Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Eastern Colorado

Before blaming alfalfa for Colorado’s water woes, consider what the headlines leave out
Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Before blaming alfalfa for Colorado’s water woes, consider what the headlines leave out

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Alfalfa and water use: comparing apples to oranges There is a media narrative out there about alfalfa which, though not entirely wrong, is desperately in need of context; this being another example of why reporters parachuting into rural areas of the state to report on things prior to running back to the Front Range is doing no one any good (rural or urban). The claim was recently repeated in a Sun article, along with its natural follow-on. Quoting from the first link below: “It takes 44 inches of water a year in Burlington to grow alfalfa. Only about 10 inches of water drops on Burlington in a year. It only takes 15 inches of water to grow a healthy crop of black-eyed peas in Burlington. So. The numbers ...
Yuma County Fires Race Across Plains Burning Tens Of Thousands Of Acres During 80 MPH Gusts
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Yuma County Fires Race Across Plains Burning Tens Of Thousands Of Acres During 80 MPH Gusts

By Stephanie Butzer, Robert Garrison | Denver7 Officials told us they believe these fires were caused by downed power lines. Denver7 is working to learn more and will have a crew reporting through the morning. YUMA COUNTY, Colo. — Emergency personnel have contained all but one wildfire in Yuma County overnight after multiple fires broke out Wednesday evening as strong wind gusts pummeled the state. The only fire that was currently active as of 2:30 a.m. Thursday was in a rural area of the county south of Eckley near the Heartstrong neighborhood. It had burned an estimated 40,000 acres as of then, according to Jake Rockwell, emergency manager for Yuma County Office of Emergency Management. By that point, the other fires had been contained. As of 7:40 a.m., the Color...
Will Colorado Springs’ growth come at cost to Eastern Plains? Farmers say yes.
State, The Colorado Sun

Will Colorado Springs’ growth come at cost to Eastern Plains? Farmers say yes.

By Shannon Mullane | The Colorado Sun The Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District stepped up its fight against a massive Colorado Springs annexation, citing concerns that water from farms in southeastern Colorado would be used to supply 6,500 new homes and businesses to support them. The district, which serves Pueblo, Crowley, Bent, Otero and Prowers counties, passed a resolution outlining the threats its communities face when Colorado Springs expands.  Big cities in Colorado regularly turn to agricultural water to get more water to satisfy their growth. For farmers and ranchers, selling or leasing water to cities can mean drying up farmland, laying off workers or compromising their way of life. A recently approved annexation plan, the Karman Line project n...
‘We wanted to stand up for all taxpayers’: State Supreme Court affirms taxpayer victory against water district
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

‘We wanted to stand up for all taxpayers’: State Supreme Court affirms taxpayer victory against water district

By Jen Schumann | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice Even though it’s unlawful to increase taxes in Colorado without a vote of the people, vigilance keeps it enforced. When Northeast Coloradan residents noticed their property taxes double from 2019 to 2020, a few of them filed suit against the Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District.  Unanimously, the Colorado Appellate Court ruled in March this was a violation of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR).  The Colorado Supreme Court affirmed this ruling and denied the defendant’s appeal on Sept. 30. With help from the National Taxpayers Union Foundation’s (NTUF) Taxpayer Defense Center and Advance Colorado, James Aranci and other property owners cinched this victory reaffirming TABOR: any tax increase needs voter consent, and b...

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