This week, Aspen Journalism published three stories from our environment and water desks that highlight connections among resources, climate change, infrastructure, growth demand and environmental impact.
Elizabeth Stewart-Severy, writing for our environment desk, interviewed Pitkin County epidemiologist Carly Senst about the evolution of the public health department, which was established in 2017. At the time, it first identified mental health, access to health care, housing, and water quality and quantity as top priorities. Then COVID-19 came along, and the department’s staff grew from four to 30. Now, as the pandemic recedes, they have identified as a focus the changing climate and ways it is likely to adversely affect health: rising temperatures, air quality concerns and the increasing threat of vector-borne illness. The story looks at the emergence of the county’s first case of West Nile Virus this summer and the spreading tick population as examples of how warming temperatures bring new public health concerns. Other heat-related public health issues include an extended allergy season, more air pollution from wildfires, and the chance for warmer temperatures to affect sleep.
Heather Sackett, writing for the water desk, looks at ongoing efforts to repair the Busk-Ivanhoe transmountain diversion, a tunnel originally built for the Colorado Midland Railroad in 1891, which connected Leadville with Aspen and Glenwood Springs over the Continental Divide. The tunnel now diverts water from the headwaters of the Fryingpan River to the Front Range, specifically to the cities of Pueblo and Aurora, which have each spent about $4 million so far — $8 million total — to clear and stabilize the Busk-Ivanhoe Tunnel. While the water from Busk-Ivanhoe represents only about 4% of Pueblo’s supply and 2.4% of Aurora’s, or about 2,500 acre-feet each, the cost of repair shows that every bit of water holds tremendous value for these cities.
Sackett also published a story about the White River storage project, the ninth in a thread of reporting started in 2018 by Brent Gardner-Smith. The Rangely-based Rio Blanco Water Conservancy District is proposing to build a reservoir between Rangely and Meeker, in part to increase flows in the White River and improve municipal water quality for the roughly 2,300 downstream residents of Rangely during dry conditions in late summer. A situation assessment report prepared by The Langdon Group as part of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s plan for additional public engagement about the project, however, is finding low levels of interest and a lot of questions. The report and input from three public meetings held this week will now be used by the BLM to guide its National Environmental Policy Act permitting process, a two-year scoping, public comment and protest period, which will culminate in a decision on whether to grant a right-of-way and amend the BLM’s resource management plan to allow for the reservoir. The two most repeated questions from those interviewed was: What is the specific need for water and how much water is needed?
These stories examine complex issues that span years of process and they require dedication by you, the reader, to stay informed. Thank you for your engagement in and support of this journalism. It wouldn’t happen without you.
– Curtis Wackerle
Editor and executive director
Confusion persists about Wolf Creek reservoir in Rio Blanco County
Sparse public meeting attendance
By Heather Sackett | September 15, 2023
According to the report, two of the most repeated questions from those interviewed was: What is the specific need for water and how much water is needed?
Pitkin County public health turns focus to climate
County looks to hire air quality specialist, focus on health impacts of climate change
By Elizabeth Stewart-Severy | September 14, 2023
When Carly Senst, the epidemiologist for Pitkin County, heard in late August that the county probably had its first-ever case of West Nile virus, she wasn’t exactly surprised. “It was more like, ‘Yep, all right, it’s happening,’” she said.
Crews working to repair Busk-Ivanhoe transmountain diversion
Small amount of water still important for Front Range cities
By Heather Sackett | September 6, 2023
These TMDs were constructed to solve a simple yet crucial problem: Most of Colorado’s water is on the Western Slope, but most of the state’s population lives on the eastern side of the divide.
Data dashboard: Streamflows are down
Lake Powell’s elevation is still dropping
By Laurine Lassalle | September 11, 2023
• The Fork ran at 54% of average at Stillwater, 91% of average below Maroon Creek and 80% of average at Emma on Sept. 10.
• Lake Powell’s elevation went from 3,574.3 feet on Sept. 4 to 3,573.8 feet on Sept. 10.
• High air temperatures remain above average — except on Sept 4 when temperatures dropped to 72°F, or 0.5 degrees below average.
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