All Entries in the "Environment" Category
Governor Accepting Invitation to Discuss Prowers County Drought Impact
The Prowers County Commissioners and representatives for Governor HIckenlooper are working to firm up details for an August visit by the governor to Prowers County, a follow-up of an invitation by the commissioners to view first-hand, the effects of the long-standing drought in Prowers and other southeast Colorado Counties. The Prowers County Commissioners, during […]
Clark Hired as County Deputy Director of Health & Environment
The Prowers County Commissioners approved the hiring of R.N. Tammi Clark as the Deputy Director for the County’s Health and Environment Department. Clark will begin her duties on Monday, July 15. She has been a Prowers County resident for almost 30 years and has been in the medical field for almost 20 years, […]
No Relief in Long Term S.E. Colorado Drought
Drought Information Statement from National Weather Service-Pueblo June saw a continuation of hot and dry weather across much of south central and southeast Colorado with most of the area receiving well above normal temperatures and well below normal precipitation. A portion of the southeast plains was an exception which saw near or slightly […]
Congressman Gardner Main Speaker for Local GOP Independence Day Dinner
U.S. Congressman Cory Gardner was the featured speaker at the annual Prowers County GOP, Lincoln Day Dinner this past Monday evening, July 1. Gardner is making his second swing through southeast Colorado in the past month, conducting a series of town hall meetings which included Las Animas and Otero Counties. The welcome was delivered […]
Commissioners Awaiting Reply on Visit Invite to Governor
County commissioners in Prowers and southeast Colorado are waiting to see if Governor Hickenlooper will reply to their request that he visit the drought stricken areas of the state and view firsthand the economic and environmental impact the drought has wrought in this region for the past several years. On May 10, the governor issued […]
A By-pass or a Different Main Street
Either a By-pass or a Different Main Street. Those were the long-range options from the Colorado Department of Transportation, listed by Paul Westhoff, resident engineer for CDOT in southeast Colorado. He held an informational briefing for City of Lamar and Prowers County representatives, as well as interested citizens this past Wednesday, June 26, at […]
ARPA Resolves Years Long Legal Battle with WildEarth Guardians
ARPA, Arkansas River Power Authority and the Lamar Utilities Board have ended their legal battles dating back to 2009 with the environmental group, WildEarth Guardians, over the emissions levels from the Lamar Repowering Project. The agreement resolves two lawsuits filed against the utilities relating to air emissions levels. The utilities groups will pay $450,000 […]
PCDI Discusses Proposed Bypass Costs and Impact
Discussion on the proposed Lamar By-pass, or Reliever Route, is intensifying on what the cost of the project will mean to the City of Lamar and Prowers County, and will the new route around Lamar aid or injure the economic climate of businesses along Main Street and what changes would the state make to Main […]
Public Access to Valco Pond by this Summer?
The Lamar City Council discussed opening a portion of Valco Ponds to the public this summer. City Administrator, John Sutherland suggested renaming the site North Gateway Park during the council’s Monday meeting, June 24. Last week he discussed the status of the 108 donated acres with the Prowers County Commissioners regarding vegetation and upkeep of the land. Until the […]
County Fire Ban and Marijuana Prohibitions Enacted
The Prowers County Commissioners voted to reinstitute the 2006 Fire Ban Ordinance during their meeting this past Thursday, June 20 (correction from June 30). The fire ban was enacted due to the number of Red Flag Days and the persistent drought conditions being experienced throughout southeastern Colorado. The fire ban does not restrict agriculturally […]
Thoughts on the By-Pass? Cast Your Website Vote
By an almost three to one margin, a non-scientific survey on the City of Lamar website, shows people favoring the construction of a by-pass or reliever route as it’s now termed, around the City of Lamar. General discussion on the pros and cons for a bypass has been held around Lamar for almost 30 years. […]
Swift Response Contains Arkansas River Bottom Fire
Arkansas River Bottom Fire June 14th, 2013- Fire Report Prowers County Rural Fire Department was called to a fire on the Arkansas River bottom Friday evening June 14th, the fire was fueled by high winds and the extremely dry vegetation. The department responded with 15 firefighters and 7 apparatus. Mutual aid was immediately called for […]
Granada Trustees Cover Levees, Safe Sidewalks Project and Street Survey
The Granada Town Trustees were informed that repairs to the town’s dike system for certification may be on hold for a while. Trustee Jerene DeBono said she was informed by Thuy Patton, Flood Mapping Coordinator for the Colorado Water Conservancy Board, that some communities are having difficulty finding funding for the needed upgrades. “They’re […]
County Fire Ban to be Re-instituted this Month
The Prowers County Commissioners held their Tuesday, June 11 meeting at the Wiley Community Center this week and from there, attended an afternoon meeting in Las Animas focusing on future choices that will be made for the state’s prisons in southeast Colorado. A declining prisoner population may force some closures or alteration of prison operations […]
Wildlife Adventure Camp For Kids in Lamar and La Junta
Kids – Looking for more things to do on your summer vacation? Interested in learning more about wildlife and the out of doors? The Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) will hold kid’s programs June 18-20 in Lamar and July 29-31 in La Junta. The programs are geared toward youngsters ages 8-12, and will be held […]
Lamar Bypass Offers Financial Concerns for City, County
The Lamar City Council devoted its work session this past Monday, June 10, to the pros or cons of creating a non-scientific City of Lamar website survey which could provide some local comments from concerned citizens about the project. The city was told by CDOT that the Highway 50/287 bypass, or Reliever Route as […]
Water Supply Outlook from NWS, Pueblo
As of June 1, the 2013 snowpack was almost gone over the Upper Rio Grande Basin. For the Arkansas Basin, a decent amount of snow remained over the headwaters portion of the basin, but the snowpack was nearly gone over the remainder. In the Arkansas basin, the snowpack was at 86% of median overall, […]
NOXIOUS WEED ALERT: Leafy Spurge
NOXIOUS WEED ALERT: Leafy Spurge LAKEWOOD, Colo. – The Colorado Department of Agriculture works to stop the spread of noxious weeds across the state through a coordinated effort to detect and eradicate new invaders as well as manage well-established species. Currently, there are 74 species of plants in the state that are designated “noxious,” meaning […]
Fishing Report for June 4, 2013
Emergency public fish salvage at Henry Lake Colorado Parks and Wildlife has authorized a public fish salvage beginning June 1 at Henry Lake, northeast of Ordway in Crowley County. The salvage was authorized because the lake is being drained and loss of fish is imminent. The public salvage will continue until the lake is […]
State Drought and Precipitation Update from NRCS, National Resources Conservation Service
Late April and early May storms brought increased precipitation in the northern portion of the state and continued cool temperatures helped to maintain snowpack. However, storms largely missed the southern half of the state, which is experiencing increasingly severe drought conditions. Storage remains below average throughout most of the state and water providers are […]