COVID-19 cases in Colorado are on the rise. About 7% of the tests performed across the state are positive. Pitkin County’s new-case incidence increased from 40 per 100,000 on May 9 to about 97 on May 12.
Author Archives: Laurine Lassalle
Laurine Lassalle is Aspen Journalism’s data desk editor, where she works to catalogue and analyze local public data. She also heads our our “Tracking the Curve” project, documenting COVID-19 in Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield counties. She has a master’s degree in data and investigative journalism from UC Berkeley with an emphasis on environmental reporting.
Data dashboard: Local streamflows on the rise as snowpack shrinks
• Irrigation season has begun in the upper valley.
• Snowpack at Indy Pass is at 52.6% of average. That’s down from 73.9% last week.
Data dashboard: Lake Powell water storage back on the upswing
• The Crystal River above Avalanche Creek flowed at 495 cfs, or about 134.5% of average, on May 1.
• Lake Powell’s elevation reached 3.522.7 feet on May 1, up from 3,255.4 feet on April 24.
Data dashboard: Warmer temperatures increased local streamflow
• Roaring Fork River near Aspen at Stillwater ran at 64.6 cfs on April 24, up from last week’s 39.6 cfs.
• Crystal River above Avalanche Creek flowed at 363 cfs on April 24, up from 132 last week.
• Lake Powell’s elevation has lost 3.6 inches since April 17.
Data dashboard: March occupancy in Aspen nears pre-pandemic levels
• Paid occupancy in Aspen reached 79% in March, up from 66% last year and 79.2% from 2019.
• Lake Powell lost 2.4 inches since April 10, compared to a 6-inch drop between March 27 and April. 3.
Compost hits record high in 2021 at Pitkin County landfill
In 2021, the Pitkin County landfill composted 14,295 tons of waste, the highest amount recorded since 2015, according to Pitkin County Solid Waste Center data shared with Aspen Journalism. It’s a 19.5% increase from 2020’s 11,961 tons and an 11.7% increase from 2019’s 12,799 tons, the previous record. The amount of composted waste increased by 41.5% between 2015 and 2021.
Data dashboard: Local streamflow keeps increasing with warmer temperatures
• Lake Powell’s elevation is down to 3,522.9 ft on Apr. 10.
• Snowpack at Indy Pass is on the decline with about 80% of average on April 10. That’s down from about 85% last week.
Data dashboard: Spring temperatures boost Crystal and Colorado rivers’ streamflows
• Maximum air temperature in Aspen increased from 34°F on March 22 to 64°F on March 27.
• Crystal River streamflow level above Avalanche Creek jumped from 62 cfs on March 24 to 192 on March 29.
Data dashboard: Lake Powell’s water level keeps plummeting
• Snowpack at Schofield Pass reached 35.79 inches on March 27, or 109.9% of average.
• Lake Powell’s 1.5 feet away from target elevation.
Data dashboard: Aspen records its highest February occupancy
• Paid occupancy in Aspen reached 79.8% in February 2022, the highest ever recorded for the month of February.
• Lake Powell’s elevation down to 3,524.4 feet — or about seven inches below target elevation.