The Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s Environmental Programs Department operates three air quality stations on the Reservation and maintains a website that provides real-time air pollutant and EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) health alerts from data collected at these stations. Smoke from wildfires can cause unhealthy levels of fine particulate matter (PM) in the air.
Particulate matter is continuously measured at the Ute 3 monitoring station near Bondad Hill and the Ute 1 monitoring station in Ignacio.
As of Wednesday, 4/24/2024, 7:00am, the Ute 1 station is currently reading high PM concentrations with a corresponding AQI of Unhealthy. People with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children avoid limit prolonged or heavy exertion. The general public should limit prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.
To view the ambient monitoring program website, and for more information about how to understand the AQI forecast, follow the links below:
Southern Ute Indian Tribe Ambient Monitoring Program Website
EPA Air Quality Index Information Website
Wildfire Smoke Resources to Protect Your Health | US EPA
EPA Air Now Article – How Smoke From Fires Can Affect Your Health
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT EPD, Air Quality – 970.563.2214
