March broke drought and heat records; Boulder enters drought watch; Jeffco school district disputes federal findings

Headlines Wednesday, April 15, 2026

  • cover play_arrow

    March broke drought and heat records; Boulder enters drought watch; Jeffco school district disputes federal findings KGNU News

March broke drought and heat records

Snowpack for the year peaked on March 9th — a month earlier than normal. Some sub-basins, like the Mancos River and the Upper Dolores, completely melted out sixty days earlier than usual.

Across the entire upper Colorado River Basin, runoff into Lake Powell is predicted to be just 23 percent of normal.

Seth Arens, a scientist with the Western Water Assessment, says he’s not just worried about available water this summer.

He’s expecting to see very active wildfire behavior across the region this summer, due to the amount of available fuels and warmer temperatures.

“It stayed so warm at low elevations that it didn’t kill plants this year… so there’s probably gonna be places in the west that are like that, that actually do already have increased vegetative growth because stuff was growing all winter when it shouldn’t be growing.”

He says cooler and stormy conditions for the rest of spring would alleviate some of the more extreme aspects of drought, but won’t do much to bolster water storage in reservoirs.

This story was reported by Rocky Mountain Community Radio.

 

Boulder enters drought watch

The City of Boulder is now under a drought watch, signaling an early warning after an unusually hot and dry start to the year. City officials say record temperatures and a lack of precipitation have already begun to strain water supplies. In response, Boulder is asking residents to voluntarily cut back on water use before mandatory restrictions become necessary.

For now, the changes are simple but significant: hold off on watering lawns, limit sprinkler use and focus water on essential needs like trees. Lawns can go dormant without harm, and delaying irrigation could make a meaningful difference in preserving the supply.

This drought watch is not yet an emergency but it’s a warning. If dry conditions continue, stricter rules could be put in place as soon as May.

READ MORE

 

Jeffco school district disputes federal findings

Jeffco Public Schools is pushing back after the U.S. Department of Education determined the district violated Title IX, a law designed to prevent sex-based discrimination in education. The finding centers on policies that allowed transgender students to participate in sports that match their gender identity.

Federal officials say those policies break the law, pointing to cases where students assigned male at birth competed on girls’ sports teams and accessed girls’ spaces. The investigation found dozens of such instances, raising concerns about fairness and equal access under federal rules.

The district is now disputing those conclusions, saying the findings don’t match the data it originally provided. It is asking for clarification and more details as it faces a deadline to respond.

READ MORE

 

JBS plant in Greeley sued over pollution violations

A lawsuit filed this week by the Center for Biological Diversity claims the JBS facility in Greeley has been operated without the proper air pollution permit required under federal law for years. The plant, one of the largest in the region, processes thousands of cattle a day, making it a significant source of industrial emissions.

The permit in question was supposed to be updated and finalized years ago, which didn’t happen. Now, the state is being challenged over its failure to complete that process on time, raising concerns about oversight and accountability.

For residents in and around Greeley, the case brings renewed attention to the quality of the air they breathe and how closely it’s being monitored.

READ MORE

 

Lawmakers propose bill to reduce scams on the elderly

Colorado lawmakers are proposing a bill that would allow banks to temporarily pause transactions if fraud is suspected, which would allow people to intervene with the activity on their accounts.

The data shows more than 3,000 seniors in Colorado reported being scammed, losing nearly 75 million dollars. Nationwide, the numbers are even higher, with older Americans losing billions each year.

The scams are increasingly sophisticated, ranging from fake romantic relationships to impersonations of family members, government agencies, and tech support. Many involve urgent requests for money, often through wire transfers, making it difficult to recover once the funds are gone.

The law proposed would allow the targets, the elders, to have a safety blanket if they fall victim to the scam.

READ MORE

 

Picture of KGNU News

KGNU News

Search

Now Playing

play_arrow

Live Broadcast

Recent Stories

Upcoming Events

KGNU PARTNERS

Want to help us build a better radio station?

We’re conducting a survey to help us understand how our listeners are using new technology. Please spend 15 minutes to let us know what you think.

Public media moves forward because you listen, watch, share and support. Thank you for being part of this community — and for helping us continue the journey during Public Media Giving Days.