Colorado would expand grass turf buyouts statewide and double existing city rip-and-replace programs in a bill aimed at solving misuse of precious water during the state’s long-term drought. The bipartisan bill would create a $2 million to $4 million annual pool from general fund money to pay homeowners, businesses or any other landlords willing to […]
Cleave Simpson
Renewable Water Resources wants Douglas County as the first customer for its San Luis Valley water export plan
By Chris Lopez, Alamosa Citizen For an initial payment of $20 million, Douglas County can become a partner of Renewable Water Resources in its plan to export approximately 20,000 acre-feet of water per year from the San Luis Valley, according to an RWR proposal to the Douglas County Commissioners. In its proposal to Douglas County, […]
Colorado’s new state House and Senate maps drew several Democrats into Republican districts and vice versa
One Democratic state senator was drawn into a district that now leans heavily in Republicans’ favor. A GOP House member, meanwhile, will run in a district that’s now solidly Democratic. And a handful of incumbents will have to decide whether to challenge their colleagues in an awkward primary or general election contest or quickly move […]
The water supply of the San Luis Valley faces pressure as never before
They all remember when the San Luis Valley brimmed with water. South of San Luis, Ronda Lobato raced the rising floodwaters in San Francisco Creek every spring to fill sandbags that protected her grandparents’ farm. North of Center, potato farmer Sheldon Rockey faced so much spring mud that he had to learn to extract his […]
Here are the Colorado legislative districts that stand to change the most during redistricting
State Sen. Cleave Simpson’s southern Colorado district covers nearly 27,000 square miles, including all or part of 16 counties and 80 cities and towns. It ranges from Trinidad in the south to Pueblo in the north and from Creede in the west to Lamar in the east. And next year, Senate District 35 and other […]