Environmental News
Environmental News from Boulder, Colorado
OSMP Implements Closures Thursday
May 1st
City of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) Department will begin seasonal area closures to protect grassland ground-nesting birds beginning Thursday, May 1.
These closures will be in effect until July 31.
No designated trails will be closed as part of this protective measure.
The areas closed for grassland ground-nesting birds are:
Both sides of the Greenbelt Plateau Trail from Community Ditch Trail to the Greenbelt Plateau Trailhead on state Highway 128. Dogs will be allowed on the Greenbelt Plateau only if they are on leash (the trail is normally voice-and-sight control);
The area north of Community Ditch Trail and west of state Highway 93;
The area north of the Flatirons Vista North Trail and west of Highway 93 on top of the mesa;
The area north of the South Boulder Creek West Trail, east of the Bluestem Connector and south of Shanahan Ridge (dogs are prohibited in this area year-round).
Dog regulations on both the Community Ditch and Doudy Draw trails will remain voice-and-sight control.
For a variety of reasons, grassland bird populations in North America have declined sharply in the last several decades. Three species that OSMP monitors – Grasshopper Sparrows, Horned Larks and Lark Sparrows – have suffered at least a 50-percent population decline in the last 40 years, according to the National Audubon Society. The closures OSMP will implement Thursday are important in protecting these species’ habitats by keeping people and their pets away as the birds attempt to nest.
Please help OSMP protect these species and other ground-nesting birds by respecting the closures. Trespass violations can result in a summons with penalties up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
Source: City of Boulder
Boulder Creek to Reopen West of Broadway
Apr 25th
At noon on Friday, April 25, the City of Boulder and Boulder County Sheriff’s Office will reopen Boulder Creek from Boulder Falls to Broadway.
Public safety officials believe that this section of Boulder Creek will be safe for kayakers, swimmers, and tubers after the heavy equipment that was being used to remove sediment and debris is moved to other drainageways.
Contractors will continue removing debris and sediment east of Broadway, and that section of Boulder Creek will remain closed to recreational use. As flood recovery work progresses, other sections of Boulder Creek will be reopened when the city and county deem that it is safe for public use.
Source: City of Boulder
Boulder Flood Info Expansion
Apr 15th
Inquire Boulder and dedicated phone line Expansion for Boulder Flood Info
To continue to provide the most up-to-date information, resources and a dedicated contact for flood-related information, Boulder Flood Info will now have a presence on Inquire Boulder as well as a dedicated phone line.
Boulder Flood Info is the city’s comprehensive resource for all flood-related information. Currently, community members can visit www.BoulderFloodInfo.net for timely flood preparedness and recovery information or email BoulderFloodInfo@bouldercolorado.gov with questions or concerns.
With flood season upon us, expanding Boulder Flood Info was essential to provide our community with more options to get the most up-to-date information, said City Manager Jane Brautigam. We understand that community members are at very different stages of recovery and want to ensure they can get the information they need in various different ways.
Flood Info on Inquire Boulder
Inquire Boulder – the city’s virtual information desk – has been expanded to include a ‘Flood Information’ topic. This topic covers all flood-related information requests citywide. Community members can visit the Flood Information topic and make a service request. Inquire Boulder also has a specific topic dedicated to Flood Cleanup. If you have a Smartphone, residents are encouraged to download Inquire Boulder app. This app automatically geolocates service requests and provides the ability to take a picture with your device and include it with the submission.
Flood Info dedicated phone line
The Boulder Flood Info phone line, available at 303-441-1856, will be a central point of contact for residents and community members. As a citywide entry point, this phone line is a resource to answer questions as appropriate as well as route calls for department or topic-specific questions.
These additional resources should be used for informational purposes and are not intended for emergency requests. If residents feel their flood question or concern is an emergency, call 911 immediately.
Other ways to get Boulder Flood Info:
Visit www.BoulderFloodInfo.net for comprehensive, up-to-date flood-related info including:
Downloadable Community Guide to Flood Safety;
See the Flood Recovery Status Map; and
Learn about what the city is doing and what you can do to recover and prepare for flooding in Boulder.
Sign up for the Boulder Flood Info email list
Submit questions via BoulderFloodInfo@bouldercolorado.gov.
Source: City of Boulder
