aspen’s only future lay in its past. All of its dreams were trapped in its memories of yesterday.”
Posted inIn search of community
Aspen’s embattled community first experienced by the Utes, then came the silver crash
Aspen’s community has proved resilient despite dramatic changes that have long inflamed a cathartic sense of loss. Aspenites are contentious about change because change alters the experience that first gave them a rich sense of place. A first love of Aspen leaves a deep emotional imprint.
Posted inWater
Company with oil and gas interests seeking to keep rights alive for reservoir on Thompson Creek
The reason Puckett has been able to hold on to water rights that are nearly 60 years old without putting them to beneficial use lies in a quirk of Colorado water law that at least one scholar says needs to be reformed.
Posted inLocal Public Data
Data dashboard: December occupancy rate in Aspen on par with last year
• December occupancy reached 55.2% for Aspen and Snowmass combined this year, down from 55.7% last year, but 5.2% more rooms were sold in December than last year.
• Recent snowstorms boosted snowpack in the Roaring Fork basin, reaching an average of 7.3 inches of snow-water equivalent per site on Jan. 14, or 92% of median.
• High air temperatures at ASE went from 40°F on Jan. 1 to 21°F on Jan. 8, or about 13 degrees below normal. Meanwhile, low temperatures went from 20°F on Jan. 4 to -5°F on Jan. 9.