Recently at Aspen Journalism, three new stories showing the breadth of our newsroom covering energy, water and reproductive rights.
System conservation and the Cameo call
Reporting for our water desk, Heather Sackett, who for the last two years has been right on top of the controversial federally funded program that pays Upper Basin irrigators to leave fields dry, filed another story you won’t read anywhere else. While the program’s intent is to leave more water in the Colorado River as a lifeline for critical reservoirs facing destabilizing and historic water-storage declines, skeptical water managers in the Grand Valley have been ringing the alarm that paying farmers not to farm could be harmful on the local level.
The Grand Valley Irrigation Company, which operates a canal system serving 40,000 acres between Palisade and Mack, presented evidence of that harm when it sent a letter to state officials saying it would restrict its members’ participation in future rounds of the program, known as system conservation. Because about 1,500 acres served by the GVIC were enrolled in the program in the 2024 irrigation season, state water engineers cut the amount of water subject to the “Cameo call” — which refers to a very large, very senior water right that is in priority late in the irrigation system. That smaller Cameo call meant less water flowing through GVIC canals, impacting the system’s viability to deliver water to its farthest flung reaches. It also reduced the number of days the call was on. The Colorado River District theorized that the water not called out by Cameo could have been picked up by Front Range trans-mountain diversions, subverting the purpose of system conservation, though the state says that did not happen this year because another senior West Slope water right — for the Shoshone hydro plant — was already on and preventing that. Either way, GVIC says it will not allow system conservation applications from its users to go forward without a review by its board.
Transformers: An all-electric pinch point?
Also in our pre-Thanksgiving in-depth news buffet, Elizabeth Stewart-Severy brought us the story of a local contractor who ran up against the limitations of local infrastructure in a bid to go all electric on a downtown Aspen condo remodel. While utilities officials say the grid is capable of supplying additional power to help buildings convert to cleaner electric heating and cooling systems, in this case the transformer serving the property was maxed out and in a constrained space with no ability to expand. City officials are looking into how widespread this problem is, especially in the densely developed downtown core. It is not uncommon for new construction to necessitate bigger transformers to serve greater power needs, even if heating systems are not going electric, and some in the industry say that new strategies — like allowing transformers to encroach on the right of way or placing them in underground vaults — need to be considered.
Shifting reproductive rights highlight Colorado’s key role
And from our joint social justice desk with Aspen Public Radio, Eleanor Bennett considered the shifting reproductive rights landscape following Nov. 5. While voters in seven of 10 states where abortion access was on the ballot, including Colorado, protected it, three other states, including two within a day’s drive of our state line (Nebraska and South Dakota), did not. With another Trump presidency and GOP control of Congress introducing ever more uncertainty, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains is planning on more people traveling from out of state to access care. That trend has been well underway since the Dobbs decision two and a half years ago overturned five decades of abortion rights in many states, and Colorado and the Western Slope have been impacted, with many patients traveling from Utah and Texas. At the Glenwood Springs Planned Parenthood, out of state patients are already up 58%. With Florida also failing to pass an abortion-rights measure this month, more patients from all the restricted southern states will be on the move, some of whom will undoubtedly come our way. Many more may not be able to make the journey. Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains has already seen its funding to subsidize travel costs and care increase nearly nine-fold and will likely not be able to absorb such cost increases into the future.
That’s it for The Roundup, enjoy the start of ski season and have a happy Thanksgiving. Thank you as always for reading and supporting Aspen Journalism.
In gratitude,
Curtis Wackerle
Editor and Executive Director
Aspen Journalism
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Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains braces for increase in people traveling to Colorado for abortion care
Out-of-state patients at Glenwood Springs clinic up 58% since Roe v. Wade was overturned
By Eleanor Bennett | November 23, 2024
The mixed results among states, on top of the reelection of former President Donald Trump, probably mean even more people will be traveling for care.
City of Aspen faces unique challenges in moving to all-electric buildings
Infrastructure, luxury market are obstacles to climate goals
By Elizabeth Stewart-Severy | November 18, 2024
Terui’s project is indicative of several challenges the city and communities across the country face in the effort to reduce building emissions by using electricity from renewable sources, rather than using gas, to heat homes. Even when there is a will to go electric, the way is not always clear.
Officials say water conservation program harmed Grand Valley irrigators
Participation by GVIC reduced important Cameo call
By Heather Sackett | November 15, 2024
Norris said that GVIC’s system of nearly 100 miles of canals that serve about 40,000 acres between Palisade and Mack needs all of its water to function properly and that reducing the call harms all of the company’s water users.
There are always stories that need a journalist to pursue them. These Aspen Journalism investigative stories are published for you, the community, and our collaborators as a public service, thanks to the generosity of our readers and funders. Will you join them?