Saturday
September 16th - High Wind Warning Today...
The National Weather Service
in Denver has issued a High Wind Warning for the
majority of the front range mountains and
foothills, including the Drake, Glen Haven and
Storm Mountain areas, until 6:00PM MDT this
evening.
Gusty southwest winds across
the front range foothills and mountains are
expected to shift to the west and quickly increase
to 30-40mph. Peak gusts in wind prone areas could
reach 75-80mph.
Area residents are advised to
secure or move indoors any patio furniture, grills
and other objects subject to blowing away. Drivers
of high-profile vehicles should use caution when
driving or delay travel until this evening, as
very strong gusting is expected.
In addition to the high
winds, much cooler temperatures can be expected
for the next few days with nigh-time lows
approaching the freezing point in some areas.
Homeowners and gardeners should be prepared to
cover less hardy plants on these nights.
Pool of chemicals on private land two
days after application to CR 41H
Thursday
September 14th - County Acknowledges Contamination
Problem...
On Wednesday, officials from
the Larimer County Department of Health and
Environment surveyed the private land reported to
be contaminated by chemicals running from CR 41H.
LCDHE employees Jerry Blehm
and Dave McClowski spent over two hours yesterday
driving CR 41H and walking the land reported as
contaminated with the homeowner. After reviewing
the area it was unanimously agreed that this was
an unacceptable situation which needs to be
remedied.
The homeowner, who was
somewhat tight-lipped about any discussion
yesterday stated, "I am very grateful that
they took the time to actually walk my land. They
got to see and photograph pools of standing
chemicals as well as flow paths through the
property. Had this been properly done back in
2004, when Tom Gonzales clearly saw the problem
but chose to ignore it, many of our large trees
and our dog, Ali, might still be alive."
Ali, a black lab, died in May
of 2005 from suspected exposure to chemicals in
the run-off. Toxicology tests performed at CSU
confirmed the presence of arsenic, also confirmed
to be in the run-off, in both her liver and
kidneys.
Listen to this article
Chemical
Streams Running Through
Private Land
Tuesday
September 12th - Private Land Flooded With
Chemicals...
A homeowner whose property
was inundated with chemical runoff in 2004 has
reported that today his land was again flooded
with concentrated chemicals intended to inhibit
dust on CR 41H, the access road for Storm Mountain
communities.
Over the past two years this
issue had somewhat died down with minimal chemical
use and bordering to prevent potential run-off.
However today was entirely different. No bordering
or precautions were taken with a heavy application
allowing large streams of chemicals, straight out
of the truck, to flow freely across the
homeowner's land.
This run-off was tested in
2004 by Stuart Environmental Consultants and was
confirmed to contain dangerously high amounts of
arsenic, barium and chromium. In 2004, run-off
from CR 41H was reported to be responsible for the
death of one dog, several large trees, and
hundreds of fish in the Big Thompson River.
Ironically, this type of action is condoned by Larimer
County Department of Health and Environment.
Taken
on Tuesday in Rocky
Mountain National Park, this week's photo features
a common four-legged animal found throughout
Colorado, the Coyote.
The Coyote (Canis latrans)
is a wild relative of the domestic dog. Coyotes
have adjusted very well to human-disturbed
environments, and now thrive in close proximity to
people. They are found throughout the United
States (except Hawaii) and in most of Canada.
Coyotes are opportunistic
hunters, They prey on small mammals, domestic
pets, livestock, and domestic fowl but will
readily eat carrion and plants. A coyote will
adjust its diet depending on the food that is
available.
Coyotes
range in color from near black to off-white.
Coyotes in the southwest deserts are the smallest
and the lightest in color, whereas those in the
northern forests are the largest and darkest.
Colorado coyotes are usually rust colored with
white or gray throat and belly.
Like other predators, coyotes vary in size. The
males are larger than the females. The average
size of a coyote is 37 inches long and 18 inches
high. Their weight varies from 20 to 50 pounds.
Coyotes may be the most vocal of all land
mammals. Although most people are familiar with
the coyotes howl, the animal actually has a
language which incorporates a variety of sounds.
They have long clear calls in addition to barks
and yips. Their vocalizations are designed to
bring individuals together or let other coyotes
know their location.
Coyotes
range in color from near black to off-white.
Coyotes in the southwest deserts are the smallest
and the lightest in color, whereas those in the
northern forests are the largest and darkest.
Colorado coyotes are usually rust colored with
white or gray throat and belly.
