KZMU News

Heavy rainfall on burn scars is sending flash floods and large debris flows across the Manti-La Sal National Forest. The Moab area continues to experience flooding events, and forest service staff are reminding recreators to be mindful of creeks and streams, as well as steep slopes and narrow canyons that can create increased risk. Plus, members of Congress are considering whether National Parks are being loved to death by an influx of visitors. And, an audio postcard from the hottest place in the state.

Show Notes:

Photo: The Pack Creek drainage near the Holyoak neighborhood on July 26th, nearly 24 hours after a flash flood.

8/2/21 Manti-La Sal National Forest Flood Info

https://www.kzmu.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/8.2.2021_FloodInfo.docx

KUER: Extra Utah – Surviving (And Thriving) In Utah’s Hottest Town

https://www.kuer.org/health-science-environment/2021-07-28/extra-utah-surviving-and-thriving-in-utahs-hottest-town

Right now, the only employee of Utahraptor State Park is its manager - Joshua Hansen, who recently spoke at a Utah Friends of Paleontology meeting in Moab. Hansen expects the park to cover around 8,000 acres in the Dalton Wells area, bringing a visitor center and developed campgrounds - including water and other utilities - to the site. Today on the news, we speak with Hansen and others about this new state park effort for the Moab area. Plus, our partners at KHOL report that many pandemic-era changes in the Mountain West are likely here to stay.

Show Notes:

Photo: Dalton Wells Dinosaur Quarry/Utah Friends of Paleontology

Utah Friends of Paleontology

https://utahpaleo.org/chapters/

Utah Geological Survey: Dinosaurs & Fossils

https://geology.utah.gov/popular/general-geology/dinosaurs-fossils/

Utah State Parks: Investing in the Future of Outdoor Recreation – Exciting Changes Coming to Utah State Parks

https://stateparks.utah.gov/2021/07/08/investing-in-the-future-of-outdoor-recreation-exciting-changes-coming-to-utah-state-parks/

KHOL: ‘It’s A Different Game’ - Pandemic-Era Shifts Are Here To Stay In Western Mountain Towns

https://891khol.org/its-a-different-game-pandemic-era-shifts-are-here-to-stay-in-western-mountain-towns/

Organizers of the first annual Red Sand Powwow, slated for mid-September in Moab, say they aim to foster healing and unity through traditional dance and community gathering. SLC Air Protectors, a Native-American led organization that raises awareness about ongoing environmental crises in Utah, is collaborating with local nonprofit Full Circle Intertribal Center on the event. Today on the news, we hear from their executive director, Jacob Crane.

Plus, the Weekly News Reel where we check in with reporters on their latest stories of our area. Doug McMurdo of The Times-Independent talks search and rescue, expensive hotel rooms, and the ‘storm of the century.’ Rachel Fixen of the Moab Sun News discusses wildfire burns and flooding, as well as a luxury rail line’s legal dispute with the county.

Show Notes:

Photo: Kristen Ramírez, executive director of Full Circle Intertribal Center, and Jacob Crane, executive director of SLC Air Protectors are collaborating on the first annual Red Sand Powwow, slated for September 11-12 at the Old Spanish Trail Arena in Moab. Courtesy Full Circle Intertribal Center

SLC Air Protectors, Red Sand Powwow

https://slcairprotectors.org/red-sand-powwow/

Full Circle Intertribal Center

https://fullcircleintertribalcenter.org/

Weekly News Reel Mentions

The Times-Independent: Answering the call(s)

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/answering-the-calls/

The Times-Independent: Why Moab’s hotel rooms are the most expensive in the state

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/why-moabs-hotel-rooms-are-the-most-expensive-in-the-state/

The Times-Independent: Storm of the Century?

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/storm-of-the-century/?fbclid=IwAR2jN_RAX63alghBh4tkSu3hCV_1wPz1v7a5bAuWGf9UlPKsJYrigOc5c3M

Moab Sun News: Flash flood in Pack Creek - Wildfire burns increase likelihood of flooding

https://www.moabsunnews.com/news/article_62285fa0-ee4e-11eb-8b74-4f99dd0a9187.html

Moab Sun News: Rocky start for luxury rail line – Denver-to-Moab service advances despite legal dispute with county

https://www.moabsunnews.com/news/article_ad8975c2-f09e-11eb-82c1-832ea2e5e383.html

Moab City leaders are looking at several short and long-term housing solutions to solve a burgeoning crisis. Potential paths forward could include seasonal camping, tiny home villages, and modifications to zoning densities. Public officials say Moab’s housing shortage is getting more intense this year. Their evidence? The workforce shortage is also getting more intense. Plus, major flooding throughout Moab kept public works crews and emergency responders busy last night.

Show Notes:

Photo: Residents and volunteers shovel sand into sandbags at the Center Street Ballfields on July 29th, a day after major flooding affected major routes through town. Courtesy Lisa Hathaway.

2017 Moab Area Affordable Housing Plan

http://www.moabhousingplan.com/about.html

7/27/21 Moab City Potential Projects/Policies

https://moabcity.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/3901?fileID=4985

7/27/21 Moab City Housing Discussion Summary

https://moabcity.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/3901?fileID=4974

Flooding and Debris Help:

Public Works: 435-259-7485

City of Moab: 435-259-5121

A bill that would ban uranium mining permanently in the Grand Canyon region has passed the US House and is now in the Senate. Conservationists say the bill is necessary to protect groundwater in the region, but as our partners at KJZZ report in a two-part story, at least one mine could still go into production. Slush funds, environmental concerns, the cold war – all play into the history of uranium mining on the Arizona strip.

Show Notes:

Photo: The Pinyon Plain mine, formerly known as the Canyon Mine, near the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. Credit EcoFlight

KJZZ: The Long History Of Uranium Mining On The Arizona Strip

https://kjzz.org/content/1699769/long-history-uranium-mining-arizona-strip

A community along the Utah-Arizona border once known for religious fundamentalism is now positioned to become a go-to for outdoor recreation. Our partners at KUER report on how the area is changing and what that means for residents. Plus, communities across the US are suing major opioid makers and distributors in one of the biggest federal lawsuits of all time. Our partners at KSJD look at what that means for one rural county in Southwest Colorado.

Show Notes:

Photo: Zion Mountaineering School canyoneers are seen in Water Canyon in Hildale, Utah, on June 15, 2021. The area is attracting more tourists wanting to escape the crowded canyons of nearby Zion National Park. Justin Higginbottom/KUER

KUER: From Polygamous Refuge To Tourist Town – Residents Adapt To The Transformation of Short Creek

https://www.kuer.org/arts-culture-religion/2021-07-15/from-polygamous-refuge-to-tourist-town-residents-adapt-to-the-transformation-of-short-creek

KSJD: Health & Prevention Report – Opioid Lawsuit Funds Will Reach Montezuma County, But It Won’t Be Much

https://www.ksjd.org/post/health-prevention-report-opioid-lawsuit-funds-will-reach-montezuma-county-it-wont-be-much

Community members gathered along the Pack Creek drainage yesterday evening to witness a flash flood driven by rains in the Manti-La Sal National Forest. The soft trickle of Pack Creek became rushing, muddy waters full of debris, which some say smelled like burned earth. The Pack Creek Fire burned 9,000 acres in the mountains this June, and experts familiar with burn scars said there could be potential for increased flooding in the area. Plus, Lake Powell reaches its lowest point yet, the Navajo Nation struggles with drought conditions, and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland discusses federal conservation legislation in Colorado.

Show Notes:

Photo: A flash flood in Pack Creek carried mud and debris through the drainage on Sunday evening.

U.S. Forest Service: Pack Creek Fire closures still in effect (7/22/21)

https://www.kzmu.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/7.22.2021_updated-packcreek-closure_press-release.docx

KUNC: Lake Powell - Nation’s Second-Largest Reservoir - Hits Record low

https://www.kunc.org/environment/2021-07-24/lake-powell-nations-second-largest-reservoir-hits-record-low?fbclid=IwAR1k_MuKNn386os-H6oZI49IJzP2Rw3K9BRFdG-F8n6z-xFc-uDiQAKU4P8

KJZZ: Drought Continues To Impact Navajo Nation

https://fronterasdesk.org/content/1700942/drought-continues-impact-navajo-nation?_ga=2.128008908.1949674385.1626721454-384238978.1615335712

Ouray County Plaindealer: Counties push for CORE Act at meeting with Interior Secretary Haaland

https://www.ouraynews.com/news/counties-push-core-act-meeting-interior-secretary-haaland

We’re looking for a resourceful, multi-talented journalist to join our news department. The part-time staff reporter will help produce our Monday through Friday newscast. We are noncommercial, independent, and community supported. Check out the full job description, qualifications, and how to apply at kzmu.org and in the link below!

https://www.kzmu.org/now-hiring-part-time-news-reporter/

As federal managers consider a water shortage declaration throughout the Colorado River Basin, the region’s reservoirs are beginning emergency releases to prop up a stressed Lake Powell. KUNC water reporter Luke Runyon is covering this troubled scenario and explains what it could mean for the 40 million people who rely on the river in the short and long term.

Plus, our Weekly News Reel where we chat with reporters about their most recent stories of the Moab area. The Times-Independent’s Doug McMurdo (9:30) discusses ‘exceptional’ drought in Utah, property tax increases considered at Moab City and the Grand County School District, as well as an upcoming reptile and amphibian viewing. The Moab Sun News’ Maggie McGuire (18:00) reports on a summer visitation slump after a record-breaking spring, strategic planning at the county, and a teen facing jail time for destroying a ‘back the blue’ sign in Garfield County.

Show Notes:

Photo: Bureau of Reclamation Glen Canyon Dam manager, Bob Martin, stands on a ledge overlooking the Colorado River as it leaves Lake Powell. KUNC reporter Luke Runyon took this photo as part of his recent coverage of water in the West (see below).

KDNK: News Brief – Luke Runyon on Western Water Shortages

https://www.kdnk.org/post/news-brief-luke-runyon-western-water-shortages

KUNC: Colorado River Basin Reservoirs Begin Emergency Releases To Prop Up A Troubled Lake Powell

https://www.kunc.org/environment/2021-07-15/colorado-river-basin-reservoirs-begin-emergency-releases-to-prop-up-a-troubled-lake-powell

KUNC: Hydropower Worries Grow As Colorado River Reservoirs Keep Dropping

https://www.kunc.org/environment/2021-07-13/hydropower-worries-grow-as-colorado-river-reservoirs-keep-dropping

Weekly News Reel Mentions –

The Times-Independent: 65% of Utah in worst-case ‘exceptional’ drought

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/65-of-utah-in-worst-case-exceptional-drought/

The Times-Independent: Sticker shock – School board seeks property tax increase

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/sticker-shock-school-board-seeks-property-tax-increase/

The Times-Independent: View Utah’s reptiles, amphibians at Moab’s wetlands preserve

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/view-utahs-reptiles-amphibians-at-moabs-wetlands-preserve/

Moab Sun News: Moab takes a breather after record-breaking spring ¬– 2021 shaping up to be busiest year on record for parks, businesses

https://www.moabsunnews.com/news/article_612c4d3c-eb15-11eb-841e-ef79c6ddccc7.html

Moab Sun News: What do you love about Grand County? Commissioners workshop strategic plan and vision for county

https://www.moabsunnews.com/news/article_1d826224-eafc-11eb-a02c-9706af798496.html

Moab Sun News: Teen charged with ‘hate crime’ in Garfield County – Woman could face a year in jail for destroying ‘Back the Blue’ sign

https://www.moabsunnews.com/news/article_435517fa-eb13-11eb-8aa4-7f3caf89b962.html

Luxury rail-tour company Rocky Mountaineer will launch their Denver to Moab passenger service in mid-August, yet questions still hang over their plans for unloading passengers. The Canadian-based company say they will disembark passengers on Union Pacific and Intrepid Potash- owned land near state highway 313. But Grand County has yet to see a site plan. That’s because the company is arguing in US District Court that they are not subject to local rules like going through a county permitting process. Plus, the proposal for the creation of a Civilian Climate Corps is moving forward in both chambers of Congress.

Show Notes:

Photo: According to court documents, luxury rail company Rocky Mountaineer plans to disembark passengers in Moab near state highway 313

American Rocky Mountaineer 7/1/21 Complaint

https://www.kzmu.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ARM-Complaint.pdf

Grand County 7/21/21 Response to ARM Complaint

https://www.kzmu.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GRAND-Answer-to-Verified-Complaint.EFILED.7.21.21pdf.pdf

Rocky Mountaineer Info

https://www.rockymountaineer.com

Rocky Mountaineer: ‘Introducing our newest route – Rockies to the Red Rocks’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj8wSOBQXlM

KGNU: Democratic Lawmakers Push for Creation of Civilian Climate Corps

https://news.kgnu.org/2021/07/democrat-lawmakers-push-for-creation-of-civilian-climate-corp/