Monday, February 12, 2007

La Plata County to monitor mercury? La Plata County is expected to start monitoring mercury levels in Vallecito Lake and the Los Pinos River, according to the Durango Herald. Form the article, "La Plata County Commissioners will decide whether to approve a $25,000 amendment to the county budget to fund a mercury-monitoring study at Vallecito Reservoir and in the Pine River. The commissioners are expected to formally approve the funds at their meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The state of Colorado posted warning signs last summer advising residents of dangerous mercury levels in the tissues of predatory fish caught in the river and reservoir. Those warnings drew the attention of the Pine River Watershed Group. The group, founded in 1997, is supported by the nonprofit San Juan Resource Conservation and Development Council. At a neighborhood meeting in September 2006, residents of the area raised suspicions that Four Corners-area power plants were harming air and water quality in the Upper Los Pinos River watershed. The county funds will be used to purchase monitoring equipment and construct a monitoring station at Vallecito, and the group will work to raise another $10,000 to operate the monitoring station later in 2007. The station also will include weather equipment to monitor wind speed and direction, temperature and precipitation." Category: Colorado Water 5:48:35 AM     Vail Symposium hosting educational snowshoe hike Hydrologist, Dr. Mark Williams, is leading a educational snowshoe hike. tomorrow in the Gore Range, according to the Vail Daily News (free registration required). From the article, "On Tuesday, the Vail Symposium and Gore Range Natural Science School will host a snowshoe hike with snow hydrologist Dr. Mark Williams. Simply put, Dr. Williams is a snow expert. He studies snow and considers all the implications changes in snow may have, from avalanche stability and release, to melt-water runoff and release of solutes from the snowpack... "Dr. Williams also studies the interaction of snow and the ecosystem, particularly in high-elevation areas. He is Principal Investigator of the Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research (NWT LTER) program, which studies how climate changes may affect alpine tundra. Beginning in 1980, the program is the longest-running multidisciplinary, alpine and sub-alpine study on the continent. It is supported by the largest environmental science grant at the University of Colorado (to the tune of $1 million annually), funded by the National Science Foundation. According to Williams, so far research indicates that nitrogen pollution in rain and snow is effectively altering the alpine tundra. This may be interpreted as a warning from the ground, up. During Dr. Williams snowshoe tour, he will look at the ecology of snow-covered areas. He will guide participants 'inside snow,' and talk about how dynamic seasonal snowpack is. He will also interpret snowpack in terms of avalanche danger... "Participants will leave from the Minturn Middle School parking lot at 10 a.m., and return at 1 p.m. Cost is $15 and includes snowshoes and a snack. Attendees are encouraged to bring a hand lens, crystal card, and packable snow shovel, if available. For more information and reservations, visit the Vail Symposium Web site at www.vailsymposium.org or call 476-0954." Category: Colorado Water 5:42:26 AM

© Copyright 2007 John Orr. Last update: 3/1/07; 6:54:32 AM.