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.
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.
Posted inThe Runoff
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 […]
Posted inWater
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.
Posted inWater
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.
Posted inWater
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.
Posted inWater
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.
Posted inThe Runoff
The Runoff | Why the Crystal River runs dry
One thing this project uncovered (no surprise to most water experts) is that ditches on the Crystal are very inefficient, posing the question: Does the small amount of water used by the crops justify the large amounts diverted from the river, to the detriment of its ecosystem?
Posted inWater
Crystal River mapping project
Beginning high in the Elk Mountains, the Crystal River flows 40 miles through three counties, cutting a canyon under the flanks of Mount Sopris and winding past the towns of Marble, Redstone and Carbondale before joining with the Roaring Fork River. Along the way, its waters turn mesa hayfields, acres of alfalfa and Carbondale parks […]
Posted inWater
In dry years, Colorado’s Crystal River runs at a trickle — but why?
The factors that lead to a dry river bed are many and include unique geology, ill-defined legal concepts, misunderstandings about the value of water, inefficient irrigation systems and vague state guidelines regarding waste that seem to be enforced only under specific circumstances.
Posted inWater
Lower basin calls for upper basin cuts; upper basin says ‘no way’
The upper basin’s proposal, however, says the four states will pursue “parallel activities” that include voluntary, temporary and compensated reductions in use, although the upper basin states do not offer a specific amount of water that they will conserve.