Metro rescue divers are searching the waters of the Gunnison River for a missing Grand Junction mom.

The divers are searching for signs of Paige Birgfeld, focusing on a stretch of the river and an open waste-water pit south of Whitewater, said Norma Mestas, spokeswoman for the Mesa County sheriff's office.

Information developed by sheriff's investigators spurred the search of the waste-water pit at a septic facility off north of U.S. 50 near Bridgeport Road, she said.

Dog teams searched the river area of U.S. 50 over the weekend, prompting additional efforts today, Mestas said. Investigators were directing about 35 fire rescue and volunteer divers as well as deputies who probed the river between Whitewater and Bridgeport Road, Mestas said.

The search has been hampered by recent rains, which raised the river level 18 inches and made water murky.

The area is just a few miles south of where some of Birgfeld's belongings were found along the highway south of Whitewater last month.

The 34-year-old Birgfeld, a mother of three and an escort service owner, has been missing since June 28. Her burned-out car was later found on the northwest outskirts of the Western Slope city.

Five members of the Metro Dive Team are searching the area today and through mid-day Friday if necessary, said Andy Lyon, a spokesman for South Metro Fire Rescue, whose agency participates in the dive team along with other regional rescue squads.

The dive team often assists other agencies in searches across Colorado, he said. "If we can do it safely, then our guys come back with more experience. And, hopefully we bring some closures to the families by finding these victims."