THIS TOUR HAS BEEN POSTPONED FROM THE ORIGINAL JANUARY 30 DATE TO SATURDAY, FEB. 13 DUE TO WEATHER. Thank you for your understanding!

Join the Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership & Ouray County Historical Society on a fun, guided tour of the Red Mountain mining district.

Who can come: Everyone of all ages (as long as parents accompany children; releases will need to be signed by all)

What to bring: snowshoes, cross country or touring gear, appropriate clothing & accessories to keep you comfy & happy, lunch, water, sunscreen, friends, kids, but please leave your furry friends at home

What we’ll bring: warm drinks and cookies to complement your lunch

Cost: a $25 donation ($15 for children 14 & under) is requested to support our organizations, UWP & OCHS (please bring on day of tour

Backup date: in the event of inclement weather, we will notify you and postpone the tour to a yet to be determined date

Register: spaces are limited to 20. Do not delay – sign up below now!
[contact-form to=’uwpcommunications@gmail.com’ subject=’Winter Mine Tour Sign Up’][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Phone’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Additional names who will be joining us.’ type=’textarea’/][contact-field label=’I have the following questions that I would like the organizers to respond to by email or phone.’ type=’textarea’/][/contact-form]

Join UWP at the Ouray Community Center at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 30 to learn about activities related to improving water quality in Red Mountain Creek through reclamation work at the former Idarado Mine. Representatives from Newmont Mining and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will present information about reclamation activities over the past five years and plans for addressing acid drainage for the coming years, as well as answer questions from the community.

The Idarado’s remedial actions in the Red Mountain Creek sub-basin are a result of a 1992 Consent Decree (outcome of 1983-1991 CERCLA litigation) in which Idarado and the state entered into a voluntary agreement for remediation of the mining area. The primary objectives were to stabilize mine tailings and improve water quality in Red Mountain Creek by reducing zinc concentrations by 50 percent or to 1.5 ppm. Although tailings have been successfully stabilized and vegetated, the zinc compliance has not been met after 18 years of monthly water quality monitoring. Thus, in 2013, Idarado initiated further studies to identify and evaluate main sources of metals loading. Alternative technologies for further remediation have been tested in recent years.

A fun, guided tour to Yankee Girl Mine with the Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership and the Ouray County Historical Society

Who can come: Everyone of all ages, as long as parents accompany children. Registration is required; releases will need to be signed by all.

What to bring: snowshoes, cross country or touring gear, appropriate clothing & accessories to keep you comfy & happy, lunch, water, sunscreen, friends, kids, but please leave your furry friends at home

What we’ll bring: warm drinks and cookies to complement your lunch

Cost: a $30 donation ($15 for children 14 & under) is requested to support our organizations, UWP & OCHS (please bring on day of tour)

Meeting Place: Ouray Community Center

Backup date: in the event of inclement weather, we will notify registrants by the night before the tour, and postpone the tour to Saturday, Feb. 16

Registration is Closed. We have our 20 guests. Sorry!

[contact-form to=”uwpcommunications@gmail.com” subject=”Winter Mine Tour Sign Up”][contact-field label=”Name (Registration is closed. Sorry!)” type=”name” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Phone” type=”name” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Additional names who will be joining us.” type=”textarea”][contact-field label=”I have the following questions that I would like the organizers to respond to by email or phone.” type=”textarea”][/contact-form]

Call for Volunteers!

Volunteers are needed to help clean up Rollans Park in Ridgway for the Adopt-a-Park Program on Saturday, May 4, from 9 a.m. to noon. UWP has adopted this important park that protects and provides access to the Uncompahgre River. We make an annual effort to pick up litter and branches, and do other maintenance around the park.

Who can come: everyone of all ages (as long as parents accompany children)

What to bring: work gloves, rakes and clippers (we have extras if needed); appropriate clothing to keep you comfy and happy while you work on the riverbanks and in the park (even in the rain if weather turns wet); sunscreen, sunglasses, friends, kids, but please leave your furry friends at home

What we’ll bring: snacks and drinking water

Register: Please sign up below so we can keep track of volunteer numbers!

[contact-form to=’uwpcoordinator@gmail.com’ subject=’Park Clean Up Sign Up’][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Phone’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Additional names who will be joining me.’ type=’textarea’/][contact-field label=’I have the following questions that I would like the organizers to respond to by email or phone.’ type=’textarea’/][/contact-form]

A fun, guided tour to the mining ghost towns along Ouray County Road 31  – going back in time to learn about the mining legacy in our watershed

NOTE: This tour may be postponed or cancelled due to public health concerns related to COVID-19 levels in the community. This will be determined by 10 days before the tour date.

UWP is bringing back this popular trip guided by Don Paulson – author, historian and curator of the Ouray Historical Society. Come learn about our mining history and water quality issues in the upper Uncompahgre River Watershed.

Who can come: Everyone of all ages, as long as parents accompany children. Registration is required; releases will need to be signed by all.

What to bring: snowshoes, cross country or touring gear, appropriate clothing & accessories to keep you comfy & happy, lunch, water, sunscreen, friends, kids, but please leave your furry friends at home

What we’ll bring: warm drinks and cookies to complement your lunch

Cost: a $35 donation ($20 for full-time students) is requested to support our organizations, UWP & OCHS (please bring on day of tour)

Meeting Place: Ouray Visitor Center, 1230 Main St., Ouray

Backup date: in the event of inclement weather, we will notify registrants by the night before the tour, and postpone the tour to Saturday, Feb. 19.

Registration is closed for this tour.

Join wildlife biologist Steve Boyle on a morning trek, by cross country skis or snow shoes, to observe wildlife signs such as animal tracks in the snow, and learn about which wildlife survive high alpine winters and how they cope with deep snow.

NOTE: This tour may be postponed or cancelled due to public health concerns related to COVID-19 levels in the community. This will be determined by 10 days before the tour date.

Chickadee

Grouse track

Lynx tracks

Cheatgrass is an annual invasive grass, and its range is expanding across the Western Slope. This plant increases wildfire frequency, reduces forage for livestock and big game, and reduces the quality of wildlife habitat. 

If you want to learn how to control this plant on your land, please join us for a FREE informational workshop on cheatgrass ecology and management! We will cover the topics below and also provide information about partnerships and funding resources to help address this invasive plant on your land. 

This event is organized and taught by Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, and hosted by Shavano Conservation District and Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership.

Topics will include: 

• Cheatgrass identification & ecology 

• Impacts of grazing on cheatgrass 

• Treatment options 

• Reducing the spread 

Cost is FREE but RSVP required. Dinner will be provided! 

For more information or to RSVP: Marcella Tarantino (970) 707-3049; marcella.tarantino@usda.gov; or online at https://forms.gle/XADVcHXbqRczbJQr8