The early November snow is a distant memory and there’s nothing but sunshine in the forecast this week. Daily temperatures will fluctuate between the 40s, some 30s, and maybe into the 50s by the weekend. Overnight temps are staying in the double digits. Here’s more to get the week going:
1. SLV Wildfire Council
A new group has come together to form the SLV Wildfire Council in a proactive step to ensure the health and safety of the Valley’s critical watersheds. A grant through Conejos County’s community navigator program will help the group hire a parttime position, and coordination with Colorado and New Mexico’s 2-3-2 Cohesive Strategy Partnership will help the group see beyond the Valley and into neighboring northern New Mexico. “Grow it in a way that it doesn’t necessarily turn it into something that’s driven by any particular agency but is something that is a little bit more community-minded and community-owned,” is how Sam Scavo with Colorado State Forest Service explained the startup group in a meeting with the Rio Grande Basin Roundtable members. More to come on this new effort.
2. Measuring the Rio
Colorado won’t be storing any water from this year at Platoro Reservoir in Conejos County due to Article 7 of the Rio Grande Compact, according to Craig Cotten, division engineer for the state division of water resources. That’s how nuanced the Rio Grande Compact is between Colorado, New Mexico and Tejas. The usable water supply at Elephant Butte and Caballo Reservoir in New Mexico has potentially dropped below 400,000 acre-feet, said Cotten, and since Platoro is a post-compact reservoir, Colorado can’t utilize it and instead is delivering all the water it’s obligated to send downstream this year to the Colorado-New Mexico state line. Based on this year’s below-normal flows, Colorado is anticipating delivering an estimated 122,500 acre-feet from the Rio Grande and 67,800 acre-feet from the Conejos River. Here’s more on those figures.
3. The Valley Pod: Manassa’s Nathan Coombs
As chair of the Colorado Water Conservation Board and a fourth-generation farmer, Manassa’s Nathan Coombs has a view few do when it comes to land conservation, water, and farming.
We pick his brains in this episode of The Valley Pod, including asking how he juggles so many demands on his time. “I’m not going to lie to you, I don’t want to sound trite, but I found out that I can’t not take responsibility for what’s going on and when I know I’m going to take responsibility, it makes me prepare a little bit better. And if you’re prepared, things get easier. It’s just that simple. And so you read the memos, you read the emails, you try to stay abreast of it, but my challenge has been sorting through what’s really necessary.” Listen in. It’s an insightful conversation.
4. Monte Vista’s alleyways
The town of Monte Vista is hosting a community open house on Tuesday, Nov. 19, to discuss the design of its downtown alleyway improvements. The session begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Dressing up the alleyways of a town is a thing. Alamosa is also doing it, first with its downtown alleys behind the lot off Sixth Street where Manny Patel will build a new hotel, and stretch to Hunt Avenue, and eventually the alleyways that run behind the old Alamosa Courthouse between Fourth Street and Main Street out to State Avenue.
5. Year-end updates: Horizon Heights
We find it important to follow up on stories we’ve reported on during the course of a year to find out how things turned out or put to close a situation that wasn’t yet resolved. We start with Horizon Heights, the gap-filler housing that the city of Alamosa and San Luis Valley Housing Coalition constructed off Airport Road in 2024. When we first toured Horizon Heights back in February, the 20-unit complex was still under construction and there were plenty of questions swirling around town on what Horizon Heights truly was. Now nine months later, Horizon Heights is offering hope to more than just the tenants. “Our housing needs are greater than what we can provide but there is hope,” said Dawn Melgares, the executive director of SLV Housing Coalition who gave us an update on Horizon Heights. “We already had others on our waitlist find housing elsewhere and they no longer needed Horizon when a unit was available. This means that landlords are opening up to the idea of giving people a chance.”
6. Share a holiday story
When you’re around the Thanksgiving table, what will come to mind that you’re thankful for this year? As the season of Christmas approaches, what are the memories that have stuck with you? We’d love to hear from you. It can be short or long. It can be a photograph with information. Simply send us an email info@alamosacitizen.com with Holiday Story in the subject line. Or use this form. This holiday season we’d love to have your story as part of ours and to share with others.
7. Scores and more
Sierra Grande High’s unbeaten season came to a crashing halt on Saturday when the Panthers lost to Otis High, 66-6, in their quarterfinal game of the six-man state football playoffs. The Panthers end the season 9-1. Sanford High also lost its quarterfinal matchup against Haxtun, 54-6, in the 8-man state playoffs. The Mustangs finished the year 7-4.
Big weekend ahead for Adams State Cross Country. The Grizzlies head to Sacramento this week for the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships. Adams State women are among the team favorites, while Romain Legendre on the ASU men’s team is among the top individuals heading to the national race.
Congrats to the SLV United middle school soccer team (above). They were crowned the Premier Champion in the Pueblo Rangers Middle School League over the weekend.