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Aspen Journalism: local. nonprofit. investigative.

Aspen Journalism

local. nonprofit. investigative

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  • WATER
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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 inWater

Lake Powell to dip below target elevation

Heather Sackett by Heather Sackett March 11, 2022March 14, 2022

As this angered some in Colorado, and the amount of water is proving to be the proverbial drop in the bucket, questions of the impact of the releases and were they worth it generate debate.

Posted inWater

Turf replacement bill gains ground

Heather Sackett by Heather Sackett March 4, 2022December 12, 2022

The drafters of House Bill 1151 say it is aimed at efficient water use and would increase communities’ resilience to drought and climate change, reduce the sale of agriculture water rights to meet increased demand in cities, and protect river flows.

The Fetcher Ranch in northwest Colorado
Posted inWater

Rancher grapples with abandonment listing

Heather Sackett by Heather Sackett February 27, 2022March 2, 2022

Some water rights holders may be reluctant to pare back the amount of their right, even if they can’t use all the water to which their decree entitles them on paper.

A kayaker runs the 6-foot drop of Slaughterhouse Falls on the Roaring Fork River in June 2021. River recreation and conservation groups are pushing a bill that aims to establish a recreational in-channel values reach designation, which would create a legal mechanism to lease water for river recreation.
Posted inWater

Groups try again to secure water for recreation

Heather Sackett by Heather Sackett February 19, 2022October 16, 2022

The proposal is an attempt to carve out a spot for — and recognize the importance of — Colorado’s outdoor-recreation economy in the hierarchy of water uses, which prioritizes the oldest water rights, usually belonging to agriculture and cities.

Paul Bruchez
Posted inWater

Kremmling rancher picked to replace Schwartz on state water board

Heather Sackett by Heather Sackett February 15, 2022May 10, 2022

Schwartz said that although it was an honor to hold the seat, she felt she couldn’t be as effective as she wanted in the position.

Posted inWater

Popular ditch inventories remain private despite being publicly funded

Heather Sackett by Heather Sackett February 6, 2022February 7, 2022

But neither the CWCB nor the Colorado Basin Roundtable has a policy that allows the public to have access to the inventories, even when public money is used to fund their creation.

The Government Highline Canal
Posted inWater

River District addresses controversial water speculation bill

Heather Sackett by Heather Sackett February 4, 2022December 12, 2022

The River District’s amendment is an attempt to revise the current proposed legislation, which has not found support from agricultural water users.

Gov. Jared Polis announcing '22 water campaign
Posted inWater

State water education campaign focuses on individual actions

Heather Sackett by Heather Sackett January 28, 2022February 4, 2022

And although the agriculture industry represents 86% of the state’s water use, according to numbers provided by Water Education Colorado, Water ’22 does not include ways for agriculture to conserve water.

Posted inWater

Dropping reservoirs create ‘green light’ for sustainability on Colorado River

Heather Sackett by Heather Sackett January 15, 2022January 24, 2022

Rapidly dropping reservoir levels create a “green light” scenario for river management where conditions shift from a situation to be monitored to a problem that needs to be solved.

Lake Powell at Wahweap Marina as seen in December 2021.
Posted inWater

Scarcity the theme of Colorado River conference

Heather Sackett by Heather Sackett December 15, 2021January 3, 2022

“The last 22 years has no 20th-century analogue,” said Brad Udall, senior water and climate research scientist at Colorado State University.

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