Searchers find body of missing rafter

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

Rafters on the Arkansas River, where there have been a series of boating deaths, including four in a single week in 2008. PHOTO COURTESY COLORADO STATE PARKS.

Tempory dam helped dive teams searching for the body of Kimberly Appelson, missing since a July 11 boating accident

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Dive teams Wednesday recovered what they presume is the body of Breckenridge raft guide Kimberly Appelson at Frog Rock Rapid on the Arkansas River.

Taking advantage of lower flows in the river, rescue workers Tuesday built a temporary coffer dam shunt the main flow of the river around the well-known feature. Wednesday, divers searched the area in pair starting at about 12 p.m. until the body was found at about 1:30 p.m.

About 36 rescuers were part of the effort including members of a Colorado Springs dive team and members of the Chaffee County Search. A special operations team from Summit County was also involved, according to Colorado State Parks spokesperson Deb Frazier.

“It was a remarkable effort. Now her friends and family will be able to have some closure,” Frazier said.
Appelson, a first-year raft guide, was on a recreational river trip when she fell into the river July 11. Since then, search teams made several efforts to find her body.

Although the accident spurred some talk of altering the rapid, park managers said the flow of the Arkansas will not be changed. The temporary dam was built with material obtained from the side of the river channel above Frog Rock Rapid. The material will be used to restore the river channel to its original configuration.

Filed under: Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Rescuers will try to recover body of Breckenridge rafter

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

Rescue teams will once again try to recover the body of a missing rafter on the Arkansas River.

Coffer dam along the Arkansas River will help rescuers try to recover the body of Breckenridge raft guide Kimberly Appelson

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Rescue experts will once again try to recover the body of Breckenridge raft guide Kimberly Appelson from  Frog Rock Rapid at the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area.

Appelson has been missing since an accident during a private raft trip in July. The recovery operation involves construction of a coffer dam to temporarily redirect the flows of the Arkansas River to gain safer access to Frog Rock Rapid. (more…)

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River-draping project has risks for trout, water quality

Posted on October 5, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

A rendering of what the Over the River project might look like. Click on the image to see a gallery.

Colorado Trout Unlimited says initial draft study on art project is lacking mitigation and remediation details

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — A proposal to drape fabric over several miles of the Arkansas River could result in land disturbance along the shoreline with the risk of increased sediments in the trout-rich waters, and potentially even increase the risk of a chemical or fuel spill, Colorado Trout Unlimited director Dave Nickum wrote in a Sept. 14 comment letter to the Bureau of Land Management.

The fishery conservation group outlined a series of concerns in the letter, asking the BLM to address all the issues in its final environmental impact statement for the proposal. The agency is taking public comment on the project and will issue a final environmental impact statement next year.

The Over the River Project by Christo and Jeanne-Claude involves covering several miles of the Arkansas River Canyon between Canon City and Salida with translucent fabric. The artists are known for large-scale projects that blend human elements into the natural landscape at a sometimes alarming scale. (more…)

Filed under: BLM, Environment, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

The weekend headlines

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

What will the winter bring? Click on the headline to find out.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — If you were outside and away from your computer over the weekend good for you! In case you missed some of our weekend stories, here’s a compilation of the headlines, including a summary of the 30- and 90-day weather outlook, a story that quantifies the impact of dusty snow on Colorado River flows, an Antarctic photoblog and a major study on some of the issues facing women’s health research.

90-day weather outlook based on strong La Niña

Morning photo: End of the Earth

Dust on snow cuts Colorado River flows by 5 percent

Record-low Arkansas River flows threaten fishery

Everglades restoration proves challenging

Weatherblog: Record highs in the West

Barriers remain for women’s health research

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Down to the wire for Christo’s Over the River project

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Bob Berwyn
Christo's Over the River project

A rendering of what the Over the River project might look like. Click on the image to see a gallery.

BLM comment period ending, conservation groups not happy with the proposal

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — A controversial proposal for a massive river-draping art installation got a thumbs-down from several Colorado-based conservation groups, who say the project would be illegal and result in unacceptable impacts to bighorn sheep and other wildlife.

The Over the River Project by Christo and Jeanne-Claude involves covering several miles of the Arkansas River Canyon between Canon City and Salida with translucent fabric. The artists are known for large-scale projects that blend human elements into the natural landscape at a sometimes alarming scale. Get more information on the project here.

The Colorado installation has been in a planning process for several years, as various jurisdictions consider whether it’s appropriate. Right now, the Bureau of Land Management is nearing the end of a public comment phase on a draft environmental study for the project.  The agency expects to release a final environmental impact statement in February 2011, with a final decision expected a couple of months later. Read the draft EIS here. (more…)

Filed under: Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Arkansas flows cut to aid recovery mission

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

Officials hope to recover the body of Kimberly Appelson by reducing flows in the Arkansas River Aug. 18 and 19.

Rescue teams will try to recover the body of Kimberly Appelson, a Breckenridge raft guide, during a window low flows this week

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — State officials will cut flows in the Arkansas River starting Aug. 18 to facilitate a multi-agency recovery operation at Frog Rapid aimed at retrieving the body of Kimberly Appelson, a Breckenridge rafting guide who has been missing since an accident on a private raft trip on July 11.

The recovery operation will include reducing the flows of the Arkansas River to approximately 200 cubic feet per second below the Granite gage to gain better access at the rapid, state officials said. (more…)

Filed under: Breckenridge, recreation, rivers, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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