On May 11, the Adams County Board of County Commissioners announced their acceptance of the Open Space Advisory Board’s funding recommendations for the February 2011 Adams County Open Space Grant cycle. Thornton received funding for three grant applications:

Amphitheatre - $376,122 to help construct the 300-500 seat amphitheatre as part of the community park improvements at the Margaret W. Carpenter Recreation Center site.
Badding Open Space Expansion Project - $914,338 towards funding of a 10.97-acre open space purchase located north of Thornton Parkway and west of I-25. The property visually expands Thornton's existing 17- acre Badding Open Space, provides an additional buffer along Thornton Parkway and I-25 and protects environmental resources and wildlife habitat.
Big Dry Creek Open Space - $288,548 toward funding of a 44.08-acre open space purchase along Big Dry Creek located east of York Street at E-470. The purchase would complete another missing link in Thornton's preservation of the Big Dry Creek open space corridor, add to the existing open space buffer along E-470, preserve riparian areas and wildlife habitat, and serve as a future regional trail connection along the corridor.

These three grants total $1,579,008.

2011 Youth Water Festival: May 17

5/18/2011

On May 17, twelve-hundred fourth and fifth grade students from Thornton, Northglenn and Westminster attended the annual Youth Water Festival at Front Range Community College. The Festival’s workshops teach students about water conservation, water chemistry, the water cycle, local water supplies, water treatment, Colorado water law, aquatic wildlife, ecology and more. Fifty-seven presenters from local, state, federal, non-profit, and private businesses volunteered their time and energy to make this event possible. Thirty-seven percent of the attendees are from Thornton schools.

Water-Wise Landscaping class

5/11/2011

On April 19, Water Resources partnered with the Center for ReSource Conservation to provide a free Water-Wise Landscaping Class at the Carpenter Recreation Center. Curtis Manning, owner of Arcadia Design Group, discussed landscape planning and design, water-wise plant selection, different varieties of turf grass, the benefits of mulch, types of soil amendments and other water-wise landscaping techniques and tips. Water Resources staff and a volunteer Water Conservation Ambassador were available to answer questions and talk to residents about the City's water conservation programs. The class had 56 attendees.

Snow pack update

4/27/2011

Snow pack in the South Platte River basin, the source of Thornton's water supply, is currently 139 percent of average. This figure represents the average of the snow pack in all of the South Platte watersheds, including Clear Creek, the Cache la Poudre River, Bear Creek, Boulder Creek and the South Platte main stem. Thornton's current water supply comes from the Clear Creek and the South Platte main stem. In Clear Creek, snow pack is approximately 154 percent of average, which should result in good diversions into Standley Lake for the City. However, the South Platte main stem's snow pack is below average, which means diversions from the Burlington Canal into the City's gravel lakes may be below average. This variability across the river basins is very common in Colorado, and is one of the primary reasons that Thornton has developed its water supply with multiple water sources in different river basins. While the above-average snow pack is encouraging, how it actually translates into water supply for the City will depend on the timing and speed of the Spring runoff, which should begin in mid-May.

City Forester Series

3/23/2011

The City is offering classes to help residents manage their lawns. All of the City Forester classes will be held at the Carpenter Recreation Center, 11151 Colorado Boulevard.
The classes are:

Growing Healthy Plants in the Front Range, Saturday, April 2 from 9 – 11:30 a.m.
Tree Care – Saturday, April 23 from 9 – 11:30 a.m.
Keys to Growing a Healthy Lawn – Saturday, April 30 from 9 – 11:30 a.m.

Registration is free and can be done by calling the City Forester at 303-255-7875 or by e-mail at lynnlathrop@cityofthornton.net. Class sizes are limited to the first 50 people that sign up.

Water-Wise Landscaping Series

3/23/2011

The City of Thornton and the City of Westminster are partnering with the Center for ReSource Conservation to offer Water Wise landscape education. Classes are free and open to the public. The classes are:

Xeriscaping : The Basics - Saturday, April 16 from 10 a.m. – noon, City Park Recreation Center, 10455 Sheridan Boulevard, Westminster
Intermediate Xeriscaping – Tuesday, April 19 from 6 p.m – 8 p.m., Margaret Carpenter Recreation Center, 11151 Colorado Boulevard, Thornton

Classes are free and open to the public. Pre-registration is not required, but highly recommended to reserve a seat. Spaces fill up fast, so reserve your seat today at www.ConservationCenter.org or call 303-999-3820 ext. 217.

Irrigation System Inspection applications now being accepted

2/23/2011

Thornton is offering a professional irrigation system inspection at no charge to a limited number of residents, with substantial benefits to landscapes. Residents who sign up for the program will receive a customized watering schedule for a green, long-lasting landscape - for free! They will also learn:

do-it-yourself sprinkler maintenance
to maximize the life of their system
to do their part to conserve Thornton’s water
how to improve your systems performance
improve their lawn’s root depth

Inspections run from June until August. Sign up now to be placed on the waiting list. Early registration may qualify individuals for a free efficient nozzle retrofit. Call 303-999-3820 ext. 217 or sign up online at www.ConservationCenter.org.

2010 Water Conservation campaign evaluation

1/26/2011

At the end of each year, the water conservation campaign is evaluated using a citizen survey and the results are compared to previous years’ surveys. The 2010 Evaluation Report shows the campaign is building recognition in the community and continues to promote voluntary water conservation behaviors. The report takes a comprehensive look at all aspects of the campaign and is being used to develop the 2011 Campaign Plan.

Some of the results are:

Compared to previous years, significant increases in water conservation message recall were realized through mail, e-mail, events, Web sites, and Inside Thornton magazine.
Eighty-four percent of survey participants think that the campaign encourages them to save water.
Rebates, indoor audits and tips are the top rated tools that survey participants would find helpful in their water conservation efforts.
Water Saving Champions and Ambassadors recognize and remember campaign messages at higher rates than general residents.
Survey respondents were most familiar with the following City water conservation programs: toilet and clothes washer rebates (58 percent), free water saving product giveaway (41 percent) and showerhead exchange (53 percent).

In 2010, the Water Conservation Campaign introduced a new animated campaign featuring The League of Water Savers, and enlisted community ambassadors to become involved in the campaign.

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