Although the phrase often looms like a threat over Colorado River discussions, there is no agreed-upon definition of the term, what would trigger a compact call nor how one would play out.
Tag: Data Desk
Stories carrying the Data Desk tag were either produced directly by the Aspen Journalism Data Desk, led by Laurine Lassalle, or benefitted from the assistance of our Data Desk. This often takes the form of data analysis to aid in reporting, creating data visualizations, maps or other graphics, or research into data sets and/or public records.
Posted inSocial justice
COVID-19 was ‘the great accelerator.’ Its impacts are still rippling out.
“It’s convenient for people not to think about the pandemic, and sometimes you sound like a bit of an oddball when you talk about it,” said Katherine Sand, director of the resource center Aspen Family Connections. “But I think it’s a defining moment in our lives.”
Posted inEnvironment
AI vehicle counters to provide better input on upper valley traffic flows
Each counter has a camera, operating 24/7, that captures both directions of traffic and an AI-processing unit that translates the video into data. This system is capable of counting the number of vehicles passing by and can distinguish vehicle types based on the Federal Highway Administration’s 13 vehicle category classifications.
Posted inWater
Upper Basin water managers want monthly drought meetings with feds
This is a critical time for Colorado River management as the Upper Basin states are in talks with the Lower Basin states (California, Arizona, Nevada) about how the nation’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, will be operated and cuts will be shared after 2026 when the current guidelines expire.
Posted inEnvironment
Pitkin County proposes land exchange with feds to gain ownership of Wildwood property
Some neighbors aren’t convinced the county should own the property and have called for limitations on public use, a management tool county staff has said they can only explore once they have authority and own the land at the Wildwood put-in.
Posted inSocial justice
Aspen Meadows promises pay parity for returning J-1 students after international workers raise concerns
Each year, hundreds of young people from around the world get J-1 visas to work on the mountain and at local businesses in Aspen. But complaints about housing and working conditions raise questions about a program that can make international students vulnerable to unfair treatment.
Posted inEnvironment
In a ‘sacred valley,’ community partners seek to preserve the legacy of St. Benedict’s
A 3,700-acre property owned by St. Benedict’s Monastery is now on the market for $150 million as the religious institution faces a dwindling population of monks. Past efforts to preserve the land never came to fruition — but some local groups hope a collaboration might help.
Posted inEnvironment
Forecasting what will fly if runway is moved animates airport debate
Data from other airports in the Western U.S. that serve mountain-resort destinations where such planes can land suggests there is relatively little demand for private Boeing 737s that are currently too big for Aspen.
Posted inLocal Public Data
‘We’ve never really been older before’
Full-time residents are getting older in the Roaring Fork Valley, as in most of the United States, but the local economy and its challenges are highlighting this generational rebalancing. The midvalley area has seen the most dramatic demographic shift in recent years with the older-adult population growing faster and in some towns now outnumbering children.
Posted inSocial justice
All you need is luck: Playing the odds in APCHA ownership lotteries
From 2002 through 2023, a total of 32,846 bids were made for 1,278 sales of local affordable housing units that went through an APCHA lottery where the number of bids was recorded.