All Entries in the "Water" Category
Ark Basin Water Forum celebrates 30 years
The Arkansas River Basin Water Forum celebrates its 30th anniversary Wednesday and Thursday, March 5 and 6, in Pueblo. The Forum will feature top Colorado and Arkansas Basin water experts discussing critical water issues and possible solutions for the challenges facing basin water users. Colorado’s Upper Colorado River Commissioner Rebecca Mitchell will deliver the […]
Lower Arkansas Valley growers organize protests against city water transfers
Farmers from the Lower Arkansas Valley, and others, protest on the steps of Colorado Springs government offices last month, seeking to halt major annexations and stop farm water transfers needed to supply new homes. Credit: Lower Arkansas Water Conservancy District. Back in the 1970s, farmers in the Lower Arkansas Valley and across the nation, […]
Local farmer hopes to bring new crop to the Arkansas Valley
Caleb and Zaiden Wertz with one of their harvested modules of cotton One young, innovative local farmer has been interested in trying to find a new crop to use in his rotation – one that can grow in the hot, dry southeast Colorado summers and one that uses less water than traditional crops. Fortunately, for […]
Kansas looks on as farms retire thousands of acres in water-short northeastern Colorado
Views looking across the vast, empty Bonny Reservoir in Yuma County, Friday, April 28, 2023. The Bonny Dam and Reservoir are on the South Fork of the Republican River near Hale, CO. After 60 years of holding water, Bonny was drained in 2012 and numerous wells were voluntarily retired to help Colorado send water east […]
Colorado Parks and Wildlife requiring boat owners to complete online survey before 2025 registration
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is requiring boat owners to complete an online survey before renewing their registration for 2025 to confirm vessel information is accurate and ensure compliance with updated U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) requirements. The USCG requires specific information to be collected on every vessel registered in the United States. USCG requirements were recently […]
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 had a shockingly normal year of precipitation — but drought is creeping back on the Front Range
An early season snow dusts the high mountain country near Gothic, Colorado on September 22, 2024. (Dean Krakel, Special to The Colorado Sun) Just for a moment, forget about drought and water shortages, because this year, it’s been wet in Colorado, with precipitation hitting 102% of normal. The wet weather hasn’t pulled the state […]
Greenhouse gas emissions from irrigation being studied
Pivot irrigation, like this operation near La Junta, Colo., helps farmers put a precise amount of water on a given crop. Area farmers draw water from the Arkansas River via a system of canal and ditches to irrigate their crops. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun) Colorado State University researchers are counting greenhouse gases […]
Colorado’s first Firehawk helicopter is finally ready to fight fires
Three years after the state purchased its first Firehawk, four pilots have been trained how to operate the one-of-a-kind aircraft that can quickly slurp up and drop 1,000 gallons of water on flames Three years after lawmakers allocated $30 million to purchase its first “Firehawk,” the modified military helicopter that is capable of quickly crisscrossing […]
Drought Outlook Forecasts New Drought Development This Summer
Drought coverage in the U.S. is around 5-year low, but the latest summer outlook shows a big change in trend is coming. The latest Seasonal Drought Outlook predicts expansion of drought through September in several regions of the U.S., according to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center. Drought is favored to develop and persist […]
The past, present and future of windmills converge in Lamar, Colorado
Kenneth Emick stands on his family’s ranch in Lamar, Colorado, which hosts one of the largest private collections of antique windmills in the country. Photo: Kyle Cooke, Rocky Mountain PBS LAMAR, Colo. — A legion of towering wind turbines punctuate the horizon outside of the Emick family’s barn. Inside the barn is a […]
Lake Pueblo opens ‘Kestrel Pond’ as a place to enjoy quiet water sports
PUEBLO, Colo. – Visitors to Lake Pueblo State Park this summer will find a new area they might want to explore: Kestrel Pond located along the Arkansas River off of Rock Canyon Road just below the dam. Kestrel Pond is envisioned as a quiet place for water recreation in contrast to the 5,400 surface acres […]
Boating, state park, and wildlife safety tips for Memorial Day weekend
Life jackets save lives. The majority of water-related fatalities happen when people are swimming in cold water and paddle boarding or kayaking without a life jacket. DENVER—Coloradans and out-of-state visitors play an integral role in keeping Colorado state parks clean, respecting local wildlife, and making the outdoors safer to explore. Ahead of the holiday […]
National Weather Service offers interactive map info online at drought.gov
National Weather Service Drought Information Statements Provide Improved Drought Messaging For nearly two decades, the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued Drought Information Statements to provide up-to-date reports on the current drought situation for regional Weather Forecast Offices’ warning and forecast area. These timely statements summarize recent weather and hydrologic conditions, discuss local drought impacts, […]
