Travel: Exploring western water development

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Hoover Dam. PHOTO COURTESY U.S. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION.

National Park Service creates online itinerary for historic water projects

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Water has been a defining force in the American West for eons, first shaping landscapes like the Grand Canyon, then shaping the lives of residents, from the Anasazi to modern-day settlers and developers who live and play in region.

The biggest transformation came in the early 20th century, with industrious and ambitious development schemes that resulted in a network of dams  reservoirs, and canals built that provide water for irrigation and hydropower generation.

This wholesale manipulation of water in the arid landscape spurred settlement, farming, and economic stability — though it’s still not clear whether this water-dependent culture is sustainable for the long-term. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Summit County Colorado, Travel, West | Tagged: , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Weather: Dry West

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Much of the West is dry — bone dry

Total precipitation for the weather year (starting Oct. 1, 2011) to-date across the West, from the Reno-based Western Regional Climate Center.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — If you’re missing the snow in Summit County, don’t feel like you’re being picked on. Much of the West, with the exception of a few pockets in Arizona and New Mexico, have been exceptionally dry so far this fall and early winter, with precipitation in California tracking toward all-time record low levels.

Just off the eastern edge of the map below, there’s a pocket of blue and purple indicating above normal precipitation in the southern high plains, and much of Wyoming is also covered by the cooler colors signifying substantial precipitation. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Environment, La Niña, Summit County news, Weatherblog | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Environment: Mining law overhaul is long overdue

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

The El Chino open-pit copper mine, near Silver City, New Mexico.

Record gold prices spurring new activity; watchdog groups say now is the time to update federal mining law

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — If federal lawmakers are serious about shrinking the budget deficit, they should be looking seriously at a proposal by U.S. Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) that would make sure the oil, gas and mining industries pay their fare share.

Markey introduced his proposed legislation in the House Natural Resources Committee last week.

A key component of this comprehensive legislation would overhaul the General Mining Law of 1872, which allows mining of gold, copper, uranium and other metals virtually anywhere on Western public lands, with few environmental safeguards and no return to the taxpayers. Hardrock mining is the only industry that extracts resources from public lands that does not pay federal royalties. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Environment, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Summer flooding predicted across West, upper Midwest

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

More flooding is possible in the upper Midwest throughout the summer, according to weather forecasters.

Saturated soils, above-average rain could lead to record high water in some areas

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Western Colorado and Utah are included in areas under a warning for continuing flood threats this summer, according to forecasters with NOAA’s National Weather Service. The warnings are directed primarily at the upper Midwest and northern Plains, but parts of the West could also see more flooding if monsoon rains linger unusually long.

With rivers running high and soils completely saturated, just a small amount of rain could trigger more flooding, including areas that have already seen major to record flooding.

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting above-normal rain in most of these vulnerable areas in the next two weeks, and above-normal rainfall in much of the region in the one- and three-month outlooks. Adding to the flood threat will be the rising temperatures over the Rockies, which will release the water from the remaining snowpack. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Environment, flooding, La Niña, rivers, seasons, water | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Wet spring in much of intermountain West

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Spring storms continue to beef up the snowpack in the northern Rockies.

Big snowpack in northern Rockies, intensifying drought in Southwest

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — It’s the season for western water managers to keep a close eye on the snowpack and projected runoff, and the story in the early spring is the same as it was all winter long — well above average snowfall in the northern sector, with intensifying drought in big parts of the Southwest.

According to the Western Water Assessment, snowfall was significantly above the long-term norms in the northern Colorado mountains, the Wasatch Front in Utah and northern and western Wyoming, while little precipitation fell across central Wyoming, eastern and southern Utah and the plains of Colorado. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Environment, La Niña, rivers, Snow and weather, water | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Wildfire potential near-normal through December

Posted on September 7, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

Wet August, onset of seasonal weather change could limit chances for major blaze

Areas with above-average potential for wildfires are show in red.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Normal wildfire activity is expected across the West the next three months, according to the National Interagency Fire Center, which released its September through December outlook recently. Seasonal fire danger will increase in Southern California as autumn offshore winds — the Santa Anas — kick in.

In our part of the Rockies, fire experts say La Niña conditions can increase the frequency of gusty winds that can make fires grow quickly, as evidenced by the rapid spread of the Labor Day fire near Boulder.

Click on the read more buttom for more: (more…)

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

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