We need the….

Man, it’s nice out. Summer in May is a treat! Or is it?

Memorial Day seemed early, the start of the Crested Butte softball season seems early and the first “red flag warnings” raising awareness over possible wildfires given high winds and lack of moisture seemed super early. The Lower Loop opened about a month earlier than it did last year and other trails that normally welcome bikes in mid-June are getting dusty. But it is what it is, and while already experiencing some gorgeous mid-summer type days, the potential of wildfires is sneaking up on us in May.

It seemed early to already hear the early summer, roll-your-eyes chant of “We need the moisture” when seeing the storm clouds start to gather. But it takes on a new meaning when the nearby foliage is already drying out and we think of the federal government “efficiency” efforts that could hinder response to potential fires in the nearby backcountry on federal public land. The “We need the moisture” mantra came up a lot this past weekend on the trails, the courts and Elk Avenue as a good but brief hailstorm hit us late Monday morning (thankfully after the Memorial Day march to the cemetery) and a few other sprinkles fell from the sky throughout the long weekend.

The numbers right now are indicating that the Gunnison River Basin is sitting at about 25% of normal in terms of snowpack for this time of year. That’s not a good number. And even the hail and sprinkles we did get weren’t exactly a deluge that came close to closing the gap toward 100%, or even 50% of what we think of this time of year.

FYI — a report released this week showed that the Colorado River Basin has lost about 42 million acre-feet of water storage since 2003 — with 65% of those declines, or 28 million acre-feet, attributable to groundwater depletion. “The decline of the river poses a severe threat to both agricultural and municipal water supplies, which are heavily reliant on the river,” the researchers warned. 

The National Integrated Drought Information System said spring snowstorms have not delivered enough snow to overcome these losses. As a result, many rivers experienced their seasonal peaks several weeks early. Drought conditions are likely to persist through the summer with warmer than normal temperatures forecast. June is anticipated to have a great risk of wildland fires in Colorado until summer monsoons roll in.

Okay then. So, while the days are gorgeous, don’t forget there is a dark side to the beauty. No one wants to think about it but now might be time to add to the spring chores and consider creating “defensible space” around your home. Get the dry vegetation at least five feet away from your house. Lose the dead tree branches rubbing against the roof. I’ll have to move the super dry wood used in the Solo Stove from underneath my wooden deck. Our nearby forests seem cluttered with deadfall, but we seem fortunate with few pine beetle impacted trees and decent wetlands up the Kebler corridor. 

It’s just a time to be aware as the climate this spring seems ahead of itself…again. So, while there is nothing wrong in reveling in the current wonder of summer days, it’s also fine to hope that the “stray shower or thunderstorm” mentioned in the weather forecasts brings more than that. We need the moisture!

—Mark Reaman