All Entries in the "Environment" Category
John Martin Reservoir to host Midwinter Eagle Count Jan. 10, 2025
JOHN MARTIN RESERVOIR, Colo. – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff at John Martin Reservoir will host their annual midwinter eagle survey at the reservoir, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. The event is free and open to the public. “Last year we reported 78 eagle sightings during the survey thanks to the efforts of […]
Colorado beginning to see progress in recycling efforts
A worker at GreenSheen’s recycling plant on Jason Street in Denver begins the process of refining leftover paint into something new. (Provided by GreenSheen) When is 6.9 million tons of trash a good thing? When that number represents a slight improvement from the 7 million tons of Colorado trash sent to landfills in previous years, […]
Service Line letters sent to city water customers
New state and federal laws now require the City of Lamar to inventory all water service lines in our service area. A service line is an underground pipe that carries water from the main, likely in the street, into the customer’s home or building. The City must notify consumers annually if their service line material […]
Part Two of Southern Plains Land Trust – ferrets, birds, and new projects on the horizon!
One of the most recently released black-footed ferrets at SPLT (photo courtesy of Karen Voepel) EDITOR’S NOTE: This is Part II of a story about Southern Plains Land Trust in southeast Colorado. As Judith and I continued our tour of the property, I asked about an article I had recently read about the reintroduction of […]
2024 Colorado State University Crops Clinic
Colorado State University is announcing registration for the 2024 Crops Clinic is now open. Dates are December 5 & 6. Location is the Julesburg Community Center, 102 W. 6th St, Julesburg, Co. The meeting will be offered both in- person and remotely via Zoom links. Fourteen certified crop advisor credits will be offered, which will […]
Colorado Parks and Wildlife share 2024 Future Generations Act Report
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is pleased to share this year’s annual 2024 Future Generations Act Report, which documents CPW’s work towards fulfilling the 10 goals outlined in the Future Generations Act legislation. CPW has committed to fulfilling these 10 goals by 2025. Through ongoing and intentional work by CPW to achieve the goals, significant progress has […]
Managing water and irrigation in Colorado a complicated problem
You’ve heard the news: Farmers and ranchers use roughly 80% of the water in Colorado and much of the American West. So doesn’t it make sense that if growers and producers could just cut a bit of that, say 10%, we could wipe out all our water shortages? We probably couldn’t water our lawns with […]
Southern Plains Land Trust – a gem in the landscape of southeast Colorado – Part One
Prairie dogs are considered by many to be nothing more than a nuisance. However, they are the reason behind what has become an immense nature preserve here in Southeast Colorado. The Southern Plains Land Trust (SPLT) came to be in 1998 by individuals who were concerned about the alarming decrease in habitat for the creature […]
Lower Arkansas Valley Water District and Aurora plan talks to discuss controversial water purchase
The Catlin Canal winds its way through Otero County near Swink, Colo. on June 8, 2024. Water rights to the canal were purchased by Aurora Water earlier this year for $80 million. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun) Lower Arkansas Valley water districts and Aurora plan to open talks as soon as December […]
Colorado Parks and Wildlife working to increase numbers of endangered black-footed ferrets
Colorado Parks and WIldlife officer Jonathan Reitz with a rare black-footed ferret captured during a survey of previously released ferrets at May Ranch, near Lamar in southeastern Colorado. The survey took place in early September, 2024, and found wild-born kits from previous releases, a major goal of the reintroduction program. (Courtesy of Colorado Parks […]
Department of Homeland Security adds sniffing device to AI tools to help fight wildfires in Colorado
Debra Deininger, chief revenue officer of N5 Sensors, explains the N5SHIELD artificial intelligence-assisted wildfire detection sensor in Boulder, Sept. 18, 2024. The N5 sensors are currently being deployed in the urban-wildland interface along the Front Range of Colorado. (Scout Edmondson, Special to The Colorado Sun) New technology allowing firefighters to “smell” points of origin […]
Colorado’s 2024 hunting season has begun
DENVER – The 2024 hunting seasons have begun, and hunters are gearing up for exciting adventures. However, hunters aren’t the only ones rushing to the outdoors this fall to enjoy everything Colorado has to offer. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) wants to remind hunters, hikers, bikers, leaf peepers, wildlife viewers, and OHV users that most […]
Colorado is having one of its worst grasshopper invasions in recent history
It was as if Doug Bay’s wish had come true, the day the doves landed. Bay, who grows alfalfa and a bit of corn and sorghum in Otero County, had been eyeing the 3 acres of fresh green shoots for days, worrying they were about to be destroyed by the swarms of crop-munching grasshoppers that […]
When are Colorado’s last coal-fired power plants closing?
Xcel Energy’s coal-fired Comanche Generating Station, located in Pueblo, is the largest power plant in the state of Colorado. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun) About a third of Colorado’s electricity is still generated by 10 coal-fired power plants. That should drop to zero by the end of 2031. Coal may be on […]
Keep Colorado Wild passes have generated $39.7 million to support parks
DENVER—More than 1.5 million Coloradans opted to buy a Keep Colorado Wild Pass during its first full year of being on sale, which generated $39.7 million to support Colorado state parks and outdoor first responders. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) set a goal to raise at least $36 million annually from pass sales. The first $32.5 million […]