Pitkin County and the Colorado Water Conservation Board are finding it’s not easy to leave water in two local rivers for environmental purposes.
Category: Water
Our water desk, staffed by Heather Sackett, produces the most authoritative reporting available on Roaring Fork and upper Colorado river basin water policy and politics.
Posted inTransmountain Diversions, Water
Pitkin County fighting city of Aurora over Fryingpan water
Pitkin County has spent $50,000 since 2010 to prevent a Front Range city from expanding a water right it owns to divert 2,600 acre-feet of water a year from four creeks high in the Fryingpan River basin.
Posted inWater
City updating 1990 water plan calling for dams, more hydro
City of Aspen water officials are now working to update the city’s comprehensive water management plan and the process could inform future decisions about potential new dams, reservoirs and hydro power plants.
Posted inWater
Aspen’s Ruedi water buy may bolster prospect for new dams on Castle and Maroon creeks
The $511,000 contract is seen by city officials as a way to help protect the city’s future diversion and storage projects from being called out by downstream water owners.
Posted inWater
Local groups want Crystal River to be Wild and Scenic
Wild and Scenic status, which ultimately requires an act of Congress to obtain, prevents a federal agency from approving, or funding, a new dam or reservoir on a Wild and Scenic-designated river.
Posted inWater
Trees on Thomas Reservoir removed, new tailrace planned
Trees on a dam are considered a hazard as their roots can cause the dam to leak and high winds could blow the trees over, leaving a big hole where the roots were.
Posted inWater
City maintains rights for dams on Castle and Maroon creeks
The upper ends of both Castle and Maroon creek valleys would be the sites of two new city of Aspen water storage reservoirs and dams, under 47-year-old conditional water rights that the city has continued to keep alive.
Posted inWater
Aspen defends its journey from penstock to drain line
Was the city manipulating a federal process in the name of public safety?
Posted inWater
State: Those dam trees have to go
A state dam safety engineer is requiring the city of Aspen to cut down 25 trees on the Thomas Reservoir dam and said the trees may already have caused “dam safety problems.”
Posted inWater
American Rivers fighting phantom dams on Crystal River
The listing of the Crystal River by American Rivers as one of the top-10 most endangered rivers in America this year is designed to influence the boards of two regional water districts