Colder weather arrives this week and with it the infamous San Luis Valley wind chill that will influence daytime temperatures through the middle of week when moisture could arrive. The overnight temperatures look to remain in the double digits rather than single to zero, offering a bit of reprieve for the night owls. Here’s more for the first week of December:
1. A story of land and carbon
It’s one of the more urgent questions in an era of aridification to the Valley’s lands: How best to revegetate, using a limited amount of water, to avoid a dust-bowl effect on land once farmed and now permanently retired? The Colorado State Land Board and Land & Carbon Inc., a carbon project development company, have entered into a first-of-its kind agreement to find those answers. In September, the state land board inked a partnership with Land & Carbon Inc. to revegetate and restore 480 acres of degenerated land under an initial 15-year partnership, and then a 40-year monitoring period to determine long-term success. With more land and water being retired from irrigation every year, the question of how to revegetate only becomes more urgent.
1a. Telling the story of rural communities
Evan Arizvu is the author of “Barren fields find beneficial use” which is the latest of the stories she has produced as an intern working through the Rural Journalism Institute of the San Luis Valley. RJISLV is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit partner of Alamosa Citizen. Through it young writers like Evan are given assignments and provided direct oversight in the step-by-step process of researching, reporting and producing an article for publication. Brianna Robles is another current RJISLV intern. We believe the development of young writers like Evan and Brianna are critical to the development and work published on AlamosaCitizen.com and then spread through social channels to maximize the number of individuals that will come across the work. We also believe having interns trained in small-town settings is beneficial both to them and to the communities of the Valley. We ask a lot of our readers. If you are able to support this work, please do so by making a tax-deductible donation here.
2. The new downtown hotel
On a clear day, you really can see forever when looking across the San Luis Valley landscape from the rooftop of the new SpringHill Suites by Marriott off Sixth Street and State Avenue in downtown Alamosa. It’s a view we had the privilege of experiencing on a recent tour of the 90-room hotel, which is on pace to open in the summer of 2026. Alamosa turns 148 years in 2026, and from the rooftop you see remnants of the past and can ponder the future of the old railroad town, including what the new hotel can mean and will mean for downtown Alamosa. Two questions arise: Are downtown merchants ready to accommodate visitors who stay downtown, meaning business hours that will cater to a hotel visitor? And will new businesses emerge to offer more to the downtown Alamosa experience? It would seem both are necessary to keep moving downtown Alamosa into the future as the new downtown hotel opens its doors.
3. On the agenda: 2026 budget approvals
The Rio Grande Water Conservation District has set Dec. 11 for adoption of its 2026 operating budget, and the Mosca-Hooper Conservation District will look to adopt its new budget on Dec. 15. You can find public notices like these and others on the Alamosa Citizen Community Bulletin Board. This is a section of the website filled with community notices and events.
4. 2026 Campaign Trail: State Rep. Martinez announces
State Rep. Matthew Martinez says he will seek a third term in 2026. He was first elected in 2022 to represent Colorado House District 62, which includes the six-county SLV and other parts of southern Colorado. In his time in the statehouse, Martinez has focused on military affairs as a Marine veteran; education as vice chair of House Education Committee; and frequently partners with State Sen. Cleave Simpson on agriculture, water and natural resources issues in looking after the Valley.
“This district is more than just lines drawn on a map, it is a people; a culture and a way of life. It has been an honor to serve Southern Colorado in the state house. Life happens outside of Denver and I want to continue to uplift the people of the district and fight back against harmful policies that affect our way of life,” Martinez said in his re-election pitch.
5. Big month for San Juan Nordic Club
December brings the annual San Juan Nordic Ski Swap. This year’s event is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Dec. 6, and will be held in a new location at the SLV Gen Wild Gear Library at 518 San Juan Ave., downtown Alamosa. The San Juan Nordic Club’s Ski Swap is where you can buy, sell, and donate your ski and outdoor gear. Then on Dec. 12, there’s the Backcountry Film Festival by Winter Wildlands Alliance that benefits the San Juan Nordic Club. The film festival will be held for the first time at The Church Project Community Arts Center in Monte Vista. Here’s a link for tickets.
6. Adventures in Oregon
From Alamosa to Eugene, Ore., is the trek our own Eva Lopez took following graduation from Alamosa High two years ago. It gives us the opportunity to explore the northwest, which we do in this Outdoor Field Report from the Umpqua National Forest.