drought
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One lightning strike away from megafire: Colorado steps up wildfire mitigation work
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One lightning strike. One unattended campfire. One drought season. That’s how far away Colorado is from the next megafire, warned Dan Gibbs, executive director of the Department of Natural Resources. Gibbs, a certified wildland firefighter, was on the front lines of the Cameron Peak fire two years ago. “The 2020 fire season taught us that…
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Drought conditions still easing slowly across Colorado
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Drought plaguing the Southwest continues, but Colorado saw another week of small improvements, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The biggest improvements have come in the eastern half of the state, while the Western Slope has yet to see the same reprieve. “Widespread beneficial rainfall, exceeding 1 inch, this…
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Colorado to incentivize residents to replace grass lawns with water-saving landscaping
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Colorado is planning a program to further incentivize residents to replace their grass lawns with landscaping that needs less water to maintain. Signed into law on Wednesday, House Bill 1151 requires the Colorado Water Conservation Board to develop a statewide financial incentive program to inspire voluntary turf replacement for homeowners, local governments and nonprofits. “Water…
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Colorado drought recedes slightly as long-term trend continues
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Colorado saw a small improvement in drought conditions after recent snow and rain, according to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s National Drought Mitigation Center, though more than half of the state is still experiencing at least “severe” drought conditions. West of the Rockies, and especially in the southwestern corner of the state, conditions continue to worsen.…
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OUT WEST ROUNDUP | Officials weigh emergency actions in drought-stricken states
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THE WEST Emergency response weighed as drought worsens FLAGSTAFF, Ariz- Federal officials say it may be necessary to reduce water deliveries to users on the Colorado River to prevent the shutdown of a huge dam that supplies hydropower to some 5 million customers across the U.S. West. Officials had hoped snowmelt would buoy Lake Powell…
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Colorado River named most endangered US waterway
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The mighty Colorado River just got a blow to its reputation: The nation’s sixth longest waterway, which winds through seven Southwest states and provides drinking water for 40 million people, is the most endangered river in the country. American Rivers, a national conservation organization, crowned the Colorado River with the unwelcome designation Monday, blaming climate change-driven…
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Colorado snowpack strong, but not yet enough to recover from drought conditions
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As wintry weather moves in Monday, forecasters are rooting for many more wet and snowy spring days to help the state recover from drought conditions. The U.S. Drought Monitor shows, as of Thursday, much of the state is in moderate or severe drought, despite strong snowpack across Colorado. The snowpack is tracking close to average…
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Colorado’s drought situation improves, but snowfall still below normal
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Colorado’s drought situation vastly improved this month compared to over a year ago, but experts worry about wildfire potential if the state doesn’t get good snow and rain in the spring, according to presentations at Thursday’s state Water Availability Task Force meeting. Last year’s poor precipitation has had a dramatic effect on reservoir storage across…
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RWR water project faces opposition from Polis, legislators
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The attention on a $600-million proposal to pipe water from the San Luis Valley to Douglas County is gaining attention – of the negative kind – from Gov. Jared Polis and other policymakers at the state Capitol. Polis, in a statement to Colorado Politics, took a position last week on the proposal from Renewable Water…
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Polis administration, state leaders launch Water ’22 awareness campaign
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Warning of persistent threats to Colorado’s water supply, Gov. Jared Polis, along with other state leaders, on Wednesday launched a year-long campaign aimed at raising awareness and ultimately conserving the state’s most precious natural resource. The campaign, called Water ’22, seeks to challenge Coloradans to adopt 22 ways – a play on the new year – to save at least…
