Dolores River

The Montezuma County commissioners on Tuesday defended their support for creating a national conservation area on the Dolores River.

Dolores River flows steady as the holiday nears. Stay safe on the water with these essential tips and check on burn bans before your Fourth of July plans.

Supporters of public lands are breathing a sigh of relief after a proposal to sell off some lands in Nevada and Utah was removed from the federal budget reconciliation bill.In other news, Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper have reintroduced legislation to protect more than 68,000 acres along the lower Dolores River.

Spring brings more precipitation and warmer temps. Dolores River flows increase, McPhee Reservoir at 78% capacity. Be cautious with rising waters and check your flotation gear.

Efforts to implement new protections on the Dolores River corridor are continuing on two fronts.

Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper answered questions about protections for the Dolores River corridor and numerous other issues at a town hall in Cortez Tuesday night. And the Montezuma-Cortez District Re-1 school board on Wednesday issued a statement saying it is waiting for the result of legal proceedings against the district superintendent before “making any assumptions.”

The presence of zebra-mussel veligers in the Upper Colorado River near Grand Junction has water managers concerned but not panicked.

The future of the Dolores River and its surrounding landscape remains a topic of widespread disagreement.

Arguments continue to rage over whether President Biden should designate a national monument on lands along the Dolores River.

Troubled by the possibility of a new national monument along the Lower Dolores River, county commissioners for both Montezuma and Dolores counties met Tuesday and voiced support for creating a National Conservation Area instead.