Posted on March 9, 2010 by Bob Berwyn
The West Slope and Front Range once again tangled over water during a public forum in Frisco Tuesday evening. PHOTO BY BOB BERWYN.
Local officials say a draft study on new diversions is incomplete; Denver Water managers say they will require even more from Dillon Reservoir without the project
By Bob Berwyn
SUMMIT COUNTY — Local officials said Tuesday that a draft environmental study for a major Denver Water project is incomplete and doesn’t accurately reflect potential impacts in Summit County.
At issue is Denver Water’s plan to expand its Moffat Collection system in Grand County. The proposal is in a comment phase, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers taking input on the draft study through March 17.
In addition to increasing diversions from the Fraser River, in Grand County, Denver Water would also take between 4,000 and 5,000 acre feet of additional water from Dillon Reservoir each year, equal to about 2 percent of the Blue’s annual flow at its confluence with the Colorado River near Kremmling.
Denver Water project manager Travis Bray said that, without the project, Denver Water would have to take even more water from Dillon Reservoir in the future as demand for water grows on the Front Range. Read more »
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Filed under: Blue River, Colorado, Environment, Summit County Colorado, rivers, water | Tagged: Blue River, Denver Water, Moffat Tunnel collection system, Summit County Colorado, Summit County News, West Slope | 1 Comment »
Posted on March 10, 2010 by Bob Berwyn
Posted on March 10, 2010 by Bob Berwyn
Posted on March 10, 2010 by Bob Berwyn
Posted on March 10, 2010 by Bob Berwyn
Could moveable lane barriers help ease congestion on I-70?
I-70, Dam Road and Summit Stage operations up for discussion at March 11 Our Future Summit event in Frisco
By Summit Voice
SUMMIT COUNTY — Local leaders and transportation experts will gather for a roundtable Thursday to discuss high country transportation issues, including some potential ways to ease I-70 congestion and the latest on talks with Denver Water on the nighttime Dillon Dam Road closures.
Speakers at the forum include I-70 Coalition chair and Frisco town manager Michael Penny, new Colorado State Patrol commander Capt. John Lupton, Sheriff John Minor, Summit Stage director John Jones and Denver Water operations director Brian Good. The forum is part of the Our Future Summit series of community roundtables on local topics. Read more »
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Filed under: Colorado, I-70, News, Summit County Colorado, transportation | Tagged: Dillon Dam Road, I-70, Our Future Summit, Summit County Colorado, Summit County News, Summit Stage, transportation | Leave a Comment »
Posted on March 10, 2010 by Bob Berwyn
The 2009-2010 winter brought a near-record snow cover to North America. click on the image for a link to an animated graphic, courtesy of NOAA.
Sixth-warmest January on record for planet Earth despite cold snaps in some regions; snowpack in mountain west well below average, Lake Powell runoff only expected to be 68 percent of normal
By Bob Berwyn
SUMMIT COUNTY — Only a dusting of snow overnight, but showers remain in the forecast as Colorado is under the influence of a couple of low pressure systems that aren’t going anywhere fast. Northerly flow between the two systems should help squeeze out a few inches of snow in the north-central mountains, and passage of a cold front this afternoon may intensify precipitation for a few hours. Skies should start to dry out late Thursday ahead of a ridge of high pressure moving in from the Great Basin. Beyond that, forecasters seem hesitant to put it out there, so we’re in a wait-and-see mode.
The avalanche danger in the Vail-Summit zone remains generally at the moderate level, with pockets of considerable danger near and above treeline. Go the CAIC web site for a full update and forecast discussion.
In a national and global climate summary released this week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that the February temperature across the contiguous 48 states average 32.4 degrees, fully 2.2 degrees below the long-term average. Outbreaks of cold Arctic air masses resulted in near-record cold temperatures for the month in several states, including Florida (fourth-coldest) and Louisiana (fifth-coldest). Click here for the national overview.
Read more »
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Filed under: Colorado, Snow and weather, Summit County Colorado, Summit County snow and weather, avalanches, snow | Tagged: global climate summary, Lake Powell, National climate summary, snowpack, Summit County snow, summit county weather | Leave a Comment »
Posted on March 10, 2010 by Bob Berwyn
Posted on March 10, 2010 by Bob Berwyn
The Summit County Sheriff's Office ski team took some top spots during a recent competition at Vail.
Local lawmen post top finishes in annual peace officers event
By Summit Voice
SUMMIT COUNTY — For the second year in a row, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office team skied to a first place finish in the Annual Colorado Peace Officers Ski/Snowboard Race held Feb. 26 in Vail.
In addition to the first place advanced team finish, deputy Jeff Wilson, technician Mark Watson and detective Wes Mumford also posted impressive individual performances, with Wilson coming in winning the overall competition, followed by Watson in second place, and Mumford in sixth place.
About 120 participants and 23 teams participated in this year’s race. The event was founded in 1973 by former Vail Police Department officer (now Routt County undersheriff) David Bustos. The event features a race on Vail’s Golden Peak, lunch at Mid-Vail and an awards pizza party at the bottom of Gold Peak at the end of the day.
The trophy, a slab of white marble from Marble, Colorado with a bronze skier, was designed by Vail jeweler Craig Cook in the early 1990s.
The award has traditionally been a traveling trophy; however, in recent years there was insufficient space to display all 37 years’ worth of plaques. This year, the Vail Police Department will be adding a large wooden base, and the trophy will be displayed in the Colorado Ski Museum. “Kind of like the Stanley Cup,” joked Eagle County Undersheriff Layman.
A special thanks goes out to Völkl Ski Company, for their donation of race skis for the SCSO team, and to the Copper Mountain Race Department for their training time and assistance.
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Filed under: Colorado, Summit County Colorado, skiing, sports | Tagged: ski racing, skiing, Summit County Colorado, Summit County News, Summit County sheriff's office | Leave a Comment »
Posted on March 9, 2010 by Bob Berwyn
A map from Forest Service environmental documents shows the Old Dillon Reservoir project area.
New water supply will help meet future demand; bidding on $7 million project to start soon
By Bob Berwyn
SUMMIT COUNTY — County commissioners Tuesday gave their go-ahead for the enlargement of Old Dillon Reservoir, a $7 million project that will give local water users some new options, with storage high in the Blue River Basin.
The 62-acre-foot reservoir was built in 1936 and stored water for Dillon until the town was relocated when Dillon Reservoir was created by Denver Water. Under the proposed enlargement, formally approved by the U.S. Forest Service last week, Old Dillon Reservoir’s capacity would be upped to 286 acre feet.
According to a county fact sheet, the water will be used to meet demands from new growth in Summit County and a variety of other purposes, potentially including ball fields and other recreational open space, wetlands restoration, new community facilities and augmentation of well water usage in the Blue River Basin. Read more »
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Filed under: Blue River, Colorado, News, Summit County Colorado, county land use, federal government, water | Tagged: Dillon, Old Dillon Reservoir enlargement, Silverthorne, Summit County government, Summit County News, US Forest Service, water, water storage | 1 Comment »
Posted on March 9, 2010 by Bob Berwyn
A conservation group says the federal government erred by not putting greater sage-grouse on the endangered species list, and will challenge the decision in federal court. PHOTO COURTESY U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE.
Western Watersheds Project claims feds made “arbitrary and capricious” ruling based on political pressure from industry
By Bob Berwyn
SUMMIT COUNTY — Federal officials last week did a legal tap dance just about as intricate as the greater sage-grouse mating ritual itself as they announced their decision to not put the birds on the endangered species list, but that fancy footwork won’t be enough to prevent additional legal action.
The Western Watersheds Project is already back in a federal district court in Idaho, claiming that the decision by the Interior Department was “arbitrary and capricious,” and that greater sage-grouse are as qualified as any other species to be listed.
The Fish and Wildlife Service decision is presented in detail here.
Read more »
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Filed under: Colorado, Environment, Greater sage-grouse, energy, federal government, gas drilling, public lands, wildlife | Tagged: conservation, Endangered Species List, Environment, Greater sage-grouse, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Western Watersheds Project | Leave a Comment »
