Water 101 Seminar to be held Nov. 1
The eighth annual Water 101 Seminar will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Holiday Inn Express, 2121 E. Main St. in Cortez.
The seminar is sponsored by the Dolores Conservation District, Dolores Water Conservancy District and the Water Information Program. The seminar qualifies for continuing education credits for lawyers and Realtors. The seminar will feature speakers, including keynote speaker Colorado Supreme Court Justice Gregory Hobbs.
Representatives from federal, state and local agencies will talk about water law and related issues, including local water sources, water administration, irrigation conservation, environmental concerns and answers to key questions about the acquisition and use of water as well as water-related real estate transactions.
The registration fee is $35 before Oct. 25 or $40 after that date and at the door. The registration fee includes lunch, snack and information packet. The fee for professionals seeking education credits is $50 before Oct. 25 or $60 at the door.
For more information or to register, visit www.waterinfo.org or call 247-1302.
Bird walk to take place Wednesday
A bird walk will be hosted by Durango Bird Club at 9 a.m. Wednesday at For the Birds, 1560 East Second Ave.
The walks last about one hour and 15 minutes. Bring binoculars. The walks are free, but donations to the hosting group are welcome.
For more information, call 382-9396.
Ecosystem services available locally
The Natural Resources Conservation Service announces that it provides ecosystem services.
Some of the services provided by the program include: free sampling methods that help determine if people are feeding livestock animals too much or not enough; suggestions for monitoring and/or improving irrigated pastures and rangeland; help with soil-test results to make sure a fertilizer application is tailored to specific field deficiencies; information to determine the best way to thin a thick stand of trees; and how to identify potential noxious and poisonous plants as well as find ways to manage these plants.
Services are provided at no charge and the first step is to set up an appointment. Staff members will visit properties and identify resource concerns. Then they will analyze the results and propose alternatives to reach resource goals. People who qualify can apply for cost-incentive programs, which can help cover the cost of the resource improvement activities.
For more information, visit 31 Suttle Road in Bodo Industrial Park or call 259-3289, ext. 3.
Old Fort to host open house Oct. 11
The Old Fort at Hesperus, 18693 Colorado Highway 140, will host an open house from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 11.
Tours of the newly established hops yard will highlight systems used for irrigation, weed management and trellising. Information about the 11 varieties of hops that were established in June 2013 will be available.
A soil-sampling demonstration will include interpretation of results. Participants will receive soil bags and sample submission forms. In addition to the tours and resources about establishing hops yards, Ron Godin and Kevin Lombard will answer questions. The cost is $5 with snacks and drinks provided.
To register by Wednesday, visit www.tinyurl.com/oldforthops, email Beth LaShell at lashell_b@fortlewis.edu or call 385-4574.
Herald Staff
