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Colorado - Fri. 07/17/26 |
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COLORADO STILL HAS SOME SUMMER RIVER FLOWS FIT FOR RAFTING
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Amid a devastating drought, Colorado’s labyrinthine water management rules have yielded a silver lining for rafters, kayakers and visitors seeking the thrill of whitewater. Even in the driest of years — like this one — powerful Western Slope water rights on the mainstem of the Colorado River draw water downstream, making boating on the state’s major water artery possible. “For mainstem floating, we should still have pretty darn good flows for the rest of the season for as long as people want to be boating,” said Sam Calahan, a water resources specialist for the Colorado River District. The taxpayer-funded agency is based in Glenwood Springs and works to protect Western Slope water. The dismal winter snowpack that resulted in a disappointing ski season has now translated to statewide drought. An unusually warm spring prompted early runoff and early peak flows in most Colorado rivers. Those flows then fell precipitously to levels too low for most sane boaters.
- On Wednesday, Browns Canyon — a popular section of the Arkansas River near Buena Vista — was flowing at the lowest level in 55 years of data and at 16 percent of its median flow for that date.
- Clear Creek near Idaho Springs was flowing at 61 cubic feet per second on Wednesday, also a record low for the date in 72 years of data. The median flow for the date is 347 cfs, or more than five times as much water.
- Water levels in both stretches were below recommended levels to run. But flows on much of the Colorado River were high enough for rafts and kayaks this week.
- Flows on a popular section near Kremmling were near normal, as were water levels farther downstream in Glenwood Canyon.
Two major factors keep water flowing down the Colorado River during drought: large senior water rights owned by farmers in Mesa County's Grand Valley and the water rights connected to the Shoshone Power Plant, a hydroelectric facility in Glenwood Canyon owned by Xcel Energy. Irrigators and power plant operators can call water to their facilities from upstream reservoirs, like Green Mountain Reservoir, which is on the Blue River -- a tributary of the Colorado River -- north of Silverthorne. This year, the irrigators began calling down water on July 1, boosting flows in the Colorado River. The water is a lifeline for rafting companies, said David Costlow, the executive director of the Colorado River Outfitters Association.
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ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT RULE AXED
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has officially killed a long-standing provision of the Endangered Species Act in the name of government efficiency and deregulation. The move has drawn criticism and a lawsuit from environmental and wildlife advocates who argue it significantly weakens the act and could lead to widespread habitat destruction and the extinction of protected species. On July 14, the federal agency published a final rule rescinding the definition of “harm” from the Endangered Species Act. It’s a move that President Donald Trump’s administration has said will return the act to its “actual text and original intent” and end “years of federal overreach.” In retracting the definition of harm — which protects against the disruption or destruction of habitat utilized by endangered and protected species — environmental and wildlife advocacy groups warn it could push more wildlife to the brink of extinction.
The Center for Biological Diversity and several conservation groups filed a lawsuit on July 14 against the Trump administration over the rule change. The lawsuit alleges that the move is illegal because harming species through habitat destruction is prohibited by the law’s statutory language and goes against legal precedents. The Endangered Species Act was passed by Congress in 1973 in response to declining populations of plants and animals as human and economic development increased. It was designed to protect and recover species on the brink of extinction.
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SWAN, DRAGON & DUCK BOATS ARE BACK PEDALING AROUND CITY PARK
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Pedal boats are back at City Park in Denver this week and they come in more shapes than just swans. On Wednesday, the city of Denver opened its newest Adventure Hub where visitors can rent gear to enjoy on Ferril Lake. That includes pedal boats shaped like swans, dragons, ducks and flamingos, as well as kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards. If you’d rather pedal on land instead of the water, the hub also has beach cruiser bikes and surrey bikes, which hold up to six people, available for rent. City Park’s Adventure Hub is the second to open this year, following another at Washington Park in early June. Water sport rentals range from $15 per hour for a SUP or single-person kayak to $35 per hour for swan, dragon and duck pedal boats, which fit up to four people. Bikes are similarly priced at $15 per hour for a single-person beach cruiser up to $45 per hour for a surrey “stretch limousine” for six riders.
This year marks the first time in at least two decades that Denver officials have managed gear rentals in City Park. The city ended its long-time contract with vendor Wheel Fun Rentals, which previously supplied things like swan pedal boats, in early 2026 after more than 20 years. The Adventure Hub at City Park is open every day from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., while the one at Washington Park is open every day from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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RFTA BACKS HOGBACK SERVICE PLAN
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The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority Board of Directors on Thursday backed a proposed three-year framework to keep the Hogback bus route running while RFTA and western Garfield County communities work toward a long-term transportation funding solution. The resolution directs RFTA staff to begin developing an intergovernmental agreement with the three governments. It does not appropriate money or finalize the contributions each entity would make. Without a new funding agreement, Hogback service west of New Castle is scheduled to end Nov. 23. RFTA CEO Kurt Ravenschlag said the authority needs direction soon because staff begins developing its winter service schedule in August and must know by early September whether to include Hogback service when the schedule begins Nov. 24.
The proposal would keep the existing service operating for up to three years, giving Rifle, Silt and Garfield County more time to identify a dedicated funding source or develop a different regional transportation system. RFTA’s voting member jurisdictions are Pitkin and Eagle counties and Aspen, Snowmass Village, Basalt, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs and New Castle. Those jurisdictions support the authority through dedicated local tax revenue.
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MONSOON SEASON COULD BRING MORE MOISTURE TO MESA COUNTY
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As Mesa County and western Colorado comes out of a period of hot dry weather, the mid-summer monsoon season is predicted to begin this month. Meteorologist Alan Smith with OpenSnow said in a post this week that monsoonal rains are starting to ramp up across the West — with some areas forecast to get above normal precipitation. “For the core monsoon season, from July through September, we are expecting above-average rainfall and thunderstorm activity for a large portion of the West, extending from the Southwest to the Central/Northern Rockies to the Sierra,” Smith said. “Our highest confidence (relatively speaking for a seasonal outlook) for above-average mid to late summer rain is across Utah, Western Wyoming, Eastern Idaho, and Southwest Montana.”
OpenSnow is forecasting for most of Colorado, including the Front Range and Western Slope, above average monsoon precipitation. However, the model has Colorado as “slightly favored” for more rain rather than “most favored.” Mesa County could begin to see some moisture as soon as this week, Grand Junction-based National Weather Service Meteorologist Gillian Felton said. Smith said medium and longer-range forecasting is also predicting more precipitation for western Colorado over the next few weeks and months.
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SHIFFRIN & VONN NOMINATED FOR ESPY, MAKE TIME 100'S MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE LIST
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Fresh off a season that saw her claim Olympic slalom gold and become the most decorated U.S. Alpine skier in history, Mikaela Shiffrin was nominated for an ESPY and named to TIME 100’s Most Influential People list. Shiffrin — who also won a record-tying sixth overall crystal globe and claimed a ninth World Cup discipline title in slalom last winter — was nominated for “Best Athlete, Women’s Sports,” for the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (ESPY). The announcement was made June 25. The ESPY Awards 2026 nominees included athletes like figure skater Alysa Liu, basketball player Jalen Brunson, soccer player Lionel Messi and cross-country skier Johannes Høsflot Klæbo. Shiffrin was nominated alongside hockey player Hilary Knight, golfer Nelly Korda and WNBA star A’ja Wilson.
Lindsey Vonn was nominated for “Best Comeback Athlete.” She spoke to USA Sports about her recovery from a torn ACL, broken ankle and fractured tibia suffered during a crash in the Olympic downhill earlier this year. Shiffrin won nine of 10 slaloms on the World Cup circuit this year — pushing her career World Cup wins total to 110 — and claimed Olympic gold by a historic 1.5-second margin. Shiffrin was named to the 2026 TIME 100’s Most Influential People list. This list — looking at the “most influential figures shaping the global landscape of sports” — is the first of its kind from TIME. Shiffrin was one of four athletes from U.S. Ski & Snowboard squads to earn a place on the TIME list. She was joined by Vonn, Jessie Diggins and Oksana Masters. Lionel Messi, LeBron James, Shohei Ohtani, Jannik Sinner and others were also included.
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HAYDEN DAZE CONTINUES TRADITION OF COMMUNITY CELEBRATION
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The annual Hayden Daze celebration will take place this Friday and Saturday, July 17-18. The weekend will kick off Friday night at the beer garden at 6 p.m. Live music will run until 10 p.m., featuring the local Hayden band Constant Change. On Saturday, festivities start at 8 a.m. with yoga on the green. All events will take place at Dry Creek Park (513 Poplar St.). The Josh Webster Memorial Disc Golf Tournament will also begin at 8 a.m. Registration for both of these events will occur the day of the event. A volleyball tournament will begin at 9 a.m. Following volleyball is the Hayden Daze Parade at 10:30 a.m. A cornhole tournament is set for 11:30 a.m., followed by the Home Run Derby at 12:30 p.m. and the Cardboard Regatta at 1:30 p.m. Registration for the volleyball and cornhole tournaments can be found online at HaydenColorado.com. The event will also feature food trucks, artisan vendors, face painters and the opportunity to contribute to a community mural.
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GREEN MTN. RESERVOIR BOAT RAMP CLOSES DUE TO LOW WATER LEVELS, SAFETY CONCERNS
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The boat ramp at Green Mountain Reservoir is now closed for the remainder of the 2026 season due to low water levels and public safety concerns, including the prevention of aquatic nuisance species. What should be water at the end of the ramp is instead deep mud, making it “no longer safe or effective to launch and recover trailered boats,” according to a recent press release from the U.S. Forest Service. The closure primarily affects motorized vessels — including motorized kayaks and rafts — due to their risk of spreading aquatic nuisance species like zebra mussels. Following the ramp’s closure, Colorado Parks and Wildlife aquatic nuisance species inspectors will no longer be in the area to properly inspect these vessels.
“Keeping Green Mountain Reservoir free of aquatic nuisance species is a high priority, and we will actively be enforcing this closure to motorized vessels for the rest of the summer,” said Dillon District Ranger David Ilse in the release. Boats rented from the marina, as well as hand-launched non-motorized vessels, are still allowed. The day-use area at the Heeney Marina also remains open.
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DENVER OFFICE VISITS STILL LAG 2019 LEVEL BY 39% DESPITE YEAR-OVER-YEAR GAINS
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Though Denver made a small gain in return-to-office numbers in June, according to a national report, it was still the city with the lowest return-to-office rate of those measured. Placer.ai, which uses public GPS data to analyze foot traffic, found the country experienced its busiest in-office month in June since the Covid-19 pandemic set in. The company's national office index showed Miami ranked particularly strongly that month, while Denver was the weakest performer among those measured. The study analyzed foot traffic to 1,300 known commercial office buildings in Miami, New York, Dallas, Atlanta, Boston, Houston, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco and Denver - in order from highest to lowest performing in the June iteration of the report.
- Nationally, office visits jumped by 8.5 percent year over year, coming in at 79 percent of June 2019 levels, Placer.ai found.
- On a per-working-day basis, office visits nationally rose 3.3 percent year over year.
- Denver had by far the lowest return-to-office rates, with 39.4 percent fewer total visits than in 2019 and 42.2 percent fewer average visits per working day.
- Still, according to the study, Denver experienced year-over-year growth in office visits with 6.5 percent more total visits and 1.2 percent more average visits per working day in June 2026 compared to June 2025.
- New York and Houston both experienced lower year-over-year growth but performed better on overall return-to-office numbers.
- Cellphone activation data collected by the Downtown Denver Partnership showing that downtown Denver was back to 99 percent of pre-pandemic foot traffic by the end of 2025.
- In June 2026, the DDP's high-frequency data report found Denver's weekday return-to-office ratio was 59 percent, up one percentage point from June 2025.
- The June 2026 total recovery rate, as measured by the partnership, was 83 percent.
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NUMBER OF PEOPLE WORRIED ABOUT AFFORDING LIFE IN COLORADO INCREASES TO 76%
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As the cost of living in Colorado rises, residents are delaying health and dental care, forgoing activities they enjoy and taking on additional debt, the Colorado Health Foundation’s 2026 Pulse Poll findings show.
According to the poll:
- 76 percent of respondents worry they won’t be able to afford to live in Colorado in the future
- In 2025, that number was 70 percent
- Almost half the people polled said they postponed or delayed medical or dental care in the last year
- 32 percent said they worry about losing their home because they can’t afford rent or a mortgage
- 73 percent said they cut back on recreation and entertainment spending
- 55 percent reduced their charitable giving
To get those percentages, the foundation polled 2,240 Colorado adults by telephone and online between March 14 and April 9. Only about one quarter of respondents reported living comfortably with savings this year. Poll respondents also noted that their top concern is government and politics, with cost of living being second.
- 85 percent rated the cost of living as an extremely or very serious problem, with housing concerns especially prominent among young people
- Housing costs are a serious concern to 90 percent of Gen Z respondents and 94 percent of millennials
More information about the poll and responses online at copulsepoll.org.
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MARKET UPDATE - 07/16/2026 Close
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(Courtesy of Alpine Bank Wealth Management*)
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Canadian dollar (per U.S. dollar)
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Mexican peso (per U.S. dollar)
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30-year fixed mortgage rate (Freddie Mac 07/16/2026)
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*Not FDIC insured. May lose value. Not guaranteed by the bank.
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Alpine Bank is an independent, employee-owned organization with headquarters in Glenwood Springs and banking offices across Colorado's Western Slope, mountains and Front Range. Alpine Bank serves customers with retail, business, wealth management*, mortgage and electronic banking services. Learn more at alpinebank.com.
*Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the bank.
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