December 1, 2012--Drought impacts salmon run (Cortez Journal)
Withered crops and steep hay prices. Underwhelmed river guides. Overworked firefighters. Neighborhood visits from hungry, foraging bears. Drought conditions have thrown the rhythms and daily routines...
View ArticleDecember 18, 2012--Bleak water levels for Dolores River, McPhee (Cortez Journal)
The Dolores River looks a bit low this year, along with McPhee Reservoir, but things have been worse. The Dolores River is flowing at around 20 cubic feet per second. But it has been lower, said Mike...
View ArticleJanuary 1, 2013--McPhee 'flats' damage a concern (Cortez Journal)
Low levels at McPhee Reservoir have U.S. Forest Service officials concerned over more than just the area's water supply. Off-road enthusiasts drawn to the mud flats left behind by the receding...
View ArticleMarch 19, 2013--Water levels remain low (Cortez Journal)
When a wildfire suddenly broke out last Friday in Lory State Park, west of Fort Collins, Coloradans breathed an anxious, collective sigh: not again. The early season blaze stirred unpleasant memories...
View ArticleMarch 21, 2013--Water world: Dust to dust (Durango Telegraph)
With persistent drought conditions across Colorado and low reservoir levels in the southwest, water resource managers are looking at a potentially long and arid summer. Following a dry 2012, the...
View ArticleApril 16, 2013--Irrigators, rafters face bleak summer (Cortez Journal)
Area boaters have come to terms with the fact that another dry year has dashed any chance for rafting on the lower Dolores River this summer. But revised runoff forecasts and precipitation reports are...
View ArticleMay 2, 2013--DWCD buys into hydropower study (Cortez Journal)
The Dolores Water Conservancy District took a small step this month toward determining whether a large hydroelectric plant could be built at Plateau Creek, a tributary of McPhee Reservoir.read more
View ArticleMay 10, 2013--A thirst for innovation (Durango Herald)
The bright green alfalfa fields appear like a surreal oasis tucked into the rolling hills of desert shrubbery that extend south as far as the eye can see. Here, 12 miles southwest of Towaoc, the Ute...
View ArticleMay 15, 2013--City starts water limits (Cortez Journal)
Cortez officials are encouraging residents to conserve water during this summer’s predicted drought. As motivation, they plan to step up enforcement of water restrictions and levy fines to repeat...
View ArticleJune 4, 2013--Dolores Project ekes out another half inch of water (Cortez...
Dolores Project irrigators will receive a bit more water than previously announced, but drought conditions at McPhee Reservoir mean farmers can expect only 20 percent of their normal share this...
View ArticleJuly 2, 2013--Lower Dolores a target for extra protections (Cortez Journal)
McPhee Reservoir managers are concerned that more sections on the lower Dolores River are becoming eligible for a national Wild and Scenic River status. Irrigation managers tend to cringe when they...
View ArticleJuly 17, 2013--City water diversion official after decades (Cortez Journal)
Don’t be alarmed. It appears all is calm — with no more ripples — for a year-old City of Cortez water rights request to resolve an issue with generational roots dating back to an oversight early in the...
View ArticleAugust 9, 2013--Saving native fish (Cortez Journal)
A better understanding of the needs of native fish on the Lower Dolores river below McPhee dam is key to their survival, two fish biologists told local water boards recently. Jim White and David Graf...
View ArticleSeptember 25, 2013--Rain helps replenish McPhee Reservoir (Cortez Journal)
Cortez’s rainfall in September of 2.74 inches has more than doubled the 30-year average, of 1.31 inches as of Monday, said National Weather Service observer Jim Andrus. “We’re still seeing the benefits...
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After Half a Century City of Cortez Point of Diversion Change
Cortez’s water rights date back to 1892, when the Dunham & Johnson Ditch, Giogetta Ditch, Illinois Ditch, and Sheek Ditch were decreed for irrigation on the Dolores River above the town of...
View ArticleOctober 17, 2013--Flash flood shows sad state of Dolores River (Cortez Journal)
Tropical Storm Ivo brought just shy of 2 inches of rain to much of the Dolores River Basin near the end of August. The rain provided a dichotomous situation for the thirsty land of Southwest Colorado....
View ArticleFebruary 20, 2014--Protecting McPhee Reservoir is goal of water managers...
There is a lot going on these days that could affect the Dolores Project and many recent events have received newspaper coverage. This column is intended to put these events into a broader context that...
View ArticleMarch 18, 2014--Recent storms improve reservoir forecasts (Cortez Journal)
The news continues to improve for irrigators planning for this year’s crops season, thanks to recent snowstorms. The Dolores Water Conservancy District, which operates McPhee Reservoir, forecasts...
View ArticleApril 7, 2014--McPhee breakwater plan stalls (Cortez Journal)
It was supposed to be floated into position last summer, but a new breakwater system for the McPhee Reservoir boat launch is still lying on shore. Engineering snags for the structure’s anchor design...
View ArticleApril 10, 2014--Snowpack not enough to keep lower Dolores River running for...
For the second year in a row, it’s just not enough. McPhee Reservoir near Dolores has enough water to meet its basic obligations, but not enough for those looking to enjoy whitewater boating in the...
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