From the Summit Daily News (Bryce Evans):
What: Frisco kayak competition
When: June 12-13
Details: Night trick competition on June 12, followed by kayak rodeo (2-4 p.m., June 13) and kayak race (4:30 p.m., June 13).
More info: Contact Matti Wade of Ten Mile Creek Kayaks at (970) 668-9294
More whitewater coverage here.
From the Glenwood Springs Post Independent (Kevin Keller):
Stand-up paddlers from the Roaring Fork Valley will compete with athletes from as far away as Hawaii. MacArthur said they are expecting about 35 competitors this year. Event promoter Paul Tefft said the event is truly one-of-a-kind. “It’s new, different, and unique,” he said. “The sport is evolving as we speak. My favorite event is the surfing, it’s the most action packed. There are a bunch of new moves, and it’s evolving at a rapid pace.” This year’s champion will be crowned after paddlers compete in three separate events on the Colorado River: A down river race, a new event called Supercross, and the surfing contest on the wave at the whitewater park, the competition’s website said. There are four divisions in the championship: men, women, youth male and youth female…
The race begins at 9:30 a.m. at Two Rivers Park. The paddlers will begin with a mass start at the park and race about six miles downriver to the finish at South Canyon. Supercross starts at 11:30 a.m., adjacent to Two Rivers Park. The event is a race similar to the Winter Olympic snowboard event boardercross. Competitors line up at the launch site, paddle upriver around the first flag, then go into the main current, with one more upriver flag to cross, according to the competition’s website…
The final event is a surfing contest with two or three one-minute rides per competitor, depending on number of competitors. The surfing begins at 2:30 p.m. at the whitewater park and is judged on a point system, with points being awarded for different types of moves. Wilmott said that surfing here is quite different from surfing on the ocean. “Surfing a wave that never ends is harder than it looks,” Wilmott said. “I think the best way to describe it is that the ocean is three-dimensional and the river is five-dimensional.” The competitors will then head back to Two Rivers Park for the awards ceremony, trophy presentation to the overall champions, and some celebration. Registration forms and information are available online at http://www.whitewatersupchampionship.com. Registration payment can be made in person at Two Rivers Park on May 30 from 5 to 7 p.m.
More whitewater coverage here.
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
“The Bureau of Reclamation must not award any contract without first demanding that the stormwater enterprise be re-instituted,” state Rep. Sal Pace, D-Pueblo, said. “We in Pueblo must have that assurance before SDS is given a contract in Lake Pueblo.” In April, Pace called for a new environmental analysis of SDS in light of Colorado Springs City Council’s decision to abolish the stormwater enterprise last year. Pace was unable to attend the first negotiating session for SDS this week because of a family emergency, but said his stance has not changed. “If the stormwater enterprise was deemed so important in these environmental studies by Reclamation and Colorado Springs officials when promoting SDS, then there must be serious consequences upon its demise,” Pace wrote in the letter.
Colorado Springs attempted to head off controversy over the issue in the opening round of negotiations for federal SDS contracts, even though the issue wasn’t raised by the Bureau of Reclamation. “Colorado Springs’ stormwater-control measures for new development are totally independent from the stormwater enterprise and will remain unchanged,” SDS Project Director John Fredell said. Reclamation’s environmental impact statement concluded that SDS return flows would have a small impact on storm flows, Fredell said…
Pueblo County, in its comments on the environmental impact statement by attorney Ray Petros, told Reclamation additional environmental studies would be needed if Colorado Springs eliminated its stormwater enterprise. Reclamation answered Pueblo county’s concerns with the environmental impact statement by saying the stormwater enterprise appeared to be a reasonably foreseeable action, so was included as part of the cumulative effects analysis. “Implementation of the Colorado Springs stormwater enterprise has purposes that are independent of the SDS Project and is not considered a mitigation measure,” Reclamation stated in the reply.
From the Associated Press via The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel:
The BLM says a renewable energy company has nominated two areas covering about 14 square miles. Some of the land overlaps habitat for Gunnison sage grouse and Canada lynx. The company’s name wasn’t released. The BLM will analyze possible environmental impacts before deciding if leases should go forward. No public lands in Colorado have been leased for geothermal energy development yet.