Montrose County authorities are investigating an unattended death at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
The sheriff’s office says deputies were called Tuesday morning to the visitor center area. After speaking with possible witnesses, deputies found a deceased man in the canyon below a lookout just north of the visitor center. Investigators say the man appeared to be a white male in his early 40s. They believe he arrived in a vehicle, likely the night before. The case remains open and is being investigated with the Montrose County Coroner’s Office. Authorities say there is no information at this point suggesting anyone else was involved.
In a separate case, the sheriff’s office says Tanya Goodrich was found safe after being reported missing Tuesday. During the search, a woman called 911, allowing responders to pinpoint the location. Deputies then found two people stranded together in deep snow on Owl Creek Pass. Both were cold, but safe.
Snow is melting FAST
KVNF also took a closer look at what recent hot weather is doing to western Colorado rivers.
On the North Fork of the Gunnison near Somerset, flows over the last week averaged about 228 cubic feet per second. That is more than triple the same week last year, and nearly 80 percent above the typical flow for late March. Last year, that gauge did not reach a weekly average that high until mid-April.
On the Uncompahgre River near Ridgway, flows over the last week averaged about 79 cubic feet per second. That is about 60 percent higher than the same week last year, and about 35 percent above normal for this time of year.
The larger concern is what those numbers say about the snowpack. Snow water equivalent in the Gunnison Basin is at the lowest level ever recorded for this date. On March 26, the basin held about 4.1 inches of snow water equivalent. In the worst water year of the past 30 years, that number was 9.6 inches. The 30-year average for the date is 14.5 inches. Without meaningful new moisture, snowpack gauges could hit zero by mid to late April, far earlier than the early June timing seen in a more typical year.
KVNF Farm Friday
The newscast also included a Farm Friday conversation with Valley Food Partnership program manager Callie Hale. She highlighted upcoming events tied to agriculture in Montrose County, including soil health tours in August, a Black Canyon burn-scar tour in September, and the return of the Montrose Farmers Market spring and summer seasons.
