Beavers: An Untapped Water Source?

Beavers are second only to humans in their ability to change a landscape. Some of us admire that ability, others aren’t exactly fans. Love them or hate them, beavers may play a huge role in helping us to meet our growing water supply needs in the arid West. Prior to…

Colorado’s mining past and the future of our rivers

The history of mining in Colorado is omnipresent. Whether you’re hiking in the backcountry or driving along I-70, you’re bound to come across something related to mining. The industry, which began when prospectors first discovered gold in 1859 west of Denver, helped the state develop into what we know it…

Big snow and high flows don’t tell the whole story

One hundred and 28 percent. That’s the average snowpack the Upper Colorado River Basin saw for the 2019 winter season, which comprises the Western Slope of Colorado, eastern Utah, and parts of Wyoming, Arizona and New Mexico. In Colorado, our local watersheds experienced snowpack at 134% of average through the…

Watershed Wildlife: American River Otter

Here in Eagle County, there are more than 270 wildlife species that rely on the river. The clean water flowing through our valley supplies them with drinking water, sustains their food sources and supports the riparian zones they often claim as their habitat. One of those species is Mammalia, Carnivora,…

Does Above-Average Snowpack Mean Above-Average Runoff?

As the majority of us Vail-area locals have hung up our skis for the season and are trading in our boots for our Chacos, we might find ourselves reminiscing on what played out to be a pretty typical snow year – albeit one with a pretty atypical closure of the…