Here’s a recap of last week’s congressional town hall meeting in Rocky Ford, from Adam Goldstein writing for the Aurora Sentinel. From the article:
Those who supported the position that Congress should enact legislation that would facilitate the export of water from the basin and those who argued that such a move would endanger the rights of water holders in the basin’s communities both expressed their positions in a civil public setting. “We had about 30 speakers … Of those 30 speakers, about two-thirds were very favorable toward this settlement that Aurora has reached with the Lower Arkansas,” Perlmutter said. “Nine out of the 30 were opposed, but not adamantly opposed. It was a more positive meeting than I expected.”
Thursday’s meeting in Rocky Ford was the second public forum held in as many days in the region, and saw input from local residents, media representatives and public officials like Perlmutter, D-Colo., Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., Rep. Betsy Markey, D-Colo., Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer and Aurora Water Director Mark Pifher.
At issue was the role Aurora should play in exporting water out of the Arkansas River Basin. Supporters of legislation that would ease Aurora’s ability to export water from the basin cited potential financial benefits for the area’s farmers, which included maximizing the value of water through the recently formed Super Ditch project.
Larimer County: Septic permit fees to rise
May 31, 2009
From the Fort Collins Coloradoan:
Larimer County will raise the cost of septic permit fees as of June 1, according to the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment. The new fees were approved by the Board of Health at its May meeting…
The new rates are:
> New Residential: $873.
> Vaults: $375.
> Minor Repair: $298.
> Major Repair: $548.
> Remodel: $400.
> Mortgage Loan Inspections: $265.Unchanged rates:
> New commercial: $1,023.
> Commercial repair: $1,023.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Jackson Gulch and McPhee reservoirs update
May 31, 2009
From the Cortez Journal:
Jackson Gulch reservoir live content stood at 7,723 acre-feet with a 9,948 acre-feet maximum capacity and a 7,333 acre-feet average (1971-2000) end-of-month content. At Jackson Gulch, a daily maximum/minimum of 0 cubic-feet-per-second was released into the Mancos River, and 44 acre feet were released for municipal purposes.
McPhee Reservoir live content stood at 329,978 acre-feet, with a 381,051 acre-feet maximum capacity and a 336,999 average (1986-2000) end-of-month content. At McPhee, 3,023 acre-feet were released into the Dolores River, and 8,554 acre-feet were released for transbasin purposes. At McPhee, a daily maximum/minimum of 63/49 cubic-feet-per-second was released into the Dolores River.
Precipitation
May 31, 2009
From the Montrose Daily Press (Katie O’Hare):
The Montrose area recorded 1.38 inches of precipitation as of Friday, May 29. The rainfall is above the monthly average of 1 inch with still several days of showers in the forecast, Jeff Colton, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, said. The area has been averaging about 0.10 to 0.25 inches of rainfall per day, with a half inch falling on May 22, Colton said. Harold, the owner of Tuxedo Corn, said the rain is allowing for such crops as onions to get the water they need, but is slowing down other planting operations.
Dave Wegner appointed staff director for the U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on water and power
May 31, 2009
Here’s a report about Mr. Wegner’s appointment, from Shane Benjamin writing for The Durango Herald. From the article:
“I tend to be more conservative in protecting the environment than not, because once a species is gone, it’s gone forever,” [Wegner] said. “So I inevitably side on the side of the species until the data is collected and we can accurately identify and articulate how we need to manage for that species.”
Wegner, 57, will apply that philosophy in Washington, D.C., where he has been appointed to serve as the staff director for the U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on water and power. It will be his job to help shepherd legislation related to water, power and the environment while considering the effects on species and climate change. Wegner, who has lived in Durango for 12 years, was asked to serve last week by officials in D.C. He and his wife, Nancy Jacques, a local artist, teacher and columnist for the Herald, will move to Washington for at least a couple of years with plans to return in the future, they said…
The Natural Resources Committee has significant influence on development and water and climate legislation, Wegner said. “It is our moral responsibility to address these issues now so that they all don’t fall on future generations to grapple with,” he said. “Durango is the most perfect place to live, but we have a responsibility to the future generations to make sure we do the right things to manage what resources we have in this country.”[...]
Wegner is originally from Minnesota, where he earned a bachelor’s of science degree from the University of Minnesota. He moved to Colorado in 1975 and obtained a master’s degree from Colorado State University in river engineering. He worked for the Interior Department for more than 20 years, 14 of those coordinating the science program in the Grand Canyon. For the last 12 years, he has run his own business, Eco Systems Management International, focusing on endangered-species issues related to dams around the world.
Here’s a recap of yesterday’s competition, from Sean Johnson writing for the Glenwood Springs Post Independent. From the article:
The Glenwood Whitewater Park, just a little more than a year old, is the reason the 2009 U.S. Freestyle Kayak Team Trials came to Glenwood Springs. Volunteer staff member Chris Tonozzi was excited about the weekend events and said the day was running smoothly. The organizers have been meeting since last July to get the competition off the ground and running. Tonozzi said that many hours were spent each night making phone calls and writing e-mails. He is hopeful for another competition next year and thinks the likelihood of that depends on how fired up people get about it this year. The Main challenges in organizing the event were availability of space, and how limited the parking is at the Whitewater Park. Even the judge’s booth is halfway up the hill, in order to have a better vantage point to watch the kayakers.
Daman Martinez, who kayaks frequently for a hobby, was only there to watch the competitors, saying that he is not of the right caliber to be competing in the competition. “I love being in the water,” Martinez said. “I can’t really pinpoint why I like it so much. It’s just the thrill of it.”
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Pueblo Board of Water Works: Bessemer Ditch sellers sorting out leases and purchase contracts
May 31, 2009
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
The Pueblo Board of Water Works has offered to lease back the water it is purchasing on the Bessemer Ditch for 20 years to all sellers. However, until the contracts are closed, probably in October, the water board has no way of knowing how many irrigators will take them up on it. “The early indications are that the overwhelming majority are going to lease back,” said Alan Ward, water resources administrator. “We won’t know until we close the contracts. It’s offered to every seller.” Sellers do not have to accept the 20-year deal, which provides water to those who sold for the cost of ditch assessments. Shareholders already are required to pay the assessments for the operation and upkeep of the ditch…
Excess water that is not leased back to shareholders would first be offered to other users on the Bessemer Ditch, then to others with a need in Pueblo County, according to an agreement the water board signed with the St. Charles Mesa Water District. The district owns about 2,000 shares and has put the same limits on itself. The water board also has committed to revegetating any land that is dried up in the sale. Recent water court cases in the Arkansas River basin, such as the Tri-State acquisition of nearly one-half of the Amity Canal, have placed responsibility for revegetation with the buyer of the water rights as well.
Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District: Reeves Brown applies for vacant board seat
May 31, 2009
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
Beulah rancher Reeves Brown has applied for the vacant Pueblo County director’s seat on the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District. Brown is the third applicant for the seat, vacated in April by the resignation of John Singletary, who left the board because he does not agree with its current direction…
Brown and his wife Betsy have a commitment to conservation and preservation of agriculture in the Arkansas Valley. They bought their Beulah ranch in 1981 and believe conservation easements are needed to maintain agriculture in the valley. “The waters of the Arkansas River are critical to the future of valley agriculture and no less so to of the economics of the entire valley,” Brown said in his letter of application to Chief District Judge Dennis Maes. “Walking the line between a water owner’s right to sell to an open market and the broader community’s dependency upon that same water for its economic future, I see as the greatest challenge the valley has presently. . . . My intention as a board member would be to work toward keeping Arkansas River water in the valley within the legal framework of the law.”
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
From the Wet Mountain Tribune:
The base rate for water service will jump from $15 to $20 a month and the amount per thousand gallons of water used will increase from $2.20 to $2.60. Also increasing is the basic sewer rate. It will also jump from $15 a month to $20 a month, however, the amount per thousand gallons used will be the same at $2.20…
In other business the special meeting the RMW board elected to sell the land on the Johnson Place Ranch located south of town. RMW will retain the water rights to the 320-acre property, however, they would lease a portion of those water rights to the new owner…The board decided to sell the ranch property in order to pay for a number of improvements to the current system. RMW purchased the ranch in 2000 at a cost of $850,000 to obtain the water rights.
From The Crested Butte News (Seth Mensing):
Three representatives from the EPA visited the Crested Butte Town Council and the Gunnison Board of County Commissioners last month to tell them that the second round of remediation work at the site is set to begin this summer.
Gina Andrews, the EPA’s on-scene coordinator for the removal of the mining debris, told both groups that her group’s “task was to remove the waste rock and tailings pond and relocate the pond to a consolidated land fill and cap it off. We finished our portion of that work last fall.”The council members and commissioners were shown photos of the site before and after the remediation work, which contrasted an abandoned mine—complete with mining cart trestle, a bridge and scattered debris—with a nearly natural high mountain valley.
The 10-acre Standard Mine is located in the Gunnison National Forest and on four patented mining claims on the backside of Mt. Emmons. Mining operations for zinc, lead, silver and gold began on the property in 1931 and continued until 1966, when the mine was abandoned.In 2005, the property was placed on the National Priorities List for Superfund status, which initiated the EPA to take a series of steps to reclaim the land and treat contaminated water running from the mine into Elk Creek and eventually into the town and county’s watershed. In addition to removing about 50,000 cubic yards of rock waste and pumping the contents of the tailings pond through a filter, Andrews said a fisheries biologist from the U.S. Forest Service helped the team in the relocation of a stream that had been moved to serve the mine…
Andrews said her group would visit the site throughout the summer months to see how the newly constructed streambed holds up to the spring runoff and to monitor the other improvements while making repairs when and where they are needed. Remedial project manager Christina Progess said the next step for the EPA is to do a remedial investigation and feasibility study to get more information about the condition of the site and its effect on human health. The EPA will also be looking at different methods to treat water coming from the mine. One water purification method being tested at the site is a bioreactor that uses microorganisms to “eat” the contaminating heavy metals in the water. The result is water with 96 percent to 99 percent of the heavy metals removed. “The bioreactor is a step in the right direction,” said Progess. “It still doesn’t get us to the state’s stream water standard [for contaminants] but it could be one of several ways we approach the treatment of water coming out of the mine.”
Ground and surface water flows into the mine, where it is contaminated with arsenic, barium, lead, zinc, cadmium, copper and chromium, according to an EPA report that showed those metals at three times their natural level in Elk Creek below the mine site.
The water then flows out of the mine at a rate ranging from ten gallons per minute to 70 gallons per minute during peak runoff. The 40 square foot bioreactor that is now at the site is capable of treating only one gallon of contaminated water per minute. “If water treatment were needed, this system would be scaled out to treat whatever amount of water is coming out of the adit [mine opening],” said Progess. Progess conceded that expanding the bioreactor to treat 70 gallons of water per minute might not be feasible and because the technology is so new there isn’t a lot of data to show the long-term costs of operating and maintaining the reactor on a large scale…Progess said the EPA would be able to calculate water flows to prepare for all eventualities.The remediation investigation and feasibility study will be done in March 2010, according to Progess, when the EPA will select a final preferred remedy and send out a proposed plan for public review and comment. The process continues with a Record of Decision, published in the federal register; the remedial design and action taking place; and finally completion of construction at the site. Progess said the EPA should hand the project over to the state in 2012. The EPA will then revisit the site every five years to monitor the condition and performance of site improvements. Funding for the project shifts from the EPA to the state, which entered the process early with a 10 percent cost-sharing arrangement. Local governments will not ever be responsible for paying to improve the mine site, said Progess.
Invasive mussels inspection update
May 31, 2009
From the Ouray News:
Western Slope lakes and reservoirs where mussels have been detected (mandatory inspections leaving) include Blue Mesa Reservoir in Gunnison County and McPhee Reservoir in Montezuma County.
Mandatory watercraft inspections are now in place at Ridgway Reservoir (Ouray County); Crawford Reservoir (Delta County); Elkhead Reservoir/Yampa State Park (Routt County); Harvey Gap Reservoir (Garfield County); Highline Reservoir (Mesa County); Jackson Gulch Reservoir at Mancos State Park(Montezuma County); Navajo Reservoir (La Plata County); Paonia Reservoir (Delta County); Sweitzer Lake (Delta County) and Vega Reservoir (Mesa County)
More coverage from the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel:
Starting Monday, boaters hauling a motorized craft to Rifle Gap and Harvey Gap are required to have their boats inspected for zebra and quagga mussels and other exotic aquatic nuisances prior to being launched. Inspections will be done from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. every day at Rifle Gap and from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at Harvey Gap…
An example of the possible complications is at Blue Mesa Reservoir, where all undeveloped launch sites now are closed. Boaters are asked to launch only at Elk Creek, Lake Fork and Stevens Creek marinas, where boat inspections are available daily from 5:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. “If they want to launch before or after those hours they just can’t,” said Sandra Snell-Dobert, spokesperson for Curecanti National Recreation Area. “It’s difficult, we know, but we’re trying to stretch the hours with the staffing level available to us. So far it seems to be working pretty well.”
Rifle Gap and Harvey Gap is making an effort to accommodate early launches by offering a pre-launch inspection the day before. Boaters will get a sealed sticker showing their boat has been inspected and this sticker is good for one launch. It’s not a season pass and you can expect to have your boat examined the next time you show up.
It’s going to be particularly tough to avoid inspections at Blue Mesa, which recently was listed as “suspect” for zebra mussels. This, said Snell-Dobert, means the Division of Wildlife detected some DNA from zebra mussels in the water without actually finding mussels. “It might have washed from someplace upstream or came off a boat,” said Snell-Dobert. “Subsequent tests showed nothing so we really don’t know for sure.”
Denver Water first to issue Build America Bonds
May 30, 2009
Update:
Here’s the release from Denver Water via Stacy Chesney.
Denver Water is on board with provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, being the first organization in the state to issue Build America Bonds. From their release (no deep link available):
While most government agencies, including Denver Water, traditionally issue tax-exempt bonds, the Build America Bonds are taxable bonds with a 35 percent federal subsidy on interest costs. Denver Water awarded $44 million of Build America Bonds to Wachovia Bank National Association at just over 6 percent interest on a taxable basis. However, because of the federal tax subsidy, Denver Water actually will pay 3.94 percent interest. That amount is less than Denver Water’s outstanding tax-exempt bonds, on which it pays an average of 4.23 percent interest.
The bond will allow Denver Water to pay for capital projects, such as infrastructure improvements, at a lower interest rate than it would if it had issued a tax-exempt bond.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
The interim board met Friday, and decided the new board can be in place next month. The members, all of whom will serve on the new board or expect to be appointed, received a green light from legal counsel for both El Paso and Pueblo counties. The board also began the task of filling slots on a citizens advisory group and creating a technical advisory committee for the district board as it transfers tasks set up under an intergovernmental agreement to the district created by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Bill Ritter.
Here’s a update on the source water protection plan proposed by Brush and the Morgan County Quality Water District, from Dan Barker writing for The Fort Morgan Times. From the article:
Stakeholders for the city of Brush and the Morgan County Quality Water District set some boundaries Wednesday around local aquifers which will be protected and watched for any sign of contaminants which could get into the water table, said Colleen Williams, source water specialist for Colorado Rural Water. Those included aquifers under the Krause Well Field in Weld County near Morgan County, the Weingardt Well Field in the eastern part of Morgan County and the Smart Well Field in the western part of the county, she said. Brush and Quality Water both have wells in the Smart Well Field, and Quaity Water in the other well fields.
This was the third in a series of meetings designed to set up those boundaries and set limits on what can happen above and near aquifers, she said. This process began when the Environmental Protection Agency asked states to look at where people get their drinking water and to plan to keep it clean under the Safe Drinking Water Act, she said. Wednesday’s Quality Water meeting was focused on what concerns the area may have about possible sources of contaminants to water supplies. A big concern is how well the operators of oil and natural gas wells do in making sure that oil and brackish water from oil wells are controlled, Williams said. At one site in the Krause Well Field, she found oil on the ground near a sealed and abandoned oil well, and wondered if it was leaking, she said…
A big concern is how well the operators of oil and natural gas wells do in making sure that oil and brackish water from oil wells are controlled, Williams said…
Other sources of contamination could be agricultural chemical use, spills due to the crash or overturn of trucks carrying hazardous materials, hazardous waste facilities, residential practices and livestock production.
Most of those are not a problem in the sandy dunes which surround the aquifers in the Morgan County areas, Kokes said. Livestock does not like the area, nor do developers, and it is not good farm land, he said…
The source water project wants to set up barriers to contamination, but often the best barrier is education, Williams said. People need to know not to let contaminants like chemicals soak into the ground, and that alone will be a preventive measure, she said. Voluntary measures to promote management practices to protect and enhance drinking water are best, Williams said. The idea is to engage the community members as stewards of the water sources. Individuals need to take personal responsibility, she said. What water managers need is a tool to educate the public and their various boards, said Don Marymee, water foreman for Brush. It is important to draw boundary lines to help in management, because the areas where contaminants could affect the groundwater supply are larger than most people think, Kokes said. “This kind of dialogue helps,” he said.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
From the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (Gary Harmon):
The Guard’s 947th Engineering Company will repair and improve the old earthen dam that holds back snowmelt until it can be turned to use on the fields and pastures down below.
The mission, though, is to do more than revive the old reservoir. The project also will help Fruita preserve its rights to the water stored there and could one day pave the way for a park in the high country overlooking the Grand Valley, Fruita Mayor Ken Henry said…
Work is to be complete by Aug. 9, and the reservoir will be off-limits to the public until the job is done. Soldiers from Grand Junction, Durango and Fort Carson will work to complete the job that officials said would otherwise cost Fruita an estimated $1 million. The job will be done with two complements of 50 or so soldiers each. For one three-day period midway through the project, there will be as many as 110 soldiers working at the site and staying in a bivouac a few hundred yards downstream in the woods. The National Guard will spend about $350,000 on the repair. That’s the same amount it would cost for any training exercise, which the company does once a year anyway, officials said.
At completion, the narrow, sharply sloped dam will be restored and improved with the extension of the back side into a flatter, more stable support structure holding back the reservoir, which can hold back about 140 acre feet of water.
Fruita needed to act soon because it was in danger of losing its water right for failure to put it to beneficial use, Henry said. Fruita, however, had no money to rebuild the dam until the National Guard came along. “We don’t want to compete against contractors for work,” Brock said, so officials chose to work with other government agencies or nonprofit organizations.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Here’s a preview of today’s U.S. Freestyle Kayaking Team Trials — including much praise for Glenwood Spring’s wave feature in the Colorado River — from John Stroud writing for the Glenwood Springs Post Independent. From the article:
“This is one of the best features in the world, and it’s right in my backyard, so I guess I have a little hometown advantage,” [Michael Palmer ] said during a training break at the whitewater park earlier this week. He and [Jason Craig] have become good friends while competing on the world kayaking circuit. Palmer introduced Craig to the new Glenwood Whitewater Park last summer. “I was here for two weeks, just staying and playing in the park,” Craig said. “There’s not an artificial wave feature built anywhere that’s better than the one here,” he said. “There are some amazing opportunities with this wave, because there’s so much water and its taller and more powerful … you can really separate yourself from the water, which opens up the possibilities for tricks.”
Glenwood’s wave is unique because of its location on a major river, just downstream from the confluence with a major tributary, the Roaring Fork River, Palmer explained. Where most whitewater parks are on rivers that peak below 5,000 cubic feet per second, the Colorado River in that location can peak at 17,000 cfs or more stay above 10,000 cfs for several weeks during the spring and early summer. “There are natural features in some places that rival this, but they only come in a couple of days out of the year,” Palmer said. “This one lasts for months, and you can truly paddle it year-round.” For Glenwood to host a competition the caliber of the Team Trials in just the whitewater park’s second year is huge, he said.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):
This week, due to cooler temperatures, melting snow down the Big Thompson River into Lake Estes dropped off considerably. While Lake Estes is filled primarily by C-BT water coming from the west slope and delivered through the Estes Power Plant, we have been moving that water on down through the project and into Horsetooth Reservoir. When the natural inflow from Big Thompson dropped off, that dropped the water level of Lake Estes down a full foot to around 7470–about five feet below full. We anticipate that over the weekend, we will be able to store a little more behind Olympus Dam and raise the water level of Lake Estes back up that foot to around 7471 or maybe even 7472.
Downstream of Lake Estes, the Big Thompson River through the canyon has been fluctuating, reflecting the inflows we have been seeing from the upper Big Thompson River to the reservoir. We have been passing matching inflows through Olympus Dam on down through the canyon. The changing temperatures play the largest role: when it is warmer, more snow melts during the day, causing flows in the Big Thompson to rise at night. We adjust the gate at Olympus Dam to reflect those flows and pass them on down to the canyon. But, when it cools off, the inverse happens, less snow melts, and flows in the river drop off. That is why the Big Thompson below Olympus Dam started at around 175 on Monday, bumped up to near 300 cfs on Tuesday, dropped to just under 200 cfs on Wednesday, and is now flowing around 125 cfs. Depending on what the weather does, we will adjust the release from Olympus Dam at night to match the snowmelt coming down the river.
“Down canal” from Lake Estes is Pinewood Reservoir. Pinewood stores water above Flatiron Power Plant before we drop the water down the penstocks to generate hydro-electric power at the plant. We have been doing some upgrades at Flatiron for several months–and that will continue through the summer. Because of that, we are generating with one unit instead of two. This means, we cannot run as much water through the plant. So, we are not filling Pinewood as full as it typically has been this time of year in other years. As a result, Pinewood has been holding a fairly steady water elevation of around 6567 most of the spring. On Wednesday, the change in inflow at Lake Estes also effected Pinewood and the water elevation dropped three feet to about 6564–about 16 feet down from full. As we move through the weekend, the elevation at Pinewood will climb back a little bit, but we do not anticipate it getting much higher than 6570–ten feet down from full.
Carter Lake has remained steady at an elevation of 5753–about six feet down from full. Once warmer weather hits, we anticipate water users will begin to pull their water from Carter Lake. But, the rain has staved that off a bit. We anticipate Carter will maintain this water elevation through the weekend.
Similarly, Horsetooth Reservoir has been holding at a steady elevation of about 5416, almost 5417. Like Carter, we have not seen much water go out of Horsetooth, yet, for water users. Again, the rain is probably holding that off. We have been bringing only a little water into Horsetooth Reservoir over the past week because water users downstream on the Big Thompson River are taking some of their C-BT water. If that demand drops off and the cool weather continues, Horsetooth will rise slightly. Otherwise, it is likely to maintain the same water elevation through the weekend, as well.
From email from Reclamation (Dan Crabtree):
Blue Mesa Reservoir has been increasing in elevation at a rate of about 1 ft per day and the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center tells us the April – July inflow volume is likely to increase to over 700,000 ac-ft. To accommodate this change in inflow, releases from the Aspinall Unit will increase by 200 cfs on May 29th. Following this change, flows in the Black Canyon and Gunnison Gorge will be about 2,100 cfs.
Greeley: Water supply meets standards
May 29, 2009
From The Tribune:
The 2008 Consumer Confidence Report for the Greeley water department released on Wednesday revealed no violations of state or federal water quality standards. The department has never violated standards described in the report, although the department has erred in administering a small number of tests in past years. The failed tests were not a cause for concern, the report said.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
CWCB: Instream flow water rights
May 29, 2009
Here’s a recap of this week’s meeting of the Colorado Water Conservation Board Stream and Lake Section this week in Montrose, from Mallory George writing for the Montrose Daily Press. From the article:
“We are here to balance human needs with some reasonable preservation of the natural environment,” said Jeff Baessler, the deputy section chief at CWCB. He cited the Tragedy of the Commons, in which everyone has free use of resources and eventually exhaust those resources because of lack of regulation, as the need for water appropriations…
After groups such as the Bureau of Land Management, a homeowners association and the U.S. Forest Service recommended 54 streams and rivers to be protected this year, the CWCB began conducting tests to ensure that a natural environment exists, which is typically, but not always, marked by fishery. Baessler said the CWCB also makes sure that the natural environment in question will be preserved by the water available for appropriation. Not all of the water in streams is recommended to be a part of the instream flow program, just enough to preserve the environment. The water is then unavailable for consumptive use. The final statutory requirement the board must meet before finalizing an appropriation is to ensure that the new appropriation will not conflict with an existing water right.
Hydrologists are currently conducting water availability tests, while other Stream and Lake Protection staff members are meeting with local governments and communities to address concerns. In January, the Stream and Lake Protection Section will present recommendations to the CWCB, which will then declare intent for the appropriations. Baessler discussed the Division 4 recommendations, which include those in Montrose, Gunnison, Hinsdale and Delta counties. Big Dominguez Creek, Little Dominguez Creek, an increase to the Blue Creek instream flow, South Willow Creek, Alpine Creek, Spring Creek, two sections of Cebolla Creek, Red Canyon Creek, the San Miguel River, three segments of Tabeguache Creek, North Fork Tabeguache Creek, two sections of Cochetopa Creek and East Beaver Creek were recommended to the department. The San Miguel River section — from Calamity Draw to the Dolores River — which holds several sensitive species of fish, prompted confusion when it was initially recommended in February 2008 because people were concerned there would not be enough water available for consumption…
In the Uravan area, many of the water rights belong to Umetco Minerals Co., which operates a uranium mill. The company is in the process of remediating and closing down its operations and is estimated to finish by the end of this year. In anticipation of that, and for the CWCB to receive those water rights, a study was conducted by the Stream and Lake Section, the Southwester Water Conservation District and Harris Water Engineering, Inc., that resulted in several recommendations for the area. “We tried to create a package of the best water rights for local entities and the state as well,” said Dan Merriman of Harris Water Engineering. The study recommended that two Tabeguache wells and a Uravan well be given to Montrose for its use. Three other wells and the San Miguel Power Company Canal water rights would be abandoned; that is, they would be relinquished to the stream, but not be protected instream flows. Johnson Ditch water rights would shift to local government entities such as Nucla, Naturita and Montrose Country to meet existing and future needs, Merriman said. Until Umetco is out of the area, however, these recommendations cannot be carried out.
From The Citizen Telegram:
Starting June 1, all trailered watercraft must be inspected for aquatic nuisance species (ANS), including zebra and quagga mussels, prior to launch at Rifle Gap and Harvey Gap State Parks…
“Boats may be inspected at Rifle Gap from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m., seven days per week,” said Aaron Fero, park manager for Rifle Gap and Harvey Gap State Parks. “Inspection hours at Harvey Gap will be limited to Saturdays and Sundays from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m.” In August, the inspection hours at both parks will decrease. However, inspections will still be available seven days per week. Visitors wishing to launch boats when the park inspection stations are closed will be required to have proof of a pre-inspection.
More coverage from the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel:
Visitors launching boats prior to or after inspection hours will be required to have proof of a pre-inspection. The pre-inspection sticker will be available on days prior to boating and will be valid for one entry only. Parks rangers will be monitoring craft entering and leaving the reservoirs.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Brush: Stormwater fees go up
May 29, 2009
From The Fort Morgan Times:
An increase in storm water fees for residents of Brush was approved during Tuesday night’s meeting of the Brush City Council. The measure raises rates by three cents, from 10 to 13 cents a month per lineal foot of frontage on any property that has a curb and gutter installed. Corner lots will be charged only for the length of frontage from which the property takes its address. The increase goes into effect July 1, and is intended to offset costs the city will incur for the Downtown/Clayton Street storm water project. Studies done in 2005 led Brush to develop a storm water master plan that addressed five areas of hazardous flooding in the city. One of those, the Williams Street Loop area, has already been resolved. Though the three-cent increase is not the final solution in obtaining funds to fix all four remaining areas, the city council decided during a previous meeting that a six-cent increase so abruptly was not in the city’s best interest, and the small increase over time was preferred.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Here’s a preview of the event, from Jeff Caspersen writing for the Glenwood Springs Post Independent. From the article:
[Charlie MacArthur], who owns and operates Aspen Kayak Academy, and his longtime friend, and fellow whitewater fiend, Paul Tefft, are bringing the Whitewater Stand Up Paddling Championships to the Colorado River this weekend. The event is the first of its kind, as far as MacArthur and Tefft know, and the pair hope it lends competitive legitimacy to a sport that’s still very much in its infancy.
With roots dating back to the early days of Polynesia, stand-up paddling, or SUP, is well rooted in coastal communities. It’s basically surfing, with boards longer and wider than your traditional surfboard, and with the aid of a long, single-bladed paddle. While much of the sport’s history has played out on the flat water, SUP is catching on with inlanders in the Roaring Fork Valley, who are taking to this new way of tackling the rushing rapids of local rivers.
Here’s a release from the RRWCD via The Yuma Pioneer:
On Monday, May 18, the Republican River Water Conservation District Board of Directors voted to authorize closing on the $49.1 million purchase and sale of the groundwater rights for the Republican River Compact Compliance Pipeline.
The decision came even though the Republican River Compact Administration has not yet approved the augmentation plan and accounting procedures for the pipeline project.
After questioning Deputy State Engineer Mike Sullivan at length and taking comments from the public, the RRWCD Board of Directors voted to authorize the closing because of concern that the $60 million loan funds from the Colorado Water Conservation Board may not be available in the future due to the state’s current budget situation.
The board recognized that Colorado is exceeding its statewide Compact allocations and that the pipeline project is needed to avoid an action by Nebraska or Kansas for an injunction against Colorado to halt well pumping in the district until Colorado is in compliance with its compact allocations.
The RRWCD Board also recognized that Kansas believes that Colorado is impairing Kansas’ ability to use its South Fork sub-basin allocation within the South Fork sub-basin. The RRWCD Board has requested assurances from the State of Colorado that if the board goes forward with the pipeline project, Colorado will drain Bonny Reservoir or take other actions equivalent to draining Bonny Reservoir if Kansas is correct regarding its interpretation of the Final Settlement Stipulation between the states.
Although the State of Colorado has not provided the assurances sought by the board, the board concluded that the only feasible way to comply with Kansas’ view of the sub-basin non-impairment requirement in the South Fork sub-basin is to drain Bonny Reservoir.
The State of Colorado is continuing negotiations with Nebraska and Kansas in an effort to get the Republican River Compact Administration’s approval of the augmentation plan and accounting procedures for the pipeline project. If the negotiations are not successful, the State of Colorado will pursue the dispute resolution process established in the Final Settlement Stipulation, which includes non-binding arbitration of disputes.
For more information, contact Stan Murphy at the RRWCD office, 410 Main Street, Ste 8, in Wray, call 332-3552, or email rrwcd@centurytel.net.
Southern Delivery System: Conservation groups ask for Corps of Engineers for extension for comment period
May 29, 2009
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
The Rocky Mountain Environmental Labor Coalition has asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to extend the deadline for public comment on Colorado Springs’ application for a permit for the Southern Delivery System. The Corps is preparing an environmental review of the $1.1 billion pipeline project that would build a 53-mile pipeline, two new reservoirs and a treatment plant to provide water for Colorado Springs, Security, Fountain and Pueblo West…
The initial time period for comments ends Thursday, just 21 days after the application was announced on May 13. The coalition is asking for a 60-day period ending July 13, said Joe Santarella, the group’s lawyer…
The coalition offered frequent criticism of SDS during Reclamation’s hearings on its EIS, particularly on the potential of the new reservoirs in the project to concentrate levels of mercury on tributaries of Fountain Creek.
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
The sale for $30.48 million would transfer ownership of the ditch 13 miles north of Leadville to Ginn Development for use in its Battle Mountain development near Minturn. The sale won’t be complete for more than two months, however, since Aurora has the opportunity to match terms of the contract within the next 60 days under a 1997 agreement with the Pueblo water board. “We haven’t seen the contract, so I don’t know what we’ll do,” said Mark Pifher, director of Aurora water.
There are still conditions that must be met, including the approval of the Pueblo City Council of the sale of a water right. The water board must also complete its contracts to buy 5,000 shares of the Bessemer Irrigating Ditch Co., or about one-quarter of the ditch that flows from Pueblo Dam through Pueblo and irrigates farms on the St. Charles Mesa. The Columbine contract also provides for continued, limited use of the Columbine Ditch during drought years during the next 25 years. The water board would be able to use up to 250 acre-feet in two of every 10 years. The ditch would otherwise yield 1,300 acre-feet per year. The Bessemer shares could yield as much as 7,500 acre-feet per year.
