Releasing the water out of reservoirs this week adds to this natural snowmelt peak and creates a cold flushing flow that clears out excess sediment built up on the cobbles favored by spawning fish.
Author Archives: Heather Sackett
Heather Sackett is the managing editor at Aspen Journalism and the editor and reporter on the Water Desk. She has also reported for The Denver Post and the Telluride Daily Planet. Heather has a master’s degree from CU’s Center for Environmental Journalism and her reporting has been recognized by the Colorado Press Association.
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The Runoff | Using less of the Colorado River takes a willing farmer and $45 million in federal funds
A special edition of The Runoff, the Aspen Journalism Water Desk newsletter. On Thursday we published a collaboration with KUNC’s Colorado River reporter Alex Hager about a controversial water conservation program in the Upper Basin.
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Using less of the Colorado River takes a willing farmer and $45 million in federal funds
Of all the challenges in setting up a program such as this — funding, pricing, calculating water saved, getting the word out — the biggest may be the attitudes of water users themselves, some of whom have a deep-seated mistrust of the federal government.
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Climate change causing increase in metals concentrations in streams, study finds
“These trends are concerning because, even at low concentrations, dissolved metals can negatively affect downstream ecosystem health and the quality of water resources,” reads the paper, which was published in Water Resources Research in late April.
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CPW proposes increase to Fryingpan River fish harvest
But the effectiveness of that approach may be limited because according to the CPW survey, only 15% of anglers take their fish home while 85% practice catch and release.
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The Runoff | Study brings new accounting of Colorado River water uses
Welcome to the Runoff, where Aspen Journalism’s Water Desk provides insider news and water-related updates you won’t read anywhere else under The Briefing and additional context and updates on the most recent reporting from our water desk under The Recap. Thanks for going deeper with us and for supporting our nonprofit, in-depth, investigative reporting. –Heather […]
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River District grants $550K more for reservoir project
In January, the Army Corps found that even though Wolf Creek flows only seasonally during spring snowmelt and after rainstorms, it still has a “relatively permanent flow” and is therefore categorized as one of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) and is under the jurisdiction of the Army Corps.
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Bill would protect Yampa Valley coal plants’ water from abandonment
Tri-State plans to shut down its coal-fired power plant in Craig in 2028, the same year that Xcel Energy plans to close the Hayden Generating Station, which has prompted questions about what will happen to the water currently being used by the facilities.
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Wet March boosts snowpack, streamflow forecasts
But there are other factors that could affect how much water ultimately ends up in rivers and eventually in the nation’s second largest reservoir, Lake Powell.
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Steering committee IDs three ways forward for Crystal River protection
But the “outstandingly remarkable values” that Wild & Scenic seeks to protect and the special riparian ecosystems that peak instream flows are designed to protect may not align in the case of the Crystal River.