Rural Living Handbook
A guide to rural living in northwest Colorado.
Garfield County
Area Map
0 2.5 5
10
15
20
Miles
1:570,000
Legend
Highways/Roads
Rivers/Lakes
Cities
Conservation Districts
I
n 3,000 local communities
across America,
conservation districts are
working to conserve land,
water, forests, wildlife, and
related natural resources
for the benefit of all. District
officials contribute their time to
serve the needs of 2.5 million
landowners who manage
nearly 98 percent of the private
lands in America.
Conservation district
professionals traditionally have
worked with the farmers and
ranchers who manage the bulk
of our working lands. Recently
districts have extended
Garfield County, Colorado Rural Living Handbook
1
their programs and services
to citizens in widespread
areas such as watersheds,
river basins, urban areas,
and economic development
projects. This concept is
referred to as “locally led
conservation.”
groups. Each District has
different resource and land use
issues, but similar conservation
issues. By pooling our
resources we have been able
to offer more educational
programs to our changing
community. As our resource
needs change, we will continue
to work diligently to maintain
the quality of service our
cooperators deserve in our
attempt to improve the quality
of life in our districts.
Bookcliff, Mount Sopris and
South Side Conservation
Districts regularly work
together. This coordination
has enabled us to expand
our services to farmers and
ranchers, schools, small
landowners and community
© Todd Patrick
2
A guide to rural living in northwest Colorado
Local Programs
T
he Conservation Districts
offer workshops and
trainings to residents of
Garfield County in cooperation
with our agencies.
Garfield County Weed
Cost Share Program.
Weed control program
including workshops,
educational activities and
distribution of Garfield County
cost share funds.
Informational Workshops.
Includes noxious weed,
irrigation, water law, seeding
and no-till drill workshops.
Annual Ag Day. Held in
January with different topics
each year, depending on
landowner request, current
events and new technology.
Small Acreage Workshop.
This workshop is held each
February to assist small and
new rural landowners to
locate agencies to help them
with resource issues. This
event is well attended each
year with the help of our
partner agencies.
Annual Dinner Meeting.
The annual dinner meeting
is held each fall to inform
our constituents of our
conservation successes.
No-till drill rental and
seeding workshops. The
Conservation Districts have
purchased a 6-foot Great
Plains no-till drill to help
landowners reseed
dilapidated pastures and
hay land.
Garfield County, Colorado Rural Living Handbook
3
Scholarships for Summer Ag
Institute, high school seniors,
and educators.
and continuing through April.
The Colorado State Forest
Seedling Tree Sales. Local
Conservation Districts partner
with Colorado State Forest
Service to offer an annual tree
and shrub sale to property
owners with more than two
acres in our Districts. The
Districts handle the customer
orders beginning in October
4
A guide to rural living in northwest Colorado
Service grows the seedlings in
their nursery in Fort Collins.
Code of the West
B
ack when the Old West was young,
the author Zane Gray penned his
novel, “The Code of the West,” that
chronicled the values of the early pioneers:
honesty, loyalty, fair play and respect for
the land. Its homey advice included the
practicalities of never wearing your gun to
the dinner table and removing your spurs
before getting into bed.
Above all, consideration for others is central
to the code. Being neighborly is what rural
living is all about. Whether that means
sharing a cup of coffee or advice, it extends
to keeping an eye on each other’s property,
helping out when extra hands are needed, or
in an emergency. Being a good neighbor is a
two-way street and cooperation is the key. To
that end:
• Build fences together
• Control your dogs so they don’t
harass your neighbor’s livestock
• Keep your weeds from invading
your neighbor’s property
When trading big city life for life in the
country, realize that big-city services may not
be available, such as snowplowing or trash
service. Where there is livestock, there are
smells and noise from the animals and the
machinery. That’s part of rural living. Roads
that aren’t paved now probably never will
be. Emergency service may be more than a
couple minutes away. The snowplow may
not show up the day after the big storm. And
yes, that’s a mountain lion in your back yard.
He lives here too.
“Never wear your gun to the dinner table.”
Garfield County, Colorado Rural Living Handbook
5
6
A guide to rural living in northwest Colorado
History of Agriculture
in Garfield County
T
he first people in what
is now Garfield County
were the Ute Indians,
who hunted and gathered
food in this resource-rich
area. The Hot Springs at the
present Glenwood Springs
were used for medicinal
purposes and relaxation by the
Native Americans. Visits by
trappers and explorers were
limited because of the difficult
access over the mountains
to the east of the Colorado
River, Roaring Fork River
and Crystal River. The first
written record of the area was
by Father Silvestre Velez de
Escalante and Father Francisco
Dominguez. They became lost
in the Dolores, Colorado, area
in 1776 - 1777 and were lead
by the Utes across the Grand
Mesa, crossing the “Grand
River,” now the Colorado, near
Parachute, and then up Roan
Creek to the White River.
American trappers and
explorers, who trapped
animals for hides, scouted
for the railroad and guided
military expeditions, tended
to avoid the area because of
difficult access, and because
the area was Spanish Territory.
Garfield County, Colorado Rural Living Handbook
7
When the area became part of the United States
in 1848 through the Mexican Cession, the first
explorers in the area were John C. Fremont
and Capt. John W. Gunnison. In 1845, John
C. Fremont followed the Ute Trail looking for
a route through the mountains for a railroad.
In a later expedition to the area some of his
party died during the winter. Cannibalism was
reported under Fremont’s leadership and his
exploration activities became questionable.
In 1853, John Gunnison, while searching for a
railroad route through the Garfield County area,
was killed by Indians in Utah. The development
of the local valley came at high cost.
In the 1860s, explorers and miners begin
searching for gold and other precious metals.
Mount Sopris was named after Richard Sopris.
He was in search of gold and is given credit
for discovering Glenwood Springs in 1860. In
late 1868, John Wesley Powell in an expedition
funded by the Federal government, floated the
Grand River from Middle Park to the junction
of the Green River, exploring what is now
the Garfield County area. In 1873, Ferdinand
V. Hayden, in another federally-funded
expedition, mapped the flora, fauna, geology,
and topography near Mt. Sopris.
Livestock grazing was the first agricultural
production within the valley, beginning in
the early 1880s when cattle were herded into
the valley. These first cattle grazed areas from
8
A guide to rural living in northwest Colorado
Aspen to Carbondale, the Divide Creek area, and
Battlement Mesa. Other ranchers began grazing
north of the river, near Rifle up the JQS trail and
the area now called Harvey Gap.
In the 1890s, the cattlemen and sheep ranchers
were at odds. In August 1893, when a local
sheep rancher left his DeBeque ranch to attend
the Peach Day celebration in Grand Junction,
40 masked gunmen wounded one of his sheep
herders and tried to drive the sheep off the Roan
Cliffs. When the sheep refused to jump, the
gunmen clubbed the herd to death.
It wasn’t until the 1920s that livestock men
began to understand the benefits of running
sheep and cattle on the same lands, and
ended the squabbles between the two segments
of agriculture.
Without reliable transportation systems such
as roads and railroads, local agricultural
commodities could not be sent to markets other
than local trade. The Ute trail along the northern
boundary of today’s Garfield County was the
first transportation route into the area and was
used mainly by the native Indians. The Denver
& Rio Grande was the first railroad in the valley,
reaching Glenwood Springs in 1887, beating its
competitor, the Midland Railroad. Construction
on to Aspen required only 45 additional days.
This gave the Denver & Rio Grande the lucrative
business of shipping produce into the area and
hauling mined commodities out. Over the next
two years, the railroad moved on west to Rifle,
eventually going farther west.
With transportation and irrigation systems
becoming established, agricultural crops were
produced in Rifle, Rulison, Silt, New Castle,
Parachute, Carbondale, and Glenwood Springs.
Apples, cherries, apricots, peaches, strawberries,
lettuce, potatoes, wheat and sugar beets were
grown, with crops supplying food to the miners
in the Aspen Mining District.
Garfield County, Colorado Rural Living Handbook
9
Stage routes to the north
followed either the
Government Trail or the route
up West Rifle Creek and down
Flag Creek into Meeker. With
the establishment of these
stage routes, moving supplies
and commerce in and out of
the area from Aspen to Grand
Valley and to communities to
the north became possible.
Any agricultural commodity
produced in the area
needed supplemental water.
Agricultural production
developed concurrently with
the construction of railroads and
roads. With the construction of
irrigation diversions, ditches
and structures agricultural
production began to increase.
Major ditches included the
Cactus Valley, Rifle Canyon,
Glenwood, Farmers Irrigation,
Last Chance, Reed – Harris,
Salvation, Highline, and
Porter ditches, and many,
many more throughout the
valley. With the ability to
irrigate production increased.
The railroad hauled potatoes,
apples, cherries, and other
products to markets outside of
the valley.
“Today agriculture
is still a major
source of income in
Garfield County.”
10
Thousands of head of sheep
and cattle were also shipped
from the rail yards in the valley
to markets in Denver and
farther east.
The first stored irrigation
water was from Harvey Gap
Dam. Harvey Gap was first
constructed in 1894 and in
April of 1895 the reservoir
washed out. Farmer Irrigation
Company was formed in 1903
and rebuilt the dam. Rifle Gap
Dam, part of the Bureau of
Reclamation’s Colorado River
Storage Project, was built in
1967 to store irrigation water.
Water from this structure
became available to farmed
land in the Rifle and Silt area.
The stored water provided a
dependable supply of water
A guide to rural living in northwest Colorado
that would last through the
growing season.
Produce such as potatoes,
strawberries, sugar beets,
apples, and other fruits
became an economic thing of
the past because of market
timing and international
trade. Today agriculture
production is still a major
source of economic income
in Garfield County. The main
commodities produced
within the area are cattle, hay,
sheep, and horses. Increased
interest in organic and
sustainable farming has
seen an increase in production
of fruit and vegetables that
were historically grown in
Garfield County.
Colorado’s Right to Farm Act
T
he story of America has been, in part,
the story of the urbanization of our
land. Lands that were once devoted to
agricultural uses are today the sites of homes
and commercial activities. Large agricultural
acreage has been subdivided into housing
developments. The site that last year was an
isolated horse farm may today be next to a
large residential development. The sights,
sounds and smells that are taken for granted in
an agricultural setting may become extremely
annoying and offensive to suburban neighbors.
In certain circumstances, suburban neighbors
have brought lawsuits (called nuisance
lawsuits) against those people responsible for
agricultural activities that offend their senses.
This may seem unfair to the farmer or rancher
who, after all, was there first. Therefore,
every state has a law designed to protect
agricultural operations from
the encroachments of urban
development. Many are called
“Right to Farm” acts that if
the agricultural operation
was in existence prior to
the conflicting urban use, it
is protected from nuisance
lawsuits.
“The story of
America has
been, in part,
the story of the
urbanization of
our land.”
Garfield County, Colorado Rural Living Handbook
11
G
Garfield County Right to Farm
arfield County government
also recognized the
essential value of farming
and ranching to its continued
health and vitality by enacting
its own “Right to Farm” law:
“Landowners, residents, and
visitors must be prepared to
accept the activities, sights,
sounds and smells of Garfield
County’s agricultural operations
as a normal and necessary aspect
of living in a county with a strong
rural character and a healthy
agricultural sector. Those with an
urban sensitivity may perceive
such activities, sights, sounds
and smells as inconveniences,
eyesores, noises and odors.
However, state law and County
policy provide that ranching,
farming or other agricultural
activities and operations
within the County shall not
be considered to be nuisances
so long as they are operated
in conformance with the law
and in a non-negligent manner.
Therefore, all landowners,
residents and visitors must be
prepared to encounter noises,
odors, lights, mud, dust, smoke,
chemicals, machinery on public
roads, livestock on public roads,
storage and disposal of manure,
and the application by spraying or
otherwise of chemical fertilizers,
soil amendments, herbicides, and
pesticides, any one or more of
which may naturally occur as a
part of legal and non-negligent
agricultural operations.”
12
A guide to rural living in northwest Colorado
Fencing and Trespass
S
ince the 1880s, Colorado
has had an “open
range” or “fence out”
law. Landowners have the
right to fence their land or
leave it unfenced. Anyone
who maintains a fence in
good repair can recover
damages for trespass from
the owner of livestock that
break through such a fence.
But if his land is unfenced,
he has no right to recover
damages from trespassing
livestock. A "lawful" fence is
defined as a "well constructed
three-barbed wire fence
with substantial posts set at
a distance of approximately
20 feet apart, and sufficient
to turn ordinary horses and
cattle, with all gates equally
as good as the fence, or any
other fence of like efficiency."
(Colo. Dept. of Agriculture)
According to Garfield County
statute: “All owners of
land, regardless of use, have
obligations under state law and
County regulations with regard
to maintenance of fences.”
Garfield County, Colorado Rural Living Handbook
13
14
A guide to rural living in northwest Colorado
History
The history of water law in Colorado is directly
tied to the state’s semi-arid climate and man’s
first endeavors to eke a living from the land.
Anasazi Indians constructed storage ponds and
irrigation channels as early as 1100 AD. From
these first examples in the Four Corners region,
Colorado’s water projects have grown into
gigantic storage reservoirs and trans-mountain
diversion systems.
When large numbers of settlers began to occupy
the state in the mid-1800s, they soon became
aware of the critical problems surrounding
water. At this time, the greatest quantity of water
was used and controlled by mining operations.
Disputes quickly accelerated giving way to
the “Water Wars” in 1874. Miners Courts were
established to resolve conflicts. These courts
handled water claims in a manner similar to
land claims or, the first on the land had the first
claim. And so it became with the first water law
decisions in Colorado leading to the phrase,
“first in time, first in right.” Unlike riparian
water rights established in Eastern states based
on ownership of the land along
watercourses, Colorado’s water laws
evolved from the realities of mining
and its needs. Using this doctrine,
Colorado became the first state to
formally adopt the concept of prior
appropriation for inclusion into the
Colorado Constitution in 1876.
Appropriation and
Beneficial Use
Prior appropriation relies on the legal
ownership of water rights. A “Water
Garfield County, Colorado Rural Living Handbook
15
16
A guide to rural living in northwest Colorado
Garfield County, Colorado Rural Living Handbook
17
“First in time, first
in right.”
Right” is based on “diverting
a given quantity of water at a
specified site under a specified
priority and applying diverted
water at an identified location
for a defined purpose.” This
defined purpose must also be
considered a beneficial use.
Appropriated water is allocated
as a senior priority or junior
priority, the “first in time, first
in right” doctrine again.
For example, if three ranchers
hold water rights on a given
stream amounting to 5 cubic
feet per second (cfs), and the
stream is running at 5 cfs, each
one gets their adjudicated right:
2 cfs for the senior, 2 cfs for the
first junior and 1 cfs for the least
18
junior. However, in a drought
year, if the stream is running
at 3 cfs, the senior right of 2 cfs
would be honored. The first
junior right of 2 cfs would get
half that (1 cfs) and the least
junior right would get nothing.
Another aspect of prior
appropriation contains the “use
it or lose it” clause. If water
is not applied to a beneficial
use over a 10-year period it is
considered abandoned and can
be appropriated by another
individual or entity.
According to state law, a
beneficial use is defined as “the
use of that amount of water that
is reasonable and appropriate
under reasonably efficient
practices to accomplish without
waste the purpose for which the
appropriation is lawfully made
. . .” Beneficial uses include
municipal, domestic, industrial,
recreational, agricultural, and
environmental needs.
A guide to rural living in northwest Colorado
Administration of
Water Rights
The State Engineer
administers all waters
within the state under
constitutional provisions.
The state is subdivided into
seven water divisions, each
with a Division Engineer and
staff. Water Commissioners
administer districts
within these divisions.
The Water Commissioner
is responsible for local
water issues, information
and public relations at
the district level. The
Colorado Division for Water
Resources houses the State
Engineer’s office in Denver.
The office has numerous
publications available for
purchase including listings
for divisions and district
offices and fee structure
information on various waterrelated licensed services or
requirements.
Mineral Rights
L
ike all western states,
Colorado recognizes that the
surface of the land and the
resources that lie beneath can be
owned separately. Specific property
rights apply to what are called
surface and mineral estates. This
is also called split estate. Separate
ownership of the surface and
mineral estates developed from
two circumstances. Historically,
when the federal government
made western lands available for
settlement, it kept some or all of the
mineral rights. In addition, as land
changed ownership over the years,
sellers sometimes retained part or
all of their mineral rights, making
it possible for multiple parties,
including the federal government,
to own a portion of the mineral
rights under a private property.
Until 2002, this information was
not required to be disclosed in a
real estate transaction. Legislation
passed in Colorado in 2002 now
requires split estate to be disclosed
at the time of sale.
Colorado law recognizes
that access from the surface
to underground resources is
necessary for development of
those resources. In split estate
the mineral and surface owners
are separate entities. By law, a
developer of the mineral estate or right – may use as much of the
surface as is reasonably necessary
to explore for and develop the
resource, even if they do not own
the land surface.
Garfield County, Colorado Rural Living Handbook
19
Wildland Fires
A
home in rural Garfield
County is surrounded
by potential fuel
for a wildland fire – forest,
shrubland and grasslands.
You can help minimize the
danger to your home from
wildland fires by providing
basic emergency access, and
creating an environment
that can be defended against
fires. This involves some
preparation on the part of
the homeowner. And it’s a
partnership between you and
the firefighters before a fire
occurs. Often, firefighters
must make quick decisions
about where to commit
their limited personnel and
resources. If a homeowner has
increased the defendability
of their home the odds are
20
A guide to rural living in northwest Colorado
better that it will survive on
its own. And it’s more likely
emergency managers will
commit their resources to
attempt to save the structure.
First and foremost, it’s
important to choose a
fire-safe location for your
home. Consider the time it
will take firefighters to reach
“First and foremost,
it’s important
to choose a
fire-safe location
for your home.”
your house. A nearby water
supply that can be used
to fight a fire increases the
likelihood your home will
survive a wildland fire.
Here are some other
considerations for creating
a defensible space around
your home:
• Keep away from steep
slopes. A house
overhanging steep slopes
is more vulnerable
because fire travels
uphill faster than on
level ground.
• Enclose undersides
of deck.
• Avoid large windows
facing steep slopes with
heavy vegetation.
• Install spark arresters
on chimneys.
•
•
•
Make driveways wide
enough to accommodate
fire vehicles, including
space for turn-around.
Avoid wooden decks
overhanging steep
slopes and flammable
vegetation.
Develop a 30 to 100-foot
defensible space
around your home.
The first five feet
around the house should
be completely
clear of vegetation.
Garfield County, Colorado Rural Living Handbook
21
Living With Wildlife
O
ne of the benefits
of living in rural
Garfield County is
the abundance of wildlife.
The key to co-existing with
wildlife is remembering the
key word “wild.” While most
wildlife do not pose a threat,
some predators can become
nuisances. They can destroy
property, livestock, and pets.
Predators and Pests
Predators, including bears,
cougars, bobcats, and coyotes
live in Garfield County. Many
species have a territory that
you are moving into. While
most wild animals will avoid
humans, their natural instinct
22
is to kill easy prey, which often
includes livestock and pets.
Precautions can be taken to
avoid or minimize conflict.
While larger animals are rarely
attacked, smaller animals are
more vulnerable. A solid barn
or other sturdy enclosure that
can’t be entered by predators
protects your animals. Skunks
and other small predators can
enter through small spaces and
kill chickens. Avoid attracting
predators and pests by not
leaving pet food outdoors.
Also, keep pets in at night,
and don’t let pets roam.
Free-roaming cats can be a
major predator of songbirds,
small mammals, reptiles and
amphibians. Larger dogs can
A guide to rural living in northwest Colorado
sometimes become predators,
especially if roaming in packs,
and can be legally shot if found
chasing livestock.
While deer are beautiful to
watch, they are also attracted
to gardens and landscaping.
Netting can be draped over
plants as a deterrent, but you
can also select plants that deer
do not prefer to eat. A tall fence
around a vegetable garden is
not recommended unless it is
at least 8 feet tall.
Ground squirrels and other
small animals can create
problems in gardens and
pastures by digging holes and
eating plants. Common rodent
pests include marmots and small ground
squirrels. Lethal and non-lethal methods are
available for dealing with these problems.
Wildlife Management
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is the state
agency that regulates fish and wildlife.
In Colorado, most species of wildlife are
protected to some degree. Generally, a
license is required to possess any wildlife
in Colorado. In rural areas of the state
hunting is an activity that traditionally
occurs in the fall of the year. Here are some
of the specific laws hunters must abide by:
• Trespassing. A hunter is required
to have the permission of the
landowner to hunt on private
property or to hunt within 600
feet of a dwelling. Shooting
may not take place from or
across a public road or from
a motor vehicle.
• Hunting may only occur during
legal hunting hours, usually a
half-hour before sunrise
until sunset.
• Bag
g limits, season dates and
licensing requirements vary by
licen
species and year.
spec
• It is unlawful to
destroy a nest or den
without a permit.
• It is against the law
to feed deer, elk,
bears and other big
game animals.
• A license is required to
transport or possess
fish or to stock a private
pond with any fish.
Garfield County, Colorado Rural Living Handbook
23
Wildlife Diseases
Some diseases that are carried
by wild animals such as rabies,
Hantavirus, and plague can
be transmitted to people. You
can do your part to prevent
the spread of some diseases
by not feeding wild animals.
When people leave food out,
it draws many animals to the
same place in unnaturally
high numbers. This provides
a perfect way of spreading
disease from domestic animals
to wild animals or from wild
animals to pets. When people
leave food out, a disease that
would normally be found
in just a few individuals can
cause an outbreak that affects
a whole population.
Animals in
Your Home
The key to avoiding most
conflicts with wildlife is
24
keeping unwanted animals
out of homes, buildings, and
yards to prevent problems
from developing. Here are
some tips:
• Keep all garbage out of
reach of wildlife by
storing it only in metal
or plastic containers
with tight fitting
lids. Garfield
County is home to a
large population of
black bears, many of
whom scavenge for
garbage or pick fruit
from back yard trees.
•
•
•
•
Some towns in the county,
such as Glenwood Springs and
Aspen, have ordinances which
require bear-proof garbage
containers.
• Don’t put trash out
until the day it’s due
to be collected.
• Keep pet food out of
A guide to rural living in northwest Colorado
reach of wildlife. Bring
it in at night.
To keep birds from
colliding with windows,
mark large windows
with strips of white
tape or with raptor
silhouettes.
Fence gardens and cover
fruit trees.
Cover window wells.
You can use
commercially available
grates or bubbles,
or make a cover using a
¼ inch hardware
cloth or chicken wire.
Close up holes around
and under the
foundation of your
home so animals will
not be tempted to
move in. Bury wire
mesh 1½ to 2 feet
deep in places where
animals might gain
access by digging.
Keeping
Livestock
W
hether you’re
interested in keeping
a horse or two, a
flock of chickens or a herd
of cattle, such an endeavor
can be rewarding as well as
challenging. It’s important at
the outset to know the impacts
and responsibilities of raising
livestock on your own land.
In Colorado, livestock are
usually allowed to graze
perennial forage (grass) during
the summer or fall growing
seasons followed by the
dormant winter season. Forage
is what animals consume
by grazing or what you can
grow for feed. Feed is hay
or grain fed to livestock as a
Garfield County, Colorado Rural Living Handbook
25
supplement, or when adequate
forage is not available. To
avoid over-grazing of pastures,
calculate the anticipated
available forage and feed
requirement for your animals
prior to the growing season.
If adequate forage is not
available, consider purchasing
additional feed or renting
additional pasture, or reducing
the number of animals.
For example, calculate feed
and forage requirements and
potential production:
• 2 horses x 988 pounds
per horse per month x 6
months = 11,856 pounds
or 5.9 tons for 6 months
• Forage Production: 10
acres seeded pasture
(fertile, non-irrigated)
x 360 pounds useable
forage = (800 pounds per
acre total production)
3,600 pounds useable
forage per year
• Forage Balancing: 988
pounds per horse per
month = 2.74 horses per
month per acre (988
pounds divided by 360
26
pounds of forage) x 2
horses x 6 months
grazing period = 32.9
acres needed for 2 horses
Develop a grazing plan
with the help of the Natural
Resources Conservation
Service or the Colorado
State University Cooperative
Extension Service. (See
Resources at the end of this
booklet). Eliminate continuous,
season-long grazing by
subdividing pastures into
smaller parcels and developing
a rotation system, or find
alternate pasture. Corral
animals and feed them hay
until forage plants have time
to grow in the spring. Move
animals when 50% of the
forage plant has been eaten.
Provide a water source for each
pasture. Control weeds.
Livestock Laws
Colorado fence law requires
landowners to fence neighbors’
livestock out. However, you
can collect damages if livestock
trespass through a legal fence
A guide to rural living in northwest Colorado
on your property. A legal fence
is at least 3 strands of barbed
wire with posts not more than
20 feet apart. A fence that’s
been in place for at least 18
years becomes a legal property
boundary. You have a legal
right to protect your livestock
from dogs that are running
loose and harassing your
animals. All cattle, horses, and
domestic deer and elk must
have a certificate from the area
brand inspector if they are sold,
processed for consumption or
transported more than 75 miles
or across a state line.
Noxious Weeds:
What Am I Getting Into?
W
elcome to the area. Now what are you going to do
about that big patch of Russian knapweed on your
side of the fence?
It is not uncommon for new rural landowners to the county
to receive such a greeting upon moving into a new home
with a piece of ground. The greeting may come from a
neighbor or perhaps a county weed manager. The weed in
question may be Russian knapweed or Whitetop or Canada
thistle or common burdock. Or any of the approximately 85
weeds on Colorado’s noxious weed list.
Many folks are surprised upon moving in to learn that there
are certain plants that they are required by law to manage.
These are plants that are classified as “noxious”
and are regulated by the Colorado Noxious Weed Act
and local county weed management plans. Noxious
weeds are not native to Colorado. They are
aggressive and out-compete desirable
plants and rob them of moisture, sunlight,
and nutrients.
So what is the first step to managing these
weeds? It’s all about getting started and
staying focused. Learn what is growing on
your property. You may have a mix of
desirable plants with a few noxious weeds
scattered around the property. Or you may have
the opposite - a monoculture of a noxious weed with
very few desirable plants.
© Todd Patrick
Either way it will take some effort but it is
doable. Ask your neighbors about the local
noxious weeds. Contact the county weed
program, extension agent, or conservation
districts. They’ll be happy to come out for a
site visit. That is the best way to learn - have
Garfield County, Colorado Rural Living Handbook
27
someone who knows the plants
walk your property with you.
Pocket identification books are
also helpful and are generally
available from most county
weed programs.
Once you learn what weeds
you have, you’ll learn the
best methods to manage the
different species that may be
on your property. There isn’t
a silver bullet, one-size-fits-all
approach to the weed problem.
Distinct species may require
varying treatments at different
times of the year.
Once you have started, get
focused and stay the course. Set
a budget and prioritize by taking
on areas that may facilitate the
spread of the weeds. Ditches,
driveways, areas where animals
concentrate, spots where
equipment is stored - work on
these sites first. All too often we
work on the big patch that may
be many acres in size and we
ignore the satellite, isolated areas
that are very winnable battles.
28
There are Four Golden Rules of
Weed Management:
• Know what you want
to do with your property.
Is it grazing livestock? Is
it to provide wildlife
habitat? Knowing the
desired end result will
be the motivating
factor in how you
manage your weeds.
• Promote healthy
vegetation. If your
desirable plants are
not healthy, determine
what the problem
may be and correct
the situation.
• Implement good land
use practices. Ultimately
if the situation that
created the weed
problem is not remedied
the weeds will be back.
Limiting disturbances
will enable the desirable
vegetation to compete
with the noxious weeds.
• No single weed
management method
works alone. Mowing at
A guide to rural living in northwest Colorado
the proper time or
pulling may be
effective on small
patches. Herbicides
used responsibly
are a valuable tool.
There are many
weeds that have
effective biological
controls that work
on them. Reseeding
of disturbed areas
may be the single
most important
tool of all. It is the
combination of all
these strategies
that will lead to weed
management success.
Keep these rules in mind.
Contact local resources for
help and schedule a site visit.
Inventory the weeds you
have, develop appropriate
strategies, and implement a
plan. Don’t feel that you have
to solve your weed problems
in one year. Taking those
first, small steps, and keeping
with it are the keys to success.
Resources
Local
County
Bookcliff, Mount Sopris &
South Side Conservation
Districts
258 Center Drive
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
970-945-5494, ext. 105
Garfield County
108 8th Street
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
970-945-5004
www.garfield-county.com
Garfield County Vegetation
Management
0298 County Road 333A
Rifle, CO 81650
970-625-8601
www.garfield-county.com/
vegetation-management
Conservation Districts
make technical, financial
and educational resources,
whatever their source
available. They focus them
to meet the needs of the local
land user for the conservation
of soil, water and related
natural resources.
Garfield County, Colorado Rural Living Handbook
29
State
Colorado State University
Extension Office
P.O. Box 1112
Rifle, CO 81650
970-625-3969
www.ext.colostate.edu
Colorado River Water
Conservation District
201 Centennial Dr.
Glenwood Springs, CO
970-945-8522
www.crwcd.gov
Division 5 Water Resources
P.O. Box 396
Glenwood Springs, CO 81602
970-945-5665
www.dwr.state.co.us
The CRWCD mission is the
protection, conservation, use,
and development of the water
resources of the Colorado
River basin for the welfare of
the District, and to safeguard
for Colorado all waters of the
Colorado River to which the
state is entitled.
30
A guide to rural living in northwest Colorado
Colorado State Forest Service
222 S. 6th Street, Room 416
Grand Junction, CO 81501
970-248-7325
www.csfs.colostate.edu
Colorado Parks & Wildlife
0088 Wildlife Way
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
970-947-2920
www.wildlife.state.co.us
Brand Inspector - Rifle District
Mike Walck
970-625-2015
Federal
Natural Resources
Conservation Service
www.nrcs.co.usda.gov
NRCS works with local
conservation districts to
provide science-based
assistance with resource
issues and planning to
private landowners.
Farm Service Agency
258 Center Drive
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
970-945-5494
www.fsa.usda.gov
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA), Farm
Service Agency (FSA)
administers farm commodity
and conservation programs.
FSA also makes loans to farmers
and ranchers who are unable to
obtain conventional credit.
Army Corps of Engineers
402 Rood Avenue, Room 142
Grand Junction, CO 81501
970-243-1199
The Army Corps of Engineers
plans and constructs reservoirs
and local measures to control
floods and improve navigation.
White River National Forest
900 Grand Avenue
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
970-945-2521
www.fs.usda.gov
The Forest Service manages
forested public lands for
multiple uses.
Bureau of Land Management
2300 River Frontage Road
Silt, CO 81652
970-876-9000
www.blm.gov/co
BLM manages public lands for
multiple uses.
Colorado Department
of Public Health and
Environment
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, Colorado 80246-1530
www.cdphe.state.co.us
The Colorado Department
of Public Health and
Environment protects and
preserves the health and
environment of the people
of Colorado.
Bureau of Reclamation
2764 Compass Dr., Suite 106
Grand Junction, CO 81506
970 248-0652
www.usdr.gov
BOR locates, constructs, and
maintains works to store,
divert and develop water in the
western United States.
Garfield County, Colorado Rural Living Handbook
31
Acknowledgements
This booklet was based on the “Rural Living Handbook,
A Guide to Rural Living in Montana” developed by the Lincoln Conservation District, Eureka,
Montana and “County Acres Resource Team Manual For Success” by Adams County and CSU
Cooperative Extension.
Donna Gray, Editor
Garfield County Commissioners
Garfield County Vegetation Management, Steve Anthony
Colorado State Forest Service
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Dennis Davidson, Conservation District Technician
Jean’s Printing, Inc.
32
A guide to rural living in northwest Colorado
Photos
Carol Dodo, New Castle
Sandy Jackson, Mt. Sopris Conservation District
Mike Kishimoto, Natural Resources Conservation Service
Dennis Davidson, Conservation District Technician
Sharie Prow, District Manager
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Sean Martin, Mt. Sopris Conservation District
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Todd Patrick
Donna Gray
Janice Matlock
Kenda Spaulding
Special thanks to the Mount
Sopris Conservation District
for its generous contribution
towards the development and
publication of this handbook.
Printed November 2012