‘Articulating the needs and concerns of the resource’
Some stories change over the time journalists spend reporting them. Such was the case with our story published this week, “Crystal River restoration finding its footing in Carbondale park.” When Will Grandbois, a Carbondale journalist and former editor of the Sopris Sun, took on the assignment for our Water Desk in the waning days of summer, it appeared to be straight forward: Look into a grant application that Roaring Fork Conservancy, in partnership with the town of Carbondale, had before the Colorado Water Conservation Board for a restoration project impacting the Crystal River and adjacent riparian areas as the beloved waterway flows through the River Valley Ranch subdivision.
The application was set to be heard at a September meeting but we soon learned it had been removed from the agenda. Grandbois kept digging and learned that the delay was related to ongoing discussions with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, relating to concerns that the state agency had with construction impacts. The project would reengineer the already-altered stream channel to create a narrower, faster and colder river, which ultimately benefits the riparian ecosystem, but as originally proposed that would involve in-channel construction for up to four months. CPW wants to see if the work can be done with a lighter touch, or perhaps be broken up over the course of multiple years. That could increase construction costs, already approaching $1.5 million, but the wildlife agency and project proponents are meeting to try to build a model for larger projects like this one, Grandbois reports. Meanwhile, the CWCB’s decision on the grant is now expected in January.
“We’re in charge of articulating the needs and concerns of the resource,” area wildlife manager Matt Yamashita says in the piece. He adds: “We support the scope of the project wholeheartedly. The future of our waterways is only going to continue to become more and more impacted, so the more time and effort we can put toward improving those and preserving their natural qualities, the better.”
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Crystal River restoration finding its footing in Carbondale park
Colorado Water Conservation Board considering grant to fund half of $1.46 million effort
By Will Grandbois | November 15, 2021
As spelled out in a Water Plan grant request, improvements will include streambank stabilization and river channel restoration, plant diversification and better access to the park as well as an automated ditch headgate.
Data dashboard: Maximum air temperature keeps swinging
The Roaring Fork and the Crystal rivers remain below their minimum instream flows but close to last year’s levels.
By Laurine Lassalle | November 16, 2021
• Roaring Fork at Stillwater ran at 16.5 cfs on Nov. 14, a 20% drop from last week but only down 3.5% from last year.
• Lake Powell has lost 46.5 vertical feet in surface elevation in the last year.
Tracking the Curve
Documenting COVID-19 in Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield counties
By Laurine Lassalle | November 16, 2021
The Pitkin County Board of Health approved its winter COVID-19 mitigation plan on Nov. 12. The plan maintains the current indoor masking policy in Pitkin County until the incidence rate drops below 50 per 100,000.
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Source: aspentimes.com | Read more
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Colorado’s governor continues to fund positions in his office with money from private donors
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Local stakeholders must cooperate to handle changing conditions
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Source: durangoherald.com | Read more
Aspen’s housing authority looks to Woody Creek mobile homes as pilot program for replacing dilapidated units
“Under the proposal, when a homeowner informs APCHA that he or she wants to sell, the agency will determine the condition of the unit through an inspection and whether it should be repaired or replaced. In the units that have been identified by APCHA that would likely need replacement, APCHA would exercise first right of refusal and buy out the homeowner and replace the mobile home with a prefabricated one and then sell it to a qualified buyer.”
Source: aspentimes.com | Read more
Help wanted: Housing for SkiCo employees
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Source: aspendailynews.com | Read more
Houpt: Taxpayers should not subsidize oil and gas shortfall
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Semple: Entrance to Aspen, a song that never ends
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Source: aspendailynews.com | Read more
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