Montezuma County Sheriff's Office

Community Announcements

Table of Contents

Forest Service News Release: San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office and the GMUG Issue Public Safety Alert

San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office and the GMUG Issue Public Safety Alert   Dangerous Wire Hazards on Local Trails Norwood, Colorado, July 12, 2024—The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests and the San Miguel Sheriff’s Office are issuing a critical safety alert to all residents and visitors following recent reports of dangerous wires being placed across local trails. This illegal and malicious activity poses a severe hazard to hikers, bikers and other trail users, risking serious injury or worse.   Over the past several days, incidents have been reported where wires were deliberately strung across the Wilson Mesa

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Montezuma County Sheriffs: PUBLIC SAFETY AWARENESS CURRENT FRAUD AND SCAM ALERT

PUBLIC SAFETY AWARENESSCURRENT FRAUD AND SCAM ALERT   During the past week, citizens in Montezuma County have been contacted by phone, email and text messages by person(s) impersonating deputies with the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office, advising that citizen that a warrant has been issued for their arrest for not appearing in either a Federal or State Court for a subpoena or jury summons. The impersonating caller or false message states that the named individual must send a certain amount of money to them in order for the Sheriff’s Office Deputy not to come and arrest the named individual.    These

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Notice: Stage 1 Fire Restrictions Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation Effective: June 17th , 2024 (Until rescinded or superseded)

Notice: Stage 1 Fire RestrictionsUte Mountain Ute Indian ReservationEffective: June 17th, 2024 (Until rescinded or superseded)   Stage 1-FIRE RESTRICTIONS AREAS FOLLOWS: Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, coal, or wood burning stove, any type of charcoal fueled broiler or open fire of any type in undeveloped areas. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, in a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable vegetations. Using explosive material: (i.e., fireworks, blasting caps or any incendiary device which may result in the

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Resolution No.18-2023 SUSPENSION OF BAN ON OPEN FIRES AND USE OF FIREWORKS

Resolution RESOLUTION NO. 18-2023 SUSPENSION OF BAN ON OPEN FIRES AND USE OF FIREWORKS WHEREAS, Montezuma County Ordinance No. 2-2015 prohibits open fires and the useof fireworks in unincorporated areas of Montezuma County, except the Montezuma County Boardof County Commissioners, based upon competent evidence may by resolution suspend said banfrom time to time to the degree and manner consistent with existing wildfire dangers; and WHEREAS, competent evidence has been presented of sufficient moisture throughoutMontezuma County temporarily reducing existing wildfire dangers to more normal conditions; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Montezuma County Board of CountyCommissioners that the ban on

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2023 Water Run Off – Sign Up for Evacuation Assistance

If there were an emergency in your neighborhood that required you to evacuate, would you need help? Do you know someone such as a neighbor, parent, or friend who would need some assistance? The Montezuma County Office of Emergency Management is putting together a list of those in our county who might need some assistance in the event of an emergency that requires them to evacuate their home. Inclusion on this list is voluntary, and information will only be shared with representatives of dispatch, local fire departments, emergency medical responders and the department of social services. If you anticipate needing

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Montezuma County Penalties for Fire Violations

Public Information on possible Penalties for Fire Violations Montezuma County Burn Ban Ordinance 2-2015 Resolution 7-2020 Class 2 Petty Offense, up to $1,000.00 plus $10.00 surcharge C.R.S. 42-4-1406 Expel Lighted Cigarette or Burning Material from a Vehicle Class 2 Misdemeanor, 3 months jail/$250 fine to 12 months jail/$1,000.00 fine C.R.S. 18-13-109 Setting Fire to Woods or Prairie Class 2 Misdemeanor, 3 months jail/$250 fine to 12 months jail/$1,000.00 fine Violation of this Statue if Fire Ban is in Effect Class 6 Felony, 1 year to 18 months imprisonment C.R.S. 18-13-109.5 Intentionally Setting Wildfire Class 3 Felony, 4 years to 12

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EMERGENCY AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Emergencies such as Wildfires, Flooding and other natural disasters can occur at any time, day or night. The Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office is in need of your assistance to better protect lives, and ask that you take time to plan and prepare for an event that would require evacuation from your home safely if theneed would ever arise. Everyone can help by pre-planning and being prepared by considering the following proven steps: Watch the weather reports and be prepared during daily activities in all seasons of the year. Prepare a Plan now on where you could move and store your

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Water Overflowing the Highways

43-5-303. Overflowing highways – penalty. No person or corporation shall repeatedly, willfully, or negligently cause or allow water to flow, fall, or sprinkle from any ditch, lateral, canal, waste ditch, reservoir, pond, drain, flume, or agricultural crop sprinkler system upon any public road or highway so as to damage the same or to cause a hazard to vehicular traffic. Any person or corporation so offending is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than ten dollars nor more than three hundred dollars. Upon a third conviction therefor, the offender shall

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Water-Related Easements

37-86-102. Right-of-way through other lands Any person owning a water right or conditional water right shall be entitled to a right-of-way through the lands which lie between the point of diversion and point of use or proposed use for the purpose of transporting water for beneficial use in accordance with said water right or conditional water right. Right extends to bed of ditch and sufficient ground on either side. The right of an owner with respect to a ditch excavated over the private land of another extends to the bed of the ditch and sufficient ground on either side. Shrull

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Most Commonly Violated Water Statutes

37-84-101. Maintenance of embankments and tail ditch The owners of any ditch for irrigation or other purposes shall carefully maintain theembankments thereof so that the waters of such ditch may not flood or damage thepremises of others, and shall make a tail ditch so as to return the water in such ditch with as little waste as possible into the stream from which it was taken.   37-84-108. Running excess of water forbidden During the summer season, it shall not be lawful for any person to run through his irrigating ditch any greater quantity of water than is absolutely necessary

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