It seems every day there is a new story about the water shortages on the Colorado River and the efforts that are being made to decrease water consumption. As a result of this shortage, the West is under severe pressure to implement water conservation. The CO River water shortages could[Read More…]
Tag: Conservation Corner
Conservation Corner: Plant life cycle
There are 3 major stages of the plant life cycle. The 3 stages are seed, growth, and reproduction. The seed (germination) stage is the beginning of the plant life cycle. The first stage begins when the hard outside of the seed coat melts, exposing the seed embryo to the soil.[Read More…]
Conservation Corner: Wolves, wolves and more wolves
As you likely know, the courts vacated the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) 2020 final delisting rule of gray wolves. Gray wolves outside of the Northern Rocky Mountain population are now protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as endangered in Colorado and many other states. Do you spend[Read More…]
CONSERVATION CORNER: Hummingbird Fun Facts
There are over 360 species, with 15 of these species residing within the United States. The weight of an average hummingbird is less than a nickel. The hummingbird bee weights less than a penny and is the smallest bird in the world. Hummingbirds are solo migrators. We are still discovering[Read More…]
CONSERVATION CORNER: White River Algae Study results
Thank you to all who attended the White River Algae Study presentation last Thursday evening. The meeting was well attended with familiar and new faces who all asked great questions. White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts’ Executive Director, Callie Hendrickson, provided a brief background of the previous studies conducted[Read More…]
Conservation Corner: Simplifying Rangeland Monitoring
How is your range holding up during this drought? Is the production holding steady or is it declining? We all know it is hard to “find” time to conduct monitoring of the rangeland. But what if monitoring could be made so simple that you could do it while you are[Read More…]
Conservation Corner: Sandhill cranes in Rio Blanco County
Have you noticed the long-legged, long-necked Sandhill Cranes in the hayfields along the White River? You may not have seen these birds here twenty years ago as crane breeding distribution has expanded throughout NW Colorado over the past 25 years. According to the CPW, up to 200 cranes now gather[Read More…]
Conservation Corner: Soil☺ Moisture
Soil health plays an important role in the success of any agricultural operation. This is especially true of soil moisture. Soil acts as a major storage reservoir for moisture. According to NRCS, soil with just 1% of organic matter in the top 6 inches of soil can hold approximately 27,000[Read More…]
New Instream Flow Water Rights Proposed
Notice of 49 new instream flow (ISF) recommendations across the State of Colorado has been provided by the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB). Twelve of these recommended ISF water rights are located in the White River drainage. The notice identifies the streams to be considered for ISF appropriations in 2022.[Read More…]
Trees for Conservation
The Conservation Districts’ Annual Tree Sales program is underway! The Conservation Districts, in cooperation with the Colorado State Forest Service Nursery, offer the seedling tree sales program to local farmers, ranchers, other landowners and land managers. This allows our constituents to obtain trees at a nominal cost to help achieve[Read More…]
CONSERVATION CORNER: The White River Algae Study Update
A White River Algae Study Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting met again in January where they heard more information from USGS and additional researchers. All TAG meeting notes and presentations are available on the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts’ website. USGS presented information on the algal taxonomy, synoptic[Read More…]
Cattle: The Ultimate Upcyclers
Every day, cattle graze and unknowingly turn natural resources like solar energy and pastureland into high-quality proteins and other invaluable products. They’re upcyclers that take otherwise useless materials, add nutritional and environmental value, and transform them into something more — a better product in disguise. What is Upcycling? A little[Read More…]
