A volunteer group promoting quality of life, and the
environment of the Lower Blue River Valley.
The Friends of the Lower Blue River are dedicated to sustaining and protecting the traditional agricultural character, promoting the safety of the residents, livestock and wildlife, and maintaining the environmental integrity of the Lower Blue River Valley through education, collaboration and community involvement.
To sustain and protect the traditional agricultural character, promote the safety of the residents, livestock and wildlife, and maintain the environmental integrity of the Lower Blue River Valley through education, collaboration and community involvement.
Friends of the Lower Blue River is committed to preserving the rich history of the Blue River Valley. Through grant support from the Summit Foundation, we have created this interactive tool that documents and takes you to key points of interest in the Valley. You will see photographs and read about those who came before us. Those who settled this pristine area of Summit and Grand Counties in the 1800’s and the relevance those sites have today. FOLBR invites you to take this journey on our website and discover the treasure, that truly is the Lower Blue River Valley.
Click Here to see History Story Map
A beaver surveying a calm pond
Friends of the Lower Blue River is currently studying the benefits of beaver in the Valley. We are undertaking a stream assessment initiative this summer. Director of Climate Action, Tom Koehler is currently surveying areas of the Lower Blue for potential ecological wetland uplift. He is using a mosaic of mapping tools to indicate where beaver have been, where they might currently exist and where uplifts have the potential to increase species diversity, including beaver in the future. The benefits include, drought resiliency as well as vegetative health for wildlife, stream bank stability and environmental health, such as clean water.
Example of a Beaver Dam Analog
Last month, our Wetlands for Wildlife project, funded and sponsored by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, took real steps forward. We began ground operations along with Ecometrics, uplifting previously modest wetlands, implementing beaver dam analogs as a natural climate solutions tool within our Climate Resilience Initiative. This process allows the stream to expand following historical flows, enhancing biodiversity, mitigating drought impacts and promoting healthy wildlife habitat.
The next phase of this project is already underway creating Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping designs. We are also working to develop field verification teams this autumn to examine the natural intricacies of streams. Next spring, we will continue this work throughout more of the Lower Blue River Valley.
Sam Kirk
Congratuations to outgoing Board President Sam Kirk named FOLBR's 2024 Founders Award Recipent. Thank you Sam for all your support and ciommitment to the Lower Blue River Valley.
Hannah Ohlson of Summit Fire & EMS on wildfire mitigation and prevention
Kurt Dallow and Tom Koehler at KSS Community Days
In July, Friends of the Lower Blue River partnered with the Keystone Science School to talk about water, wildlife and the climate at KSS's Community Days. FOLBR Board Member Kurt Dallow and FOLBR's Director of Climate Action, Tom Koehler spent the day with about 150 youngsters. Overall, the kids were enthused to hear about the importance of water in Colorado, our river system, the impact of beavers and they even enjoyed a scavenger hunt. Thanks to Keystone Science School and we look forward to partnering more with KSS in the future.
By: Wyatt Myskow
Inside Climate News
Lithium needed for batteries that power electric vehicles and store electricity from renewable energy projects is likely to deplete—and in some cases, contaminate—local water supplies, according to a new paper recently published.
From mining the mineral to processing it for battery use, water is essential for producing the soft, silvery metal with superior ability to hold a charge. With lithium demand rising as the world pivots away from the fossil fuels, researchers are increasingly scrutinizing the environmental impacts of extracting and using the mineral critical to the energy transition.
The new paper, titled Lithium and Water: Hydrosocial Impacts Across the Life Cycle of Energy Storage, is designed as a primer for community members, activists and other researchers about lithium’s impact on water supplies. It makes the situation clear—lithium products, across their entire life cycle, will have “impacts on both the quantity and quality of water resources” that will primarily affect communities already on the front lines of climate change.
The carbon offset market has been damage recently, bringing some real doubt to its legitimacy. First, it’s important to understand the intent of these offsets is to better gauge the legitimacy of the market moving forward.
Voluntary carbon markets exist for companies and other buyers to purchase carbon credits. The credits offset their emissions and can be used to attempt to achieve “net zero” targets. A lot of these are forest based. Some believe the carbon capturing attributes of the forest or other landscapes can offset a company’s emissions.
With pressure from political, environmental and shareholder activists, companies found themselves bolstering sustainability efforts and even touting ambitious net-zero goals. Reducing emissions can be difficult both on an operational level and throughout a company’s supply chain.
Offset markets were thought to be a large part of the answer, to achieve the somewhat misleading net-zero pledge. Companies began purchasing them and for a while, the market was booming as the price of carbon credits increased.
The first humans in the Lower Blue River Valley were the Ute Indians. They were residents for over 10,000 years, all the while endeavoring to live in harmony with nature and with each other.
In the 1880’s, settlers and miners encroached on the Ute territories, including the Lower Blue River Valley. This led to conflicts between the Utes and the intruders on their ancestral homeland. Their long-standing tenure finally came to an end in 1881. The Ute Indians were forced, by decree, onto smaller reservations in Colorado and larger ones in Utah. The move was enforced by a federal government pressured by agricultural, mining and commercial interests.
Although the Federal Homestead Act was passed in May of 1862, the first homesteads for the valley were not granted until 1882. Realizing the potential for ranching and farming, settlers from Illinois, Kansas and Arkansas, sought the 160 acres provided by the Act. Miners also wanted out of the mines seeking the land of opportunity in the Lower Blue.
