The case of the disappearing lake

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Good morning and happy last day of the month!

I want to personally (and on behalf of the team here) thank everyone who came out for SunFest 2024 on Friday! As much as we love doing our work from behind our keyboards, there’s nothing that can quite compare to being in a big room with people who are as passionate about Colorado as we are!

If you didn’t get to join in on the fun, we will be sharing videos of some of the fascinating Sunfest discussions soon, as well as sharing highlights in our podcast feed. So watch this space!

But even though our whole staff is pouring an extra cup of coffee this morning while we recover from the big event, the news waits for no one. So let’s end September strong and dive right into it, shall we?

THE NEWS

WATER

A picturesque lake in southwest Colorado disappeared. Locals want it back as fast as possible.

Citing a concerning crack and signs of seepage on the aging Full Moon Dam that created Crystal Lake, the U.S. Forest Service decided to drain the lake this spring. And as Shannon Mullane reports, Ouray residents and visitors are concerned the town’s hot springs and tourism could take a hit if it doesn’t come back soon.

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ELECTION 2024

Amendment G: Should more disabled veterans qualify for Colorado’s homestead property tax break?

Colorado’s homestead property tax exemption is available to a pretty limited scope of homeowners. But as Brian Eason explains, the backers of Amendment G want to expand that scope to include thousands more Colorado veterans.

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• VOTER GUIDE: Where Adam Frisch and Jeff Hurd stand on the big issues. Read more about where the candidates for the 3rd Congressional District stand ahead of the general election.

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WATER MYTHS

Myth 1: Cities in the West are booming. But will they actually need a lot more water?

In the first of a series of stories tackling water myths in Colorado, Luke Runyon of The Water Desk digs into the relationship between urban growth and water use — and how cities have become much more efficient since the beginning of the megadrought in the West.

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• Myth 2: Would cutting agricultural water use in Colorado prevent future shortage? The second myth tackles one of the most common assumptions about water use in the West. If agriculture is the biggest consumer of water, then putting harder limits should free up water for everyone else, right? Well, not exactly, as Jerd Smith of Fresh Water News reports.

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MORE NEWS

• What’s Working: Cooling Colorado Springs’ job economy’s top concern? Affordable housing. Tamara Chuang reports from the UCCS Economic Forum, where economists discussed how to square the public’s experience in the current economy against the rosier outlook that data provides.
• Fact Check ☀️Has xylazine, a horse tranquilizer used as a drug, caused deaths in Colorado? Justin George explores one of the most dangerous new drugs and its impact in Denver in this Gigafact Fact Brief.

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THE COLORADO REPORT

• Pope expels Denver priest, 9 others from Catholic movement in Peru over “sadistic” abuses. Pope Francis expelled the leaders of a Catholic splinter movement called Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, which in 2003 was invited by Denver Archbishop Charles J. Chaput to create a community at Camp Saint Malo in Allenspark as well as operating the Holy Name Catholic Parish in Sheridan. Father Daniel Cardó, the leader of the group in Colorado, was among those expelled.
  — The Denver Post 🔑
• Aurora renters fear homelessness as police chief threatens to close two more buildings caught up in gang controversy. After new Aurora chief Todd Chamberlain threatened to shut down The Edge at Lowry and other apartment buildings where immigrants are living, residents held a news conference expressing their fears that they will be lost in the shuffle.
  — Denverite
• As wildfires burned in Colorado, a Facebook “spam” filter blocked official emergency info this summer across the state. During the Interlaken fire near Leadville this summer, Facebook twice suspended the Interlaken Fire Information page set up by wildfire officials.
  — Summit Daily
• An antique street clock stands again in downtown Alamosa decades after being rescued from a possible junkyard demise. The 18-foot cast iron clock was installed not far from its original 1912 location, thanks to the work of two men who not only saved it from the junkyard, but refurbished it back to its green-and-gold glory.
  — KRCC

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

THE OPINION PAGE

COLUMNS

• Dave Williams wins in court, and so state Republicans keep on losing. How else could this all-too-predictable story of Colorado GOP dysfunction have turned out?
  — Mike Littwin
• Colorado’s black-and-white license plates are boring. Bring back the mountains. History and good intentions aside, the new monochromatic plates reflect nothing of the state’s beauty
  — Trish Zornio  

COMMUNITY

• If Trump does come to Aurora, he needs to meet the people whom he is disparaging. The data not only betray Trump’s lies but speak to the importance of immigrants for Colorado and the country
  — Michael Arrieta-Walden, retired Aurora Public Schools teacher 

The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy and submit columns, suggest writers or provide feedback at opinion@coloradosun.com.

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Thanks again to everyone for another successful SunFest — and to you for starting your week with us. We’ll see you back here tomorrow to kick off October!

— Eric and the whole staff of The Sun

Corrections & Clarifications

Notice something wrong? The Colorado Sun has an ethical responsibility to fix all factual errors. Request a correction by emailing corrections@coloradosun.com.

Type of Story: News

Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.