KZMU News

In the very salty north arm of Great Salt Lake, Gunnison Island hosts one of the largest breeding grounds for American white pelicans in the world. But not this year. Researchers say pelicans appear to have mostly abandoned their traditional nesting site. Our partners at Utah Public Radio report on a recent lake-wide survey of the birds. Plus, Utah leaders visited forest-management projects to examine how land managers are addressing what some are calling the ‘wildfire crisis.’ And republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives want to reverse the Biden administration’s ban on new oil and gas leases near Chaco Canyon National Park.

// Show Notes:

// Photo: Aimee Van Tatenhove / UPR

// UPR: American White Pelican colony abandons Great Salt Lake nesting site

https://www.upr.org/utah-news/2023-07-20/american-white-pelican-colony-abandons-great-salt-lake-nesting-site

Today we revisit our very first audio portrait. This non-narrated feature takes us to Old City Park, where outdoor guide Blaine gives us some insight into #vanlife in our community.

// Original Broadcast:

https://www.kzmu.org/friday-february-26-2021/

Right now, the state of Utah doesn’t have a great way to measure how much of the water used to irrigate farms gets returned to the aquifers or lost to the air through evaporation. A pair of researchers with the Utah Geological Survey are working at Dugout Ranch to measure how much water is lost to evaporation and transpiration, information that could help the state make better water management decisions.

//Show Notes:

//Photo: This device measures evaporation and transpiration in an alfalfa field at Dugout Ranch down Indian Creek. Photo by Emily Arntsen / KZMU

//The Utah Flux Network

https://geology.utah.gov/map-pub/survey-notes/the-utah-flux-network/

//Plus, the Weekly News Reel! Sophia Fisher of The Times-Independent discusses the Moab film commission’s move to the Red Cliffs Foundation, the Grand County Commission’s travel budget, a new message for Moab’s billboards, and a crime report of one man who was charged this week with burglary following a domestic violence incident. Alison Harford of the Moab Sun News is on vacation this week, but she’ll be back for the News Reel next Friday.

//Weekly News Reel Mentions:

//The Times-Independent: Moab’s film commission heads to Red Cliffs through 2024

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/moabs-film-commission-heads-to-red-cliffs-through-2024/

//The Times-Independent: In-town billboards become flashpoint for tourism messaging

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/in-town-billboards-become-flashpoint-for-tourism-messaging/

//The Times-Independent: Travel expense issue leads to tiff among commissioners

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/travel-expense-issue-leads-to-tiff-among-commissioners/

//The Times-Independent: Flores-Solis in trouble again

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/flores-solis-in-trouble-again/

Today we're airing episode three of a special series, Thirst Gap: Learning To Live With Less On The Colorado River, by KUNC. You can catch the show live at 6:00 p.m. on KZMU, or follow this link to listen to the podcast.

//https://www.kunc.org/thirstgap/2023-05-01/episode-three-the-big-empty

//Lake Powell on the Colorado River reached a record low this year. A wet winter will help it recover, but won’t come close to filling its gap between supply and demand. Luke Runyon from KUNC brings you the next episode from the new podcast and special series, Thirst Gap: Learning To Live With Less On The Colorado River.

Today we're airing episode two of a special series, Thirst Gap: Learning To Live With Less On The Colorado River, by KUNC. You can catch the show live at 6:00 p.m. on KZMU, or follow this link to listen to the podcast.

//https://www.kunc.org/thirstgap/2023-04-24/cash-flows

//Farmers use the majority of the Colorado River’s water, and they’re trying to find ways to use less. But it’s a huge challenge to balance supply and demand on farm ground. Luke Runyon from KUNC brings you the next episode from the new podcast and special series, Thirst Gap: Learning To Live With Less On The Colorado River.

Today we're airing episode one of a special series, Thirst Gap: Learning To Live With Less On The Colorado River, by KUNC. You can catch the show live at 6:00 p.m. on KZMU, or follow this link to listen to the podcast.

//https://www.kunc.org/thirstgap/2023-04-17/wishing-up-a-river

//You can trace the Colorado River’s problems back for more than a hundred years. We’ve known about the Southwest’s growing gap between water supply and demand for a long time. So, what do we do about it? Luke Runyon from KUNC brings you the first episode from the new podcast and special series, Thirst Gap: Learning To Live With Less On The Colorado River.

It’s Regional Roundup Monday! Today we feature a new, biweekly production of the Rocky Mountain Community Radio Coalition, of which KZMU is a proud member. Today’s show includes a report on secret firefly populations across Utah, a skate camp in Telluride, plus audio postcards from Puebloan dancers in Mesa Verde and bagpipers in Aspen.

We can learn a lot about our community based on our sewage. Today we look at how we can use Moab’s wastewater treatment facility to predict tourism trends and disease outbreaks.

//Plus, the Weekly News Reel! Sophia Fisher of The Times-Independent discusses upcoming construction on the new Utahraptor State Park, the monsoon forecast for this summer, Moab’s skyrocketing construction costs, and a new species of thistle discovered in the La Sal Mountains. Alison Harford of the Moab Sun News talks about the summer fire season, the oldest mosasaur fossil in North America, and the Canyonlands Research Center’s first artist-in-residence.

//Show Notes:

//Photo: Sewage aerates at Moab’s Wastewater Reclamation Facility. Photo by Emily Arntsen / KZMU.

//Moab Wastewater Reclamation Facility

https://moabcity.org/506/Wastewater-Reclamation-Facility

//Weekly News Reel Mentions:

//The Times-Independent: Utahraptor close to breaking ground

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/utahraptor-close-to-breaking-ground/

//The Times-Independent: Moisture persists in Utah, but that could change

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/moisture-persists-in-utah-but-that-could-change/

//The Times-Independent: Contractors report soaring construction costs in Moab

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/contractors-report-soaring-construction-costs-in-moab/

//Moab Sun News thistle species is rooted – literally – in the La Sals

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/new-thistle-species-is-rooted-literally-in-the-la-sals/

//Moab Sun News: I-70 wildfire grew to 1,800 acres, highlighting summer fire concerns

https://moabsunnews.com/2023/07/13/i70-wildfire/

//Moab Sun News: North America’s oldest mosasaur fossil found at Grand Staircase-Escalante

https://moabsunnews.com/2023/07/13/oldest-mosasaur-fossil/

//Moab Sun News: CRC’s first artist-in-residence draws attention to biocrust

https://moabsunnews.com/2023/07/13/crc-artist-in-residence/

Tucked away off of Mill Creek Drive, there’s a turn-of-the-century cabin full of local artifacts. It’s a museum, of sorts, run by longtime collector Mark Beeson. Soon, he’ll have to put his collection in storage.

//Show Notes:

//Photo: Mark Beeson describes a photograph that hangs in his cabin museum. Photo by Emily Arntsen / KZMU.

//Mark Beeson’s Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100059965127923

Tune in to our next episode of Lift Up, a storytelling project intending to deepen understanding and empathy within our community and reinforce a sense of safety and belonging for all.

// Our next Lift Up storyteller is John Costanza. From Moab, John graduated from Grand County High with the class of 1976. As a cook, he spent decades living from coast to coast before recently coming back to Moab, and now works at Canyonlands by Night and Day. He enjoys remodeling, chess, canoeing, hiking, and walking the dog. His ultimate concert wish-list for the Moab Folk Festival is Three Dog Night, Little Feat, and Herb Alpert.

// This episode of Lift Up was produced by Matthew A. Jonassaint with support from KZMU.

// Find Lift Up Season 2 here:

www.kzmu.org/lift-up-season-2/

// Music in this interview is by oldmanboy (Joshua Clark Orkin) from Ithaca, New York. Lift Up intro music is Chicago by Scott Holmes Music and outro music is Only Knows by Broke for Free. 

// Image Description: John Costanza, a person with short hair, looks straight ahead. An original, colorful painting behind him is by Charles "Chuck" Crosby, John's first husband.