Cooler, wetter conditions ease the region's two wildfires
The Gold Mountain Fire continues to burn over 38,000 acres with 24% containment. Heavy rain Wednesday and Thursday brought two to three inches near Montrose — enough, officials said, to trigger flooding and debris flows over higher-intensity burn areas. Instead the fire area got about a quarter-inch, and cooler, wetter conditions kept activity to a minimum, letting crews focus on containment lines and rest.
Conditions on the Elk Fire have also improved. Effective 8:30 Thursday morning, the Hinsdale County Sheriff's Office rescinded all evacuation statuses for zones 4, 6, 12, 13, 14 and 16. Residents should stay alert, as conditions can change rapidly.
City of Delta seeks new life for old Municipal Light and Power building
Delta wants to revitalize the old Municipal Light and Power building on South Main Street. The Delta County Independent reports the city will partner with the Colorado Brownfields Partnership (CBP), a program under the state health department. Community Development Manager Joe Gillman told the Independent that CBP helps communities "find creative ways to revitalize abandoned or underused properties so that they're an economic asset to the community, not just idle buildings." The city has worked with CBP for eight months, at no cost under a state-funded project.
Montrose celebrates 140 years of its Fair and Rodeo
Montrose wrapped a week of events and competitions as part of its 140th County Fair and Rodeo. The county said it's "proud to sponsor this longstanding community tradition and celebrate the incredible young people who make it so special." The professional rodeo runs Saturday at 7 p.m., preceded by the crowning of royalty and a show by the San Juan Sparkles and Spurs, a local equestrian drill team. More at montrosecountyfairandrodeo.com.
After four firefighter deaths, a handbook for the families
In recent weeks there have been four firefighter deaths. A new guide from the advocacy group Fired Up — the Wildland Firefighter Family Handbook — aims to help firefighters' families cope. Olivia Holter, a Utah-based licensed psychologist married to a wildland firefighter, wrote its mental-health section. "I started kind of digging into what resources were out there and really realizing that there's nothing for families," she said. It ranges from fireline terms to coping tips for long absences. "I want to normalize the emotions," Holter said. — Murphy Woodhouse, Mountain West News Bureau
With canals running low, Palisade peaches face a thirsty season
A dismal snowpack and fast spring melt are testing the Southwest's farms. In Palisade, Bruce Talbott — an owner of Talbott Farms, one of Colorado's largest peach growers, in his family for over a century — started picking about a month early, after record March heat melted what little snow the Colorado River headwaters had. Now he may not have water to finish. "We have never had the canal shut off," Talbott said. "We've had some really tight years… Right now, there's not water to do that." Peaches are thirsty: David Sterle, a research scientist at Colorado State University, estimates three feet of water per acre — against roughly nine inches of annual precipitation, lately five or less. But they pay $10,000 to $35,000 an acre, far more than alfalfa or corn. To use Talbott's phrasing, "peaches pay the bills." If the canals run dry before September 1, he plans to truck in water to keep each tree alive. "This industry can absorb a higher cost of water than a lot of your other crops can, as long as it's there," he said. "If it's just not there, then this has to go away as well." The report came via Rocky Mountain Community Radio, produced with The Water Desk at CU Boulder.
