Conditions Report - Statewide

Rivers and Creeks

With wildfires burning homes and causing evacuations throughout Colorado this week – in addition to statewide snowpack levels being below normal, with much of southern Colorado under extreme drought conditions – the Colorado State Forest Service wants to remind homeowners living in the wildland-urban interface to prepare for wildfires before they arrive. 

The number of cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Colorado feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 head or larger was estimated at 950,000 head as of April 1, 2018. The latest inventory was 1 percent above April 1, 2017 inventory, but no change from the previous month’s inventory.

The inventory included 535,000 steer and steer calves, 12 percent below the previous year. The number of heifer and heifer calves, at 415,000 head, are up 24 percent from a year ago. 

Nearly 70 percent of cannabis consumers said they’ve driven high in the past year

Aging baby boomers who neglect their health and fitness don’t just harm themselves. Their lifestyles also affect their adult children, who eventually could end up caring for them – both financially and physically – as their health declines.

Of course, that’s not the only reason those adult children might feel concerned. They also may like having mom and dad around and want that to continue for years to come.

So, they have a vested interest in encouraging their parents to get fit and stay fit.

Lamar Community College Rodeo’s Nate Hoey earned the top spot in bull riding at the Colorado State University Skyline Stampede College Rodeo held recently in Fort Collins.

Nonfarm businesses and nonprofit organizations impacted by drought may now qualify for low interest loans in 12 Colorado counties as well as two counties in Utah. 

The Badger Hole Fire in Baca county has been declared contained following several days of efforts by dozens of firefighters from across the state.

Commercial red meat productionfor the United States totaled 4.52 billion pounds in March, down slightly from the 4.54 billion pounds produced in March 2017.

Beef production, at 2.20 billion pounds, was 2 percent below the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.70 million head, down 2 percent from March 2017. The average live weight was up 8 pounds from the previous year, at 1,358 pounds.

Employers in Colorado added 5,400 nonfarm payroll jobs from February to March for a total of 2,707,800 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs increased 4,300 and government increased 1,100.