Institute for Environmental Solutions

The 2020 IES Sheridan Trail Enhancement and Restoration Project (TERP) marked the 7th year of collaboration with the City of Sheridan, Colorado and the Fort Logan Northgate 3-8 School (FLN) Leadership Class to implement environmental improvement and education projects at the Sheridan Quincy Trail (SQT) and adjacent community space. The Sheridan TERP was able to reach its project goals thanks to IES’s dedicated community volunteers and partners. Xcel Energy also contributed significantly to the success of the Sheridan TERP by planting 12 native pollinating plants in the community space and providing critical maintenance at the site in preparation for the planting days with FLN. The FLN students successfully completed two planting days on October 29 and 30, planting 70 plants total at the western entrance and halfway down the trail. Check out our full project video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q0oLvnh9fM, detailing the success of the project and showcasing the voices of those who made it possible!

For more information about the SQT or on how you can become involved with IES, visit www.i4es.org or contact us at [email protected].

IES 2020 Sheridan Trail

Last week, Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a drought emergency for over 20 counties on Colorado’s western slope, including Gunnison, Garfield, Eagle, and Grand Counties. Residents from all over the state can help by conserving water. Here are a few tips:

- Don’t use your toilet as a wastebasket: Toilets use between 1.6 and 8 gallons of water per flush, depending on when the toilet was manufactured. Toilets manufactured before 1993 use more water, closer to 8 gallons per flush, than toilets manufactured after 1993.
- Keep your showers brief: Showerheads made in the U.S. use, on average, 2.5 gallons of water per minute.
- Turn off your faucets when washing dishes, shaving, and brushing your teeth.
- Wash your clothes only when you have a full load of laundry.
- Water your lawns in the mornings, evenings, or nights: Watering your lawn in the afternoon leads to more evaporation, causing you to use more water and spend more money.

Want to learn more about conserving water? The internet has many sources of information, including water conservation tips from Colorado State University that can be found here: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/family-home-consumer/water-conservation-in-and-around-the-home-9-952/

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)