Dolores River

Local officials and watershed groups say wildfire preparedness in southwest Colorado includes emergency alerts, evacuation planning, defensible space, forest health and post-fire watershed risks.

The Dolores Watersheds Collaborative is developing a Wildfire Ready Action Plan to identify post-fire flooding, erosion and sedimentation risks in the upper Dolores River watershed.

This week’s Water Wednesday shares current river flow levels across the region and spotlights a new Indigenous-led art exhibit honoring the Dolores River and its cultural significance.

This week’s Water Wednesday reports low river flows and one of the worst snowpack years on record, with the Dolores River projected at just 35% of average inflow.

Low river flows and invasive zebra mussels are raising concerns in southwest Colorado, as experts warn of a short boating season and risks to waterways.

U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd addressed a variety of topics during his visit with the Montezuma County commissioners Monday afternoon but was vague about one that is of major interest to many locals – the proposed Dolores River National Conservation Area.

Will 2026 be the year that a national conservation area is created on the lower Dolores River? Proponents of the long-stalled effort are hoping it will.

Recent storms brought record rainfall across the Four Corners — with some areas seeing a third of their annual total in a single day — but drought conditions remain. Water users across the Upper Colorado River Basin are facing deep, uncompensated cuts, forcing widespread farmland fallowing and new pressure on long-term water management.

The National Weather Service projects a brief La Niña this fall, with drought persisting across the Four Corners. McPhee Reservoir sits 16.5 feet lower than last year.

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