BASALT—As we get closer to peak runoff season in the valley, officials with the Roaring Fork Conservancy are very concerned. They say stream flows in the last week have dropped to “alarmingly low levels.” Today the snowpack in the Roaring Fork Watershed is only 61 percent of normal for this time of year. One week ago the snowpack was measured at 76 percent. Officials say while the recent rainfall has been a welcome sight, the warm temperatures sped up the snowmelt and caused the snowpack to plummet. With a hot, dry summer in the forecast, the conservancy is putting out the word now to folks considering gardening and landscaping projects to conserve water by using native vegetation and other methods.
