WEEK OF JULY 27, 2023
VOLUME 35 | ISSUE 30
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ADAMS COUNTY FAIR GUIDE • INSIDE THIS ISSUE
How to stay safe on Colorado’s trails and waters in a wet year
How Coloradans can save water at home
• Vestas to lay off 200 employees •27J Schools moves online-only Dec. 1
Standing water on trails is one potential hazard for bikers to watch out for.
OK, Coloradans, let’s clear the shampoo out of our eyes: Your shower water is likely connected to the Colorado River water supply crisis. But can you really help by conserving water at home? In recent years, two decades of drought and prolonged overuse have brought the Colorado River Basin’s largest storage reservoirs to the brink of collapse. The crisis is reaching Coloradans’ lives in the form of summer lawn watering restrictions, higher utility bills and even a shortage of Sriracha. Some cities have bought agricultural water rights for more municipal water, and people with junior water rights often have their water supply cut in dry years. Water experts say Colorado residents can help with the crisis, and they have plenty of tips to help the conservation-minded Coloradan start saving water at home. One drawback: In many cases, there’s no guarantee that in-home savings help refill the system’s struggling reservoirs. “It’s like, OK great, our city is now saving 10% of what it was using,” said Gregor MacGregor, a water law expert at the University of Colorado. “The question is, what is your city going to do with that 10%? Are they going to leave it in the Colorado River Basin? Are they going to leave it in a reservoir for drought conditions? Or are they simply going to divide that savings out to build more and then use that savings on new development?”
SEE STAY SAFE, P5
SEE TIPS, P17
• Page 9
BUSINESS LOCAL
BY SHANNON MULLANE THE COLORADO SUN
People, along with a dog, recreate in the water.
• Page 3
Parks agency urges checking trail conditions, wearing life jackets on water BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
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LOCAL OBITUARIES LEGALS CLASSIFIED
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
After a strong winter and wet spring, the statewide snow runoff flowing into Colorado rivers, streams and lakes is higher than usual this year — and with large dumps of rainfall along the Front Range, that means outdoor recreators might encounter conditions they aren’t used to seeing. With high water on rivers this year,
COURTESY PHOTO
as of late June, there have already been 12 swift-water-related fatalities in Colorado, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “This year’s river flows are more dangerous compared to last year,” Michael Haskins, a swift-water investigator, said in a news release. “We strongly encourage people to check river conditions before you head out, and if you arrive and see high and fast water conditions you don’t know how to navigate or feel unsure about, please don’t risk getting hurt and the need for a river rescue,” Haskins added. Last year, the majority of fatalities occurred because people did not wear a life jacket — and the state
parks agency urges using that and other precautions to stay safe. Meanwhile, trails have also seen impacts from the wet weather. Heavy rainfall destroyed all bridge crossings over the Cherry Creek in Castlewood Canyon State Park in Douglas County, a June news release from the parks agency said. Here’s a look at how to stay safe when you’re recreating outdoors — whether on land or water. Staying safe on trails
BRIEFS: PAGE 2 | OBITUARIES: PAGE 4 | CLASSIFIEDS: PAGE 21 | LEGAL: PAGE 23
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