26th annual Fryingpan and Beyond River Cleanup - April 22-27, 2024
(Basalt, CO) - It’s time for spring cleaning and the rivers of the Roaring Fork Valley need your help!
Roaring Fork Conservancy and local partners launch drought resiliency project
Farmers and ranchers in the Roaring Fork Valley are coping with the effects of prolonged drought. Roaring Fork Conservancy (RFC) recognizes the value and complexities of local agriculture. To this end, RFC is partnering with several producers, Lotic Hydrological consulting, and Pitkin County Open Space to explore opportunities of enhancing the resilience of ranching operations in the Roaring Fork Valley in times of water shortage. The project team is interested in identifying means for mitigating against the impacts of drought on productivity in mid- to high-elevation grass pastures and hay fields—the dominant agricultural land use in the Roaring Fork Valley. The study will work to identify field-scale treatments that can be used to minimize (or eliminate) reductions in crop yields and forage quality that are expected in times of limited water supply.
Roaring Fork Conservancy honored with a 2023 Award for Excellence in Environmental Education
The Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE) awarded Roaring Fork Conservancy’s Watershed PenPal Program with a 2023 Innovative Environmental Education Program Award. Recipients of the 2023 Awards for Excellence in Environmental Education were recognized on Friday, September 29, 2023 at CSU Spur in Denver as part of CAEE’s Annual Advancing Environmental Education Conference.
Weekly Snowpack and River Report
April 18, 2024 -
Summary:
This past week brought mixed feelings with the early arrival of spring to the Roaring Fork Watershed, as sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures melted snow and greened the landscape. Seven of eight SNOTEL sites in the watershed are measuring decreases in snow water equivalent from a week ago, including significant 3+ inch decreases at the lowest elevation sites (McClure Pass, Nast Lake, North Lost Trail). As a result, snowpack in the watershed dropped to 106% of normal for this time of year. Simultaneously, because of melting snowpack, local rivers and streams have increased from a week ago, flowing 77-111% of normal. While mid-elevation snowmelt is driving this process, much of the high elevation snowpack remains.
