connecting our love for outdoor recreation with insight + action
Colorado, USA
This state boasts climbing mountain ranges, expansive plains, and everything in between. Many of us spend our free time in the natural spaces, and all of us benefit from the resources of the region. This photography blog is a way to capture my conservation observations while outdoors on hikes or bike rides - then tie them in with climate change education, importance to our overall well-being, and actionable steps for you and I. Protection of these spaces can ensure we are enjoying them for generations to come.
Eleven Mile Reservoir
The 6-mile-long reservoir is second largest in Denver Water's system. Popular for fishing, hiking, biking, and sailing, it is one of the largest bodies of water east of the continental divide. The state’s reservoirs can provide some buffering against some expected increases in water demand and decreases in flow, but entities with junior rights or little storage are especially vulnerable to future low flows.
The Platte River Power Association has a power plant up in northern Colorado that operates on land with a bison herd, showing a collaborative approach to existing energy generation. Two herds of American bison reside on the land surrounding the Rawhide Energy Station, their ancestors roaming the plains in northern Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota. The bison herds serve as Platte River’s environmental ambassadors, demonstrating that wildlife can coexist in harmony with responsibly operated generation facilities.
Bison at Power Plant
Denver Water’s largest reservoir, this is also a popular location for hiking, biking, live music, and boating. The high mountains of Colorado form the headwaters of major rivers and their tributaries that provide water supply for Colorado and over two dozen downstream states and Mexico
Dillon Reservoir
Skiing on Evergreen Lake
Recreation at Evergreen Lake includes all the usual hobbies, but we noticed ski tracks across the middle of the lake next to a group of ice fishers. Warming climate impacts can lead to shorter seasons for activities on frozen lakes, especially those close to the metro region like Evergreen. Diminishing snowpack can shorten the season for skiing and other forms of winter tourism and recreation. It also enables subalpine fir and other high-altitude trees to grow at higher elevations. The upward movement of the tree line will shrink the extent of alpine tundra and fragment these ecosystems.