Reading Water Desk Editor Heather Sackett’s latest story — a check-in on the effort to protect the Crystal River with a federal Wild & Scenic designation — I am reminded of the tension, present in nearly all areas of life and especially politics, between the desire to move quickly and the amount of time it takes to do something right.
The reality of the process on the Crystal River, according to the campaign manager hired by local conservation nonprofit Wilderness Workshop to manage the Wild & Scenic efforts, is that it could take several more years to get to a place where Congress would approve the designation. The support of elected officials in the town of Marble and in Gunnison County — which did not materialize the last time Wild & Scenic was on the table for the Crystal River — is seen as critical. Gunnison County Commissioner Roland Mason told Sackett that the pace — however one might wish it to be faster — is necessitated by the task of getting everyone on board.
Others fear that taking too long will lead to missed opportunities or worse, a new threat to the watershed that could be prevented by Wild & Scenic, which would block new dams, diversions or developments that would impair the river corridor’s existing remarkable qualities. There is no doubt that pressure on any available water supply in the Colorado River basin is building as climate change and aridification push the system to the brink. Don’t miss the story that breaks all this down as Aspen Journalism continues our coverage of one of the region’s most critical water management and conservation questions.
Also this week at Aspen Journalism, we continued Tracking the Curve, and added an update to our Data Dashboard on precipitation compared to average at the Aspen airport.
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– Curtis Wackerle
Editor and executive director
Opinions differ on timeline as Crystal River Wild & Scenic efforts move ahead
Different philosophies underscore a rift
By Heather Sackett | July 19, 2022
Since the Crystal flows through Gunnison County and the town of Marble, advocates say getting those residents and elected representatives on board will be key to moving the effort forward.
Data dashboard: June sees above-average precipitation at Aspen airport
Lake Powell’s water level has lost one foot since last week.
By Laurine Lassalle | July 19, 2022
• A total of 0.94 inches of rain fell at the Aspen airport in June, or 110% of normal.
• The Fork ran at 50.8% of average below Maroon Creek on July 17.
• Lake Powell’s elevation reached 3,538.3 ft on July 17, down from 3,539.5 ft on July 10.
Tracking the Curve
Documenting COVID-19 in Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield counties
By Laurine Lassalle | July 19, 2022
With 64 new cases since Thursday, Garfield County’s seven-day new COVID-19 case incidence rate is at 170 per 100,000. Eagle County, with 43 news cases, is at 120. Pitkin’s 19 new cases gives it a rate of 299. About 20% of the reported COVID tests in Eagle and Pitkin counties are positive.
Pitkin County, Aspen officials to hash out housing crisis face-to-face
“Combined, more than 80% of job growth in Pitkin County is occurring for jobs with wages from 50% to 120% of AMI. … Yet real estate trends and development plans appear to be creating three to four times more housing for household incomes over 120% AMI than for those that are at or below 120% AMI.”
Source: aspentimes.com | Read more
Out of order: Valley electric vehicle charging stations face widespread mechanical problems
“[Willits] is touted as an example of new urbanism, where businesses and residences are close to a mass transit stop, everything in the core is within walking distance and electric vehicles have been embraced. Charging stations with capacity for 11 vehicles have been installed in the last few years. However, a survey of the stations on July 10 showed that only four worked that day, five were out of commission and two were inaccessible and not necessarily intended for public use.”
Source: aspendailynews.com | Read more
Buying frenzy slows but home prices remain sky-high in Colorado mountain towns
“Prices in Aspen and Snowmass continue to explode, with the average home in 2022 in Aspen selling for $18.7 million, compared with $12.7 million in the first five months of 2021. Average home prices in Aspen through May 2022 are up 21%. But sales are collapsing, with the number of home sales closed in June 2022 down 43% compared with June 2021.”
Source: coloradosun.com | Read more
Colorado mountain whitewater dwindling earlier, complicating downriver rafting
“Federal measurements this week showed flows lagging at less than half of average on Clear Creek, the Eagle River, the Colorado River, the Roaring Fork River, and the San Miguel River — water volumes in many cases less than 500 cubic feet per second — far less than historic high flows topping 5,000 cfs.”
Source: denverpost.com | Read more
Latino BVSD students 3 times more likely to be suspended, data show
“Latino students were about 3.5 times more likely to be suspended than white students during the 2021-2022 school year, according to data provided to Boulder Reporting Lab by the district. That figure reflects a disparity dating back more than a decade. While Latino students made up nearly 20% of BVSD’s 29,000 students, they accounted for about 44% of the suspensions.”
Source: boulderreportinglab.org | Read more
Upper Basin states layout plan to help the Colorado River, but still say Lower Basin needs to chip in more
“’The Upper Division States recognize that bringing the system into balance will require collaboration and efforts from all Basin States and water use sectors. Accordingly, we stand ready to participate in and support efforts, across the Basin, to address the continuing dry hydrology and depleted storage conditions,’ the letter reads. ‘However, the options the Upper Division States have available to protect critical reservoir elevations are limited.’”
Source: coloradosun.com | Read more
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