Written by Jim Marshall from Grand Junction, CleanTech Biz Coalition and business leader from Grand Junction

As Colorado observes Climate Disasters Awareness Week, it’s time to confront what we’re losing right now

This week, Colorado observes Climate Disasters Awareness Week—a time to reflect on how climate change is transforming our state through increasingly severe wildfires, floods, droughts, and extreme weather. For Grand Junction residents, this isn’t an abstract conversation about distant threats. It’s about our water, our farms, our outdoor economy, and everything that makes our valley home.

Why This Week Matters for Grand Junction

Climate Disasters Awareness Week exists because Colorado is on the front lines of climate change. We’ve experienced devastating wildfires, including the 2021 Marshall Fire that destroyed over 1,000 homes in Boulder County. We’ve watched record droughts strain our water systems. We’ve seen flash floods damage communities. And here in Grand Junction, we’re experiencing all of these disasters converging on our corner of Western Colorado.

This week is our opportunity to honestly assess what’s happening in our own backyard and commit to action before the losses become irreversible.

The Changes Are Already Here

You’ve felt it. Summers are hotter. Wildfires are more frequent and intense. The smoke-filled days that keep us indoors are no longer rare occurrences but expected parts of our summer routine. The Grand Mesa’s snowpack, which we depend on for water, has been declining since the 1950s. Winter precipitation increasingly falls as rain rather than snow, bringing flash floods instead of the gradual snowmelt our ecosystem needs.

The EPA reports that higher temperatures and drought are already increasing the severity, frequency, and extent of wildfires in Colorado. The Marshall Fire wasn’t an anomaly—it’s the new reality we’re facing. And every summer, we watch the air quality index, wondering if today is safe to go outside.

These are the climate disasters we’re meant to be aware of this week. They’re not coming—they’re here.

What We’re Losing Right Now

Our Agricultural Heritage

Mesa County’s farms and orchards produced $94 million in output in 2017. That’s not just an economic statistic—it’s our peach orchards, our vineyards, our farmers’ markets, our agricultural identity. But farmers are already struggling with drier soils, less reliable water for irrigation, and changing frost patterns that threaten our signature crops. Drought—one of Colorado’s primary climate disasters—is making this land harder to farm each season.

Our Outdoor Recreation Economy

Western Colorado’s economy runs on outdoor recreation. We’re the gateway to Colorado National Monument, home to world-class mountain biking, a wine country destination, and a jumping-off point for rafting and fishing. This isn’t a side industry—it’s our lifeblood, supporting countless small businesses, guides, outfitters, restaurants, and hotels.

But wildfire smoke—another climate disaster we’re observing this week—is already cutting into our summer tourism season. Shorter winters with less reliable snowpack are already impacting skiing and snowboarding. Trail closures due to fire danger are already happening more frequently. When visitors check air quality before booking trips or find rivers too low for rafting, that’s lost revenue happening right now.

Our Water Security

The Colorado River system is already stressed, and we’re competing with growing cities and other agricultural regions for every drop. Drought conditions that were once occasional are becoming chronic. Water availability concerns aren’t a future problem—they’re a present crisis that Climate Disasters Awareness Week is designed to highlight.

Your water bills are already climbing. Municipal water restrictions are already being discussed. And when winter storms bring rain instead of snow, we face flash floods—yet another climate disaster—that damage homes and infrastructure while providing none of the gradual moisture our ecosystem desperately needs.

The Washington Post has highlighted how the Colorado River Basin’s water scarcity is creating resource competition and regional conflicts. This isn’t speculation—it’s today’s reality.

The Human Cost We’re Already Paying

Think about how your summers have changed. More days too hot to comfortably work outside. More days when smoke makes outdoor recreation unsafe, especially for children and those with respiratory issues. Air conditioning bills that keep climbing. Wildfire evacuation warnings that weren’t part of life here a generation ago.

Lower-income families are already bearing the worst of it. They live in older housing without adequate cooling. They’re already struggling with rising utility and food costs. They can’t simply move when conditions become unbearable.

Emergency services are already stretched thin during fire season. Healthcare systems already see increased respiratory problems during smoke events. These aren’t future problems—they’re the climate disasters we’re observing this week, and they’re only intensifying.

Taking Action During Climate Disasters Awareness Week

This week isn’t just about awareness—it’s about action. Here’s what Grand Junction can and must do:

Immediate Steps:

• Participate in public meetings about Grand Junction’s Sustainability and Adaptation Plans (visit Engage GJ)
• Support local initiatives for water conservation and emergency preparedness
• Contact city and county officials to prioritize climate resilience in infrastructure planning
• Advocate for protecting outdoor recreation infrastructure that our economy depends on

Community-Level Action:

• Invest aggressively in water conservation and alternative water resources
• Strengthen emergency response systems for compounding disasters we’re already facing
• Support our agricultural community through increasingly difficult conditions
• Develop smoke and extreme heat response plans for vulnerable populations

Broader Advocacy:

• Push for state and federal policies that address the root causes of climate disasters
• Support renewable energy development that reduces future emissions
• Demand regional cooperation on water resources
• Make climate resilience a priority in every local election

No More Waiting

Climate Disasters Awareness Week reminds us that the time for action isn’t later—it’s now. The disasters we’re meant to be “aware” of aren’t theoretical. Wildfires, droughts, floods, and extreme heat are already reshaping life in Grand Junction. Our farms are struggling. Our outdoor economy is vulnerable. Our water security is threatened. Our air quality suffers every summer. Our community is already paying the price.

This week, as Colorado focuses on climate disasters, we have a choice. We can acknowledge what’s happening and commit to meaningful action, or we can continue business as usual and watch what we love about Grand Junction slip away.

The question isn’t whether climate disasters will affect us—they already are. It’s whether we’ll use Climate Disasters Awareness Week as a turning point, a moment when our community decides that Grand Junction deserves better than smoke-filled summers, dwindling water, struggling farms, and a vanishing outdoor economy.

Grand Junction is worth fighting for. Our farms, our trails, our economy, our community, our quality of life—all of it is worth protecting. But we only get that future if we treat this week not as a box to check, but as a call to action we actually answer.

Let’s make Climate Disasters Awareness Week the moment Grand Junction got serious about our climate future.

Colorado Climate Disasters Awareness Week is observed annually during the last week of January. Grand Junction residents can learn more about local sustainability efforts and provide input at Engage GJ. To learn more about climate disasters affecting Colorado, visit climate.colorado.gov.