During the winter months big game wildlife head to their winter ranges as they try to find vegetation and grazing areas not buried by snow. Seasonal closures are often instituted to help protect these animals as they forage for food beneath the snow.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife partnered with outdoor recreation organizations to help protect wildlife when they’re most susceptible. Animals like elk and deer are most vulnerable to human disturbances in the winter season when they come down from high elevations to low lying valleys.
Winter Wildlands Alliance and Colorado Mountain Club will be working with Parks and Wildlife to share new educational resources with Coloradans to help winter recreationists understand and lessen impacts on the state’s wildlife.
On February 26, FOLBR held ..."Colorado Water 101"... As an introductory water education event to local and state water information. Convened at The PAD in Silverthorne, the event covered water development history, water rights basics, water administration, and duties and responsibilities of water commissioners.
Speakers included: Patty Rettig, Head Archivist, Water Resources Archives, CSU Morgan Library; Caleb Foy, Assistant Division Engineer, CDWR Water Division 5; Troy Wineland, CDWR Water Commissioner, Water District 36; Scott Hummer, former Water Commissioner and FOLBR Board Member. Their information focused on both the Blue River and the Colorado River.
The audience of about 50 people had mixed interests, as evidenced through their questions during the presentations. Participants left the event with an improved understanding of Colorado's most precious natural resource, our water.
Friends of the Lower Blue River continues our event series exploring important topics that affect us all. Join us for an evening of conversation and presentations regarding Colorado's most precious natural resource.
Representatives from the Colorado Division of Water Resources, FOLBR, and the Water Archives at the CSU Morgan Library will be on hand to answer all your water related questions!
When: Monday, February 26, 2024 beginning at 6:30pm Where: The Pad...491 Rainbow Dr....Silverthorne, CO
A new map on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s (CPW) website allows people in Colorado to know where wolves have been throughout the state in the past month.
The map will be updated with new information released on the fourth Wednesday of every month. These maps collect information on the wolves from GPS collars worn by all 12 collared animals in Colorado.
Wildlife officials in Colorado have released an additional five gray wolves in the state, bringing the total so far under a voter-approved reintroduction program to 10.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife in a statement Friday said its team had completed an agreement to capture 10 gray wolves in Oregon for release in Colorado as part of an effort to restore a permanent population there. No additional captures or releases are planned for the rest of this year.
The agency said it would "continue working to source additional animals until up to 15 wolves have been reintroduced in Colorado by mid-March 2024.”
Congratulations to our partners The Blue River Watershed Group and Trout Unlimited on major funding to help restore the Blue River to Gold Medal status. The $1,857,570 from the Bureau of Reclamation Water Smart grant program will complete the engineering and design for a project to repair degraded aquatic habitat in the Blue, downstream of the Dillon Reservoir.
This reach of the Lower Blue has been impacted by its proximity to the outflow of the Reservoir, contributing to an un-naturally low water flow. Couple that with below average water temperatures from cold-water releases from the bottom of the Reservoir, and a lack of natural sediment and nutrient transport.
No matter if you fish, raft, or wade, the Blue River is the lifeblood streaming through Summit and Grand Counties. Join FOLBR for an evening to talk about the health of the Blue River with Colorado Parks and Wildlife Aquatics Biologist Jon Ewert. Jon has worked to improve fish populations and the habit of the Blue River Valley for years. What are the challenges facing the Blue in the future? The discussion will begin at 6:30pm, Monday October 23rd at The Pad located at 491 Rainbow Road in Silverthorne.As cash bar will be available.
John Hillman has been a part of the FOLBR Board since the beginning. In that role, his passions have improved public safety in the Lower Blue. He worked for years to get improved cell service in our valley and succeeded at that a few years ago with the AT&T tower at Quaking Creek Ranch.
House Speaker Julie McCluskie & State Senator Dylan Roberts to Speak at our Annual Gathering
Please join us at Slate Creek Hall in the Lower Blue River Valley on Sunday, August 6th from 11:00am to 2:00pm for our Annual Gathering. This year you'll hear from two key members of the Colorado Legislature, House Speaker Julie McCluskie and State Senator Dylan Roberts. Both have ben supporters of the Lower Blue, and care about preserving the integrity of our beautiful valley.
Big thinking comes at a tremendous cost. When the FOLBR Board voted to commit to positively affect climate change, we all embarked on an exciting journey. Bringing Tom Koehler on board as Director of Climate Action was a significant step forward. Tom has worked diligently to develop our strategic plans aimed at improving climate resiliency in the Lower Blue River Valley. He has also worked tirelessly to seek grant funding to pay for our work.
We'd like to thank this year's grantors to our Climate Action Initiatives:
The Summit County Chipping Program continues this month. It's an opportunity to dispose of unwanted trees, branches and slash piles on your property. County trucks will be moving around the county this summer picking them up.
Please have your material out Monday of each week. The County will drive down each road only once. Not all subdivisions within the noted areas are listed. The areas between the named zones are included in that service area week. Here are the dates and locations:
July 3-7 Silverthorne (west of Hwy. 9), Mesa Cortina, Wildernest
July 10-14 Willowbrook, Willow Creek Highlands, Ruby Ranch
July 17-21 All properties north of Summit Sky Ranch
July 24-28 Sage Creek Canyon, South Forty, Hamilton Creek, Angler Mountain Ranch, Ponds at Blue River, Blue River Run
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today (May 25th) to limit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority to protect critical wetlands and the health of U.S. waterways. The ruling in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency directs the agency to use a restrictive standard for what kinds of waterways it can protect under the Clean Water Act against harmful uses like pollution discharge.
The decision will make it harder for the United States to meet the goal of the Clean Water Act, “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters.” The ruling comes just months after the agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers restored federal protections for critical wetlands and small streams under the Waters of the United States rule.
The following is a statement by Jimmy Hague, Senior Water Policy Advisor at The Nature Conservancy:
“Today’s ruling (May 25th) is a major setback for the nation’s wetlands, rivers, streams, and lakes – all of which are vital for maintaining healthy habitats, flood control, clean, safe drinking water, and recreational opportunities.
Let us all come together to celebrate the Lower Blue River Valley at the FOLBR Annual Gathering on Sunday, August 6th at Slate Creek Hall from 11:00am to 2:00pm. This year you'll have a chance to hear from two key members of the Colorado Legislature, House Speaker Julie McCluskie and State Senator Dylan Roberts. Both have a keen interest in the Lower Blue and care about preserving the integrity of our beautiful valley.
Our event features music by Randall McKinnon and a buffet lunch provided by Timberline Craft Kitchen. This is a BYOB event, so please bring your beverage of choice. We will provide ice water.
The Annual Gathering is for you, our members, to come together, meet with your Board and learn what FOLBR has in store for the years ahead. We all have a common purpose...to preserve our wonderful Blue River Valley for future generations.
