Southern Colorado

Colorado's Water Scarcity May Finally Be Coming For Your Local Duck Pond

Luke Runyon

Water supplies are so tight in the West that most states keep close watch over every creek, river, ditch and reservoir. A complex web of laws and rules is meant to ensure that all the water that falls within a state’s boundaries is put to use or sent downstream to meet the needs of others.

Boaters floating down the Dolores River get to marvel a forested valley and desert canyon walls. But they also have to watch for hazards like this old, smashed car body used to support the foundation of a bridge.

Environment

From The Motor City To A Riverbank Near You: The Western Legacy Of Detroit Riprap

Daniel Rayzel

Traveling along western rivers can give a glimpse into the power of erosion. The region’s deepest canyons were formed by moving water. But if you look closer, you can also see the ways humans have tried to control that process for their benefit, including some unconventional methods from decades ago that are still affecting waterways today.

A census worker gives a presentation to a small, sparse crowd in Sterling, Colorado's public library. The PowerPoint Slide behind her reads "Mandated by the Constitution and:" followed by six bullet points about why the census matters.

Community

'No Trespassing' Signs, Language Barriers And Shifting Deadlines: 2020 Census Employees On The Ups And Downs Of Counting Colorado

Adam Rayes

By the time the Supreme Court allowed the Census Bureau to stop counting on Oct. 15, 99.9% of the Southern Colorado Area Census Office's caseload was reportedly completed. Just a few weeks earlier, one census door knocker who spoke with KUNC was concerned about how well his fellow Southern Coloradans would be counted.

Environment

It Takes A Village — And A Lot Of Money — To Save An Aquifer

Luke Runyon

In the summer of 2002, water pumps in Colorado’s San Luis Valley stopped working.The center pivot sprinklers that coax shoots from the dry soil and turn…

National

Colorado Dept. Of Corrections Settles Class-Action Suit Over Outdoor Exercise

Kareem Maddox

When you open a window in your home, do you consider yourself outside? Probably not. That was the argument that inmates at Colorado State Penitentiary…

Politics

Glenn Bests His GOP Primary Opponents, Now On To The US Senate Race

Bente Birkeland

Colorado's Republican Party has their man to challenge Democratic incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet in November: Republican El Paso County commissioner Darryl…

Politics

Out Of 5 Contenders, Darryl Glenn Tops GOP Field, Will Face Bennet For His US Senate Seat

Bente Birkeland

Republican El Paso County Commissioner Darryl Glenn will challenge incumbent Democrat Sen. Michael Bennet this November. Glenn won a five-way primary race…

Education

VIDEO & TRANSCRIPT: Pres. Obama's 2016 U.S. Air Force Academy Commencement Address

Remarks by the President at the graduation ceremony for the Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., June 2, 2016.As prepared, courtesy of the White…

Environment

The 'People's Ditch' Shows That Cooperation Over Water Is Possible In Colorado

Water rights can be a touchy subject for Colorado families whose livelihoods are tied to the resource's availability. Touchy subjects like buy-and-dry, a…

Health

Three Disparities That Show A Coloradan's Health Can Vary By Where They Live

Bente Birkeland

Colorado residents have vastly different health outcomes, based in part on where they live in the state. Rocky Mountain PBS News analyzed health data from…