DENVER - Colorado State Parks will celebrate Colorado Day by offering free entrance at all 42 state parks on Monday, Aug. 3. Colorado Day was created by the state legislature to mark the anniversary of statehood, granted in 1876 by President Ulysses S. Grant. Free entrance at the state parks is an annual Colorado Day tradition. “Colorado Day is annual opportunity for all Coloradans to get outdoors at the state parks, enjoy the natural beauty of these places and experience all the recreational activities that the parks have to offer,” said Dean Winstanley, Colorado State Parks Director. All other fees will remain in effect on Aug. 3. The state parks throughout Colorado showcase the state’s diverse landscapes, including the prairies of the eastern plains at John Martin Reservoir State Park, the alpine beauty of the mountains at Sylvan Lake State Park and the unique geological landscapes at Roxborough State Park. There are also plenty of opportunities to enjoy Colorado’s rivers at James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park and Yampa River State Park, as well as the state’s reservoirs at Lake Pueblo State Park and North Sterling State Park. There are a huge variety of recreational opportunities at all Colorado State Parks. Recreational activities include, bird and wildlife viewing, boating, jet skiing, sail boarding, water skiing, swimming, fishing, whitewater rafting, geocaching, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, off-highway vehicle riding and many more. This Colorado Day, be sure to get out to a state park for a fun-filled day that the whole family can enjoy. Throughout 2009, Colorado State Parks is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a leader in providing opportunities for outdoor recreation, protecting the state’s favorite landscapes, teaching generations about nature and partnering with communities. Attracting more than 11 million visitors per year, Colorado's 42 state parks are a vital cornerstone of Colorado's economy and quality of life.Colorado State Parks encompass 242,531 land and water acres, offering some of the best outdoor recreation destinations in the state. Colorado State Parks also manage more than 4,000 campsites, and 57 cabins and yurts. For more information on Colorado State Parks or to purchase an annual pass online, visitwww.colorado.gov/parks
Genetic study could make Grizzly Creek ideal for recovery
By Charlie Meyers The Denver Post
Some summer morning, perhaps sooner than we know, some fortunate angler will make a cast into an obscure stream called Grizzly Creek and pull out a purebred cutthroat trout.
Funded in large part by MillerCoors, the Forest Service and Trout Unlimited and bolstered by a small army of volunteers, the effort will begin the first week of August with a launch of equipment and materials that will make the creek suitable for fish while erasing a rash of environmental scars. Read more
‘Water For People’ Golf Classic Offers Sport and Balance with Nature
From Eco-wordly.com: Written by Michael Ricciardi - Published on July 28th, 2009 - Posted in 4270, About Society
Water For People is a non-profit with a noble and global agenda: fresh, clean drinking water for all the world’s people. The charity seeks to “help developing nations develop sustainable drinking water resources, sanitation facilities, and health and hygiene eduction programs.” Read More
Genetic study could make Grizzly Creek ideal for recovery
By Charlie Meyers The Denver Post
Funded in large part by MillerCoors, the Forest Service and Trout Unlimited and bolstered by a small army of volunteers, the effort will begin the first week of August with a launch of equipment and materials that will make the creek suitable for fish while erasing a rash of environmental scars.
A buck-and-rail fence will be installed to prevent motorized incursion, while a mile of unauthorized road will be obliterated to further aid in stream protection. At the same time, a single-track trail will be maintained for hiking and other backcountry uses.
Design and construction will be managed by Frontier Environmental Services, the firm that earlier was contracted by West Denver TU to design and build the so-called Golden Mile on Clear Creek.
The Clear Creek Watershed Foundation will oversee the project once it has been completed, an effort that includes on-ground remediation and metals reduction.
Commissioners OK storm-water changes
by Jason GonzalesHerald Staff Writer
Ty Churchwell, backcountry coordinator for Trout Unlimited, spoke during the public hearing and said the city is doing a great job keeping the Animas River clean.
"We had some good storm-water rules in effect, and this just steps things up a hair," he said.
http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2009/07/29/Commissioners_OK_stormwater_changes/
Did You Know?
NOAA - Year of the Ocean Website: www.yoto.com
80 percent of pollution to the marine environment comes from land-based sources, such as runoff pollution. Runoff pollution includes many small sources, like septic tanks, cars, trucks and boats, plus larger sources, such as farms, ranches and forest areas. Read more
CU study: Climate change threatens Colo. River water supply
ColoradoDaily.com - By Brittany Anas - Tuesday, July 21, 2009
BOULDER, Colo. — The Colorado River system -- which 30 million people depend on for drinking and irrigation water -- could fully deplete all of its reservoir storage by the middle of the century, a new University of Colorado study shows. Read more
Farmers told how to save huge amounts of water
Kelly Zito, [San Francisco] Chronicle Staff Writer - Wednesday, July 22, 2009
"If we want to have a healthy agriculture economy, the only real option is to figure out how to produce more food with less water," said Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute and co-author of "Sustaining California Agriculture in an Uncertain Future." Read more
Project Healing Waters Offers Support and Adventure For Wounded Warriors
By Allen GregorySports Writer / Bristol (TN) Herald Courier
The program, called Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Inc., is an ambitious effort launched in 2005 by volunteers from various Trout Unlimited and Federation of Fly Fishing Chapters. PHWFF serves disabled active duty military personnel and veterans through fly-fishing and fly-tying education and outings. Read More
Trend worsening for pollutant in 16 national parks
By MIKE STARK - Associated Press Writer
Air quality data obtained by The Associated Press shows significant worsening trends for ammonium in several flagship parks, including Yellowstone, Mount Rainier and Utah's Canyonlands. At Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, researchers have already seen subtle shifts in the alpine tundra, where some of the park's trademark wildflowers are being replaced by grass. Read more
