Salazar Rio Grande del Norte Center

05/21/2026

If you find yourself being blown this way and that way today by the wind and wondering about the cause and impact of all the dust in the air, then the next installment of the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust's Sip N Science series is for you.

The event is free and open to all.

05/20/2026

05/15/2026

It's been a busy few weeks as the semester is wrapping. Thanks to the students and community members who have completed WATR 201. Information about the fall 2026 WATR 101 will be shared later this summer--scholarships will again be available.

And a big congratulations to all the Grizzlies graduating tomorrow!🎓

Finally, for those interested, the Rio Grande Basin Roundtable will be hosting a tour next week to see new headgate automation technology.

To register for the free tour, see https://tinyurl.com/2ybzdtpd

04/27/2026

In light of the continued and mounting stress of finances, drought, irrigation water shortage, low crop prices, reductions in grazing allotments and more, the CSU Extension is offering a consulting open forum to support crop and livestock producers as they navigate these challenges.

When: Tuesday, April 28
Where: SLV Water Conservancy District Office (623 Fourth Street, Alamosa)
Hours: 1:00pm-5:00pm and 6:00-8:00pm
Phone Option: 719-850-2139 for initial contact
Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/8545768798?omn=95008848697

Available consultants include

Jeff Tranell – Ag Business Management Economist: Financial Analysis; Comparisons of different options; Tax Implications of management and financial decisions

Annie Overlin – Range and Grazing Specialist: Drought planning; grazing and forage management in drought; destocking

Zach Czarnecki – SLVRC Farm Manager: Cropping alternatives

Chad Reznicek, Clinton Wilson, and Kirsten Wulfsberg – Behavioral Health and Stress Management Specialists

04/22/2026

The water word of the week this week is overappropriated! This occurs when there are more decreed water rights than there is actual water; this implies that even in the wettest years, some junior water rights will go out of priority. In the San Luis Valley, by 1900, Colorado courts had already declared the Valley’s streams and rivers overappropriated, meaning there were more legal water-rights claims than the available water. In 2006, Colorado courts also declared the Valley’s aquifers overappropriated. Learn more about our water and how to protect it below!

04/21/2026

🎶Come check out this week's world premiere of new music performed by the Adams State University's Department of Music. Music was composed by Dr. Chelsea Oden ('13) and Dr. Jesse Maker (University of Texas Arlington) who drew upon experiences in the San Luis Valley to influence their work.

This project was sponsored in part by ASU's Place-Based Education Initiative and represents one of the many ways in which ASU faculty and students are engaging with our home.

Event is free and open to the public.

04/13/2026

Adams State University students--looking for a summer internship???

Check out the Conservation and Education Internship with the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust and the Rio Grande Watershed Conservation and Education Initiative.

💲Pay: $18/hour for 480 hours
📆Duration: 12 weeks (May to August)

Great opportunity to work with kids, develop event planning and marketing skills, and learn about important issues in the San Luis Valley.

For more information, see https://app.joinhandshake.com/emp/jobs/10940928

04/03/2026

Yesterday the Salazar Center had the privilege of joining Jocelyn Catterson from the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust, Hannah Thill from the Rio Grande Watershed Conservation and Education Initiative, local artist Lares Feliciano, and Alamosa High School students from Ms. Reyes' AP Environmental Science class at the beautiful Medano-Zapata Ranch--thank you to The Nature Conservancy for hosting us!

This field trip followed two days of class instruction about the technology used to forecast runoff and valley's unique water development history. At the ranch we heard from a local land owner and the Great Sand Dunes National Park about regional water issues. Students then got to work on collages about what they've learned over three days.

Their creations will help inspire a forthcoming mural in downtown Alamosa. Stay tuned for more information about a community painting day to tell our water story!

03/30/2026

Thanks to everyone who participated in Saturday's Rio Grande State of the Basin Symposium! It was a great day of learning and community building.

For those who missed it, recordings will be on the Salazar Center's webpage (Rio Grande Water Videos link). And for a great synopsis of the event (and all things water-in-the-West, check out John Orr's Coyote Gulch blog:

https://coyotegulch.blog/2026/03/29/2026-riogrande-state-of-the-basin-symposium-recap-2026riogrande-riogrande/

Photo credits: Marisa Gylling, Paul Formisano, and Laura Spann

03/26/2026

This year, for the Annual State of the Basin Symposium, we have a special guest, Ken Salazar, in attendance! Ken Salazar served as a U.S. Senator from 2005–2009, becoming the first Latino senator from Colorado. He championed energy, agriculture, and rural health initiatives and later served as Colorado Attorney General, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, and U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.

Make sure to scan the QR code below or visit one of the following links to sign up for the symposium.

Spanish registration link: https://tinyurl.com/3w7zpwrj

English registration link: https://tinyurl.com/4jvyethk