Clear Creek County, Colorado

*page last updated 03/12/2010*
Census 2010 - Take 10 Newsletter
I-70 Glenwood Canyon Rockslide - 03/11/10
H1N1 Vaccine Reminder - 02/11/10
Health News Alert Update - 01/06/10
I-70 Sun Glare - 11/03/09
2009 - 2010 Road and Bridge Winter Release - 11/02/09
Guanella Pass Closed for Winter - 11-25-09
News from Clear Creek County Land Use Group & Mapping Department
I-70 Mountain Corridor Coalition
Colorado Quitline

News From

The Colorado Department
of Transportation
UPDATE: 3:10 PM, MARCH 11, 2010

I-70 Glenwood Canyon Rockslide

UPDATE: 3:10 PM, MARCH 11, 2010
CDOT crews have opened I-70 through Glenwood Canyon in both directions. Traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction and will remain like this until long-term repairs can be completed in the coming weeks/months. The speed limit has been reduced to 40 MPH and load over 14-feet wide are restricted from traveling through the work area. CDOT wants to thank motorists and impacted communities for their patience during this time. More information to come tomorrow afternoon on repair plans.

March 8, 2010
Around midnight, there was a major rockslide on I-70 in Glenwood Canyon, just west of the Hanging Lake Tunnel. The slide has caused two large holes in the westbound bridge/lanes and there are still larger boulders blocking the westbound and eastbound lanes. Currently the highway is closed between Dotsero and Glenwood Springs.

Crews cannot really assess the damage until daylight so more information to come. The largest boulders are estimated to be the size of a semi. At least one hole is estimated to be about 10X20 feet.

We have no estimate as to how long the highway will remain closed at this time. Because of safety concerns, crews will not be working in the area until daylight when the rockfall source can be examined to provide assurance that no additional rocks are coming down.

Please keep in mind, these are early reports and information may change as we learn more in the coming hours.

News From

The Colorado Department
of Transportation
November 3, 2009

DRIVERS CAUTIONED ABOUT I-70 SUN GLARE

CLEAR CREEK COUNTY – The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is reminding drivers who travel Interstate 70 about the yearly sun glare problem in the Floyd Hill area.

From early November through early February, morning drivers can encounter a blinding sun glare as they head eastbound up Floyd Hill (mile 244 to 247 – east of Idaho Springs). The glare occurs from approximately 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. However, it is especially severe between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. The problem is created by the sun’s angle during the late fall and early winter, along with the hill and highway configuration through the area.

CDOT will be providing advance notification of the potential hazard, displaying messages on electronic sign boards prior to Floyd Hill, alerting motorists of the sun glare, to use caution, and expect slower speeds.

Other driver recommendations include:

making sure the windshield is clean – outside and inside

wearing a good pair of sunglasses to provide shading

anticipating slowing traffic ahead and adjusting speed to avoid sudden reactions to possible traffic slowdowns

letting off the accelerator and slowing down gradually instead of slamming on the brakes, if suddenly blinded by the sun

avoiding eastbound travel up Floyd Hill, if possible, between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.

CDOT also is reminding motorists of Colorado’s Move-It Law, a joint effort between CDOT and

law enforcement agencies to encourage motorists to follow a state law requiring drivers involved in minor accidents on Interstates to move their vehicle immediately out of traffic to a safe location. The insurance industry also encourages compliance with the Move It law, reassuring drivers there will still be a full investigation of the crash to determine fault.

"Many people are apprehensive about moving their vehicle after an accident, worried they’re jeopardizing their insurance coverage,” says Carole Walker, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association. “However, when it comes to safety, the industry fully supports taking actions that reduces potential hazards to drivers, first and foremost.”

Road conditions can change quickly at this time of year. Drivers can receive updated road and weather information by calling 511 or checking CDOT’s www.cotrip.org Web site.

STATE OF COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 700 Kipling Street, Suite 4000 Lakewood, Colorado 80215-8000 (303) 239-4100 FAX (303) 239-4125
		Bill Owens Governor Don Ament Commissioner Sheldon Jones Deputy Commissioner
December 18, 2005
Clear Creek County Property Owners County of Clear Creek State of Colorado
Dear Property Owners,
Due to recent revisions in the Colorado Noxious Weed Act (C.R.S. 35-5.5), the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) has worked with local communities across Colorado to develop and implement statewide management plans for specific noxious weed species that threaten agriculture and the environment. Of particular interest to Clear Creek County residents is a plan to stop the spread of Chinese clematis and reduce its environmental impacts. This clematis is an invasive plant that has spread down Clear Creek all the way to the South Platte River in Adams County. The newly adopted plan requires the eradication of clematis throughout Clear Creek County by 2008. This plan can be found in 8 CCR 1203-19, Rules Pertaining to the Administration and Enforcement of the Colorado Noxious Weed Act, Part 4.7.2. It states: "Except as otherwise specified in this plan, elimination of all populations in Clear Creek County must be completed prior to seed development in 2008." You may view the entire rule at http://www.ag.state.co.us/CSD/Weeds/statutes/weedrules.pdf.
Your county commissioners, in cooperation with area municipalities and other state and federal agencies including the Colorado Department of Transportation and the U.S. Forest Service, have assembled a task force to eradicate clematis on public properties throughout the county and to assist you with any questions/concerns you may have. Every private landowner is required to eradicate Chinese clematis on his/her property. To ensure that recalcitrant landowners do not negatively affect their neighbors, failure to meet this requirement will result in legal and financial penalties. However, recognizing and managing Chinese clematis is fairly simple and I hope that landowners will take the necessary action to ensure that they manage any clematis on their property in a timely and appropriate manner.
Enclosed is a color brochure to help you identify Chinese clematis that is present in Clear Creek County. A simple Chinese clematis fact sheet can be found at http://www.ag.state.co.us/CSD/Weeds/Brochures/Chinese_Clematis.pdf . This sheet includes tips on identification and management. CDA hopes to improve upon the materials currently available for Chinese clematis identification and management in 2006 so please check our website in the future for additional materials.
To eradicate Chinese clematis, only limited techniques are available: chemical and mechanical. Since eradication is the desired management objective, it would be fruitless to employ cultural or biological techniques – furthermore, there are no biological control agents available to control Chinese clematis in the United States. I strongly encourage you to review the methods identified in the fact sheet noted above to determine which may be most useful for you. Listed below are some websites that can provide you with information about Chinese clematis, recommended management techniques, and other sources of assistance.
The task force and I appreciate your contribution to a community-wide effort to control Chinese clematis. The mission of Colorado’s noxious weed management program is to stop of spread of noxious weed species in Colorado and restore degraded lands of exceptional agricultural and environmental value during the 21^st century. With your help, we can protect the environment in Clear Creek County now and in the future.
Sincerely,
Eric Lane, State Weed Coordinator
Helpful websites:	www.cwma.org - Colorado Weed Management Association http://www.ag.state.co.us/CSD/Weeds/Weedhome.html - Colorado Dept. of Ag http://www.co.jefferson.co.us/ext/dpt/comm_res/openspac/weed - Jefferson County http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/gilpin/chineseclematis.shtml - Gilpin County