A volunteer group promoting quality of life, and the
environment of the Lower Blue River Valley.
The Friends of the Lower Blue River are dedicated to sustaining and protecting the traditional agricultural character, promoting the safety of the residents, livestock and wildlife, and maintaining the environmental integrity of the Lower Blue River Valley through education, collaboration and community involvement.
To sustain and protect the traditional agricultural character, promote the safety of the residents, livestock and wildlife, and maintain the environmental integrity of the Lower Blue River Valley through education, collaboration and community involvement.
Friends of the Lower Blue River is committed to preserving the rich history of the Blue River Valley. Through grant support from the Summit Foundation, we have created this interactive tool that documents and takes you to key points of interest in the Valley. You will see photographs and read about those who came before us. Those who settled this pristine area of Summit and Grand Counties in the 1800’s and the relevance those sites have today. FOLBR invites you to take this journey on our website and discover the treasure, that truly is the Lower Blue River Valley.
Click Here to see History Story Map
A beaver surveying a calm pond
Friends of the Lower Blue River is currently studying the benefits of beaver in the Valley. We are undertaking a stream assessment initiative this summer. Director of Climate Action, Tom Koehler is currently surveying areas of the Lower Blue for potential ecological wetland uplift. He is using a mosaic of mapping tools to indicate where beaver have been, where they might currently exist and where uplifts have the potential to increase species diversity, including beaver in the future. The benefits include, drought resiliency as well as vegetative health for wildlife, stream bank stability and environmental health, such as clean water.
Example of a Beaver Dam Analog
Last month, our Wetlands for Wildlife project, funded and sponsored by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, took real steps forward. We began ground operations along with Ecometrics, uplifting previously modest wetlands, implementing beaver dam analogs as a natural climate solutions tool within our Climate Resilience Initiative. This process allows the stream to expand following historical flows, enhancing biodiversity, mitigating drought impacts and promoting healthy wildlife habitat.
The next phase of this project is already underway creating Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping designs. We are also working to develop field verification teams this autumn to examine the natural intricacies of streams. Next spring, we will continue this work throughout more of the Lower Blue River Valley.
If you've travelled north on Highway 9, you've probably noticed the steady progress with the new firehouse for Summit Fire and EMS. Construction of the new facility is nearing completion. Officials with the fire department say the new fire house should be ready to open by the end of March. That's great news for residents living in the Lower Blue River Valley. The new facility will dramatically reduce emergency response time in the Lower Blue. Stay tuned for more on the official opening.
The Summit County Outdoor Coalition (SCOC) is part of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Regional Partnership Initiative funded by CPW and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO). BRWG in partnership with FOLBR and Summit County Sustainability, seek to address a range of access and environmental issues facing our community as we strive to balance the health of our natural resources with outdoor recreation through this coalition.
SCOC has completed its Charter and Organizational Guidelines and is preparing to conduct a Community Needs Assesment of partners in our community to determine the best path forward for research and outreach. Together with local organizations and alongside other coalitions, the Summit County Outdoor Coalition joins a statewide initiative working to ensure that Colorado’s land, water, and wildlife thrive while also providing for equitable and quality outdoor recreation experiences.
Xcel Energy is a multi-state power producer that includes Colorado. Across their entire eight state energy portfolio, 50% was carbon free in 2023. This included Biomass, Hydroelectric, Nuclear plants, Solar panels and Wind turbines. The remaining 50% is sourced from natural gas and coal. Below is a graphic specific to Colorado.
Xcel Energy is a multi-state power producer that includes Colorado. Across their entire eight state energy portfolio, 50% was carbon free in 2023. This included Biomass, Hydroelectric, Nuclear plants, Solar panels and Wind turbines. The remaining 50% is sourced from natural gas and coal. Below is a graphic specific to Colorado.
The largest portion comes from methane that cattle release when they break wind. The new study, by researchers at the University of California, Davis, is the first to test seaweed on grazing beef cattle in the world.
The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), showed that feeding grazing beef cattle a seaweed supplement in pellet form reduced their methane emissions by almost 40% without affecting their health or weight. It follows previous studies that seaweed cut methane emissions by 50% in dairy cows.
By Jennifer Yachnin
Water rights to the Colorado River are a notoriously valuable commodity: The flows support verdant agricultural lands in Southern California and Arizona, as well as major cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
So when the federal government needs to curb use on the 1,450-mile waterway, it has long opted to open up its checkbook and pay up — such as with a recent emergency effort to protect hydropower operations on the river, which cost the Biden administration $1.2 billion for a three-year deal.
But when Mother Nature cuts back on the supply at its source, it's a much different story. No water. No payments. No IOUs for next year.
That’s the argument of officials in the Upper Basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, who say they are uniquely affected when lackluster winter snows create summers of hardship. And they argue that this reality should figure into the next long-term operating plan for the drought-stricken river. The seven states that share the Colorado River — which serves 40 million individuals and supports 5.5 million acres of farmland — are currently negotiating that agreement.
