🐟 Dead fish. Foul smells. What’s happening to Boulder’s ponds?

Leading today: Readers sent us so many tips about dead fish, foul odors and disappearing ponds across Boulder County that we had to find out what was happening. After months of extreme drought, were these signs of ecological collapse or part of a natural cycle? Por Jaijongkit investigated and found that the damage is likely temporary, though officials cannot simply refill the ponds in the meantime.

Also today: Local historian Silvia Pettem revisits the star-studded 1966 remake of Stagecoach, which traded Monument Valley’s dusty scenery for Boulder County’s mountains. She traces scenes filmed at Silver Lake, North Boulder Falls, the Switzerland Trail and the Blue Bird Mine complex, including one location hikers can still visit today. 

And in BRL Opinion: Parents in the Flatirons Elementary community urge BVSD to delay its school-closure vote and publicly compare the plan with less disruptive alternatives. 

Plus more, Below the Fold:

• BoulderCAST: Hot with storm chances through Labor Day.
• Mark Wallach: Council honors him after his resignation.
• Student walkout: Twelve local schools join a statewide protest against ICE.
• Business survey: Boulder asks about outages and plastics.
• Meadowlark Trail: A portion closes Sept. 7-Nov. 7 for wildfire grazing.
• Labor Day: Offices closed; outdoor pools and swim beach open.

Thanks, as always, for reading,

– The BRL team

Boulder County’s ponds are drying up. Officials can’t simply refill them.

Extreme drought has shrunk ponds and wetlands, causing fish kills and foul odors. Officials often lack the water rights or infrastructure to refill them, though a county wildlife official says the damage is likely temporary. Continue reading…

Boulder County’s starring role in the 1966 ‘Stagecoach’ remake

The star-studded 1966 remake of the iconic 1939 western “Stagecoach” was filmed at Silver Lake, along the Switzerland Trail and at the Blue Bird Mine complex. Continue reading…

Rinse and repeat: Staying hot with late-day storms

A stubborn late‑summer pattern will keep Colorado locked in southwest flow through the entire holiday weekend, but things will get more interesting as Hurricane Marie begins sending pulses of tropical moisture our way. For Boulder, this will translate into a slow, steady increase in storm chances each day, though meaningful rainfall east of the divide may not materialize.

Today brings a modest bump in moisture, enough for isolated to widely scattered late‑day storms across Boulder County. Saturday looks similar, with slightly deeper humidity arriving toward evening. The biggest change comes Sunday and Monday, when Marie’s real moisture surge reaches Colorado. Expect higher storm coverage in the Mountains — heavy rain and frequent lightning are on the table — while the Plains see more clouds and better odds for late‑day storms. Still, persistent low‑level dry air and too many clouds may limit our overall rainfall potential.

Temperatures will hover near the low 90s through the weekend before dipping into the 80s next week.

Have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day Weekend, especially if you’re heading into the stormy high country.

— BoulderCAST

Boulder City Council honors Mark Wallach in emotional farewell after resignation

Former Boulder Councilmember Mark Wallach, who resigned in July, was honored by his former colleagues during the Sept. 3 council meeting.

“One thing I appreciated so much about you as a colleague was that you always said and did what you believed to be right,” Councilmember Nicole Speer said before reading a declaration in his honor. “I’m not sure that you have a political bone in your body, unless they snuck one in with your new hip.”

Wallach, 73, resigned in protest over the council’s decision to keep Boulder Municipal Airport open indefinitely. He is also recovering from a recent hip fracture. Read more on BRL.

Boulder County students to join statewide walkout against ICE today

Students at 12 Boulder County high schools plan to walk out of class today as part of a statewide protest demanding that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement stay away from schools.

At New Vista High School, students will walk out at 12:30 p.m. and march to Boulder’s bandshell, according to senior Lyle Kress, who is organizing the school’s protest and the Boulder chapter of the Colorado Youth Coalition.

“This is a historic Colorado walkout organized by high school students,” Kress told Boulder Reporting Lab.

The coalition says students at more than 160 schools statewide plan to participate. The Boulder County list includes Boulder, Centaurus, Fairview, Longmont, Monarch, New Vista, Niwot, Silver Creek and Skyline high schools; Lyons and Nederland middle/senior schools; and Peak to Peak, a K-12 charter school.

The protest follows the Trump administration’s decision to end federal restrictions on immigration enforcement at schools and other “sensitive locations”. Colorado law prohibits federal immigration agents from entering nonpublic areas of public schools without a judicial warrant.

Boulder seeks business input on power outages and single-use plastics

The City of Boulder is surveying local businesses about how power outages and single-use plastics affect their operations and costs. Prolonged outages can spoil food and disrupt businesses, while disposable cups, containers and other plastic products have become more expensive, according to the city. Responses will help guide efforts to improve power reliability and reduce single-use plastics. 

Businesses of all sizes can complete the survey through Sept. 20. Questions can be directed to Deryn Wagner at wagnerd@bouldercolorado.gov. 

Meadowlark Trail to close for two months during wildfire-mitigation grazing

Boulder County will close Meadowlark Trail from Sept. 7 through Nov. 7 while cattle graze the area to reduce potential wildfire fuel and support grassland health. The county said the closure is intended to protect visitors because cattle in the area have previously been protective of their young and aggressive toward trail users.

All other trails and the Coalton Trailhead will remain open. Pedestrians and cyclists can use a detour on sidewalks and trails near McCaslin Boulevard; the detour is not open to equestrians.

What’s open and closed in Boulder on Labor Day

City of Boulder offices and Age Well Centers will be closed Monday, Sept. 7, for Labor Day. Here’s what else to know:

• Pools and recreation: Labor Day is the final day of the season for the Spruce Pool lap pool; its leisure pool is already closed. Scott Carpenter Pool will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The city recommends checking schedules because limited staffing may affect hours.
• Re centers: North Boulder Recreation Center will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., but its pools are closed for maintenance. East and South Boulder recreation centers will be closed.
• Outdoors: Boulder Reservoir will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., with swimming available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Flatirons Golf Course will be open from sunrise to sunset.
• Parking and transit: Parking will be free in downtown garages and city-owned lots outside the Chautauqua Park area. The HOP will operate on a holiday schedule, and the Park to Park shuttle will run for the final weekend of the season.

Commentaries are opinion pieces from community members and newsmakers. They reflect the views of the authors, not BRL. Want to submit one? Here’s how.

Ty Haney and Katie Wolf: BVSD should prove school closures are the best option 

Declining enrollment is real. But before closing neighborhood elementary schools, the district should publicly model less destructive alternatives and explain why they would not work. Continue reading…

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