Last Wednesday, the Basalt Police Department responded to reports of a wildfire caused by a lightning strike located above Pinion Drive. Roaring Fork Fire Rescue personnel hiked into the area and successfully controlled the spread.
While Basalt PD was notified of the fire by multiple 911 calls, responders were also notified by its Pano AI system, which uses a network of cameras throughout the Valley constantly watching for smoke. Two cameras from the Pano system detected the fire simultaneously and enabled responders to triangulate the location of the fire and arrive on the scene quickly.
As of June 27, Stage 1 fire restrictions remain in effect in Eagle and Pitkin County. Because of a ruling by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Basalt Shooting Range remains open. Closure of the range will be evaluated should Stage 2 fire restrictions come into effect.
School crosswalk
On July 15, the Town of Basalt announced that it received a $573,200 grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation to reimagine the 0.2-mile stretch of Two Rivers Road adjacent to the Basalt middle and elementary schools.
The area, which includes the intersection of Cottonwood Drive and Two Rivers Road, is heavily trafficked by schoolchildren travelling by bike and foot. Improvements to the area include upgraded ADA accessible sidewalks, bicycle lanes, signage, flashing signals, enhanced crosswalks and improved drainage.
“The improvements that the Town of Basalt will make in this area are significant for the community and for the safety of our children,” said Town Engineer Catherine Christoff.
The design originated from a collaborative volunteer project between the Design Workshop and local girl scouts. The scouts envisioned an area both safer for pedestrians and more fun and colorful. This collaboration inspired the rainbow crosswalks which currently line the intersection that’ll be redeveloped.
In other news…
During this week’s regular meeting, Interim Manager Doug Pattison notified the public that a juvenile mountain lion has been sighted repeatedly in Basalt. The Town has also received reports of two missing housecats and advises general precautions for pet owners. Pattison stated that it is possible the mountain lion may be sick. The Town has contacted Colorado Parks and Wildlife for further guidance.
Council unanimously approved a water use agreement with the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) to donate excess water for instream flow uses in the Fryingpan River. This agreement comes off the heels of a presentation by CWCB to the Town Council on July 8.
During the presentation, CWCB identified that low instream flow in the wintertime results in anchor ice formation on the Fryingpan River. Anchor ice forms along the riverbed of turbulent waterways, and particularly damages the habitat of aquatic macroinvertebrates. These invertebrates — such as caddisflies — are not only important for the health of the river overall, but also make up much of the diet of the trout for which the Fryingpan is famous.
Increasing instream flows from Ruedi Reservoir in the wintertime will mitigate the formation of anchor ice by increasing the barrier between the cold air and the riverbed.
In its resolution, Council agreed to lease the excess portion of its water rights to CWCB.
“I’m pleased to see this,” said Mayor David Knight. “I hope other municipalities who have storage water up there are able to look at their own dependencies, and we can find ways to all contribute.”