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 […]
Category: The Runoff
Recent editions of the new monthly newsletter from Aspen Journalism’s Water Desk.
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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?
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The Runoff | Snowpack snapshot, Reclamation announcements and a Troublesome project
Water-related updates from water reporter Heather Sackett and additional context on recent reporting from the Aspen Journalism water desk
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The Runoff | Discriminatory relic survives in 75-year-old upper basin agreement
Water managers are talking tools for drought, a new conservation study, a fish kill in Aspen and reconsidering provisions laid out in a 75-year-old document that makes up the law of the river. Let’s get into the details. Thank you for reading and supporting this nonprofit, community-funded journalism. — Heather SackettManaging Editor and Water Desk […]
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The Runoff | Big water year begins to fade away
The latest edition of The Runoff, a newsletter from Aspen Journalism Water Desk Editor Heather Sackett chronicling odds and ends from her work covering water policy in the Roaring Fork and upper Colorado river basins.
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The Runoff | Rising rivers, resolutions and questions
It’s spring in the Rockies and that means rivers are cranking. Three water-related bills passed into law this session. Town of Meeker trustees grill new dam proponents.
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The Runoff | Winter in the shade
I think it was Charles Dickens who described a March day as summer in the light, and winter in the shade. This year there’s been a lot more of winter in the shade, a welcome circumstance for water managers. All those overcast days could even be part of the reason for more snow accumulation at […]
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The Runoff | Legislation, funding applications and instream flow loans
The opening weeks of 2023 have been filled with legislative updates and new bills, state water board news, Colorado River happenings and new chapters for local issues. Let’s dive in. – Heather SackettEditor and Reporter on the Water Desk No-flush wipes bill drafted State Senators Dylan Roberts and Perry Will, who represent the Western Slope […]
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The Runoff | From panic to acceptance
Some water managers at CRWUA acknowledged a truth that is widely known but rarely stated so candidly: As the Colorado River crisis deepens, water to cities will not be cut off in favor of continuing to grow hay in the desert, no matter what the law of the river says.
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The Runoff | Where the grant money flows
Here at Aspen Journalism a big part of what the Water Desk covers are meetings of governmental agencies. Before you yawn too loud, an important thing to understand is that a major responsibility of these organizations is to dole out grant money. Lots (sometimes millions) of taxpayer-funded grant money. It goes to water projects in […]
