South Platte Basin Roundtable meeting recap

From the Sterling Journal Advocate (Judy Debus):

One of the projects funded by the roundtable is the shared vision planning (SVP) which is a collaborative approach to formulate, study and debate water management solutions by combining: traditional water resources planning, structured public participation, and collaborative computer modeling.

More South Platte River Basin coverage here.

Montezuma Land Conservancy awarded accredited status from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission

Here’s the release from the Montezuma Land Conservancy:

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, announced today that Montezuma Land Conservancy has been awarded accredited status.

“Accredited land trusts meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever,” said Commission Executive Director Tammara Van Ryn. “The accreditation seal lets the public know that the accredited land trust has undergone an extensive, external review of the governance and management of its organization and the systems and policies it uses to protect land.”

“Montezuma Land Conservancy’s accredited status demonstrates our commitment to permanent land conservation,” said David Nichols, Executive Director “The rigorous accreditation process has both certified the quality of our past work and aided us in continuing to improve the quality of our current conservation work. It has also helped us to ensure, to an even greater extent than before, the permanence of all the conservation easements we hold.”

Montezuma Land Conservancy is a local non-profit organization founded in 1998. It exists to permanently protect important open lands – in partnership with landowners – in order to conserve agricultural, natural, and scenic open space resources in Montezuma and Dolores Counties. Since its inception, the conservancy has partnered in the creation of 58 conservation easements protecting over 17,000 acres in the two counties.

Montezuma Land Conservancy was one of 11 land trusts awarded accreditation this March. These land trusts join 82 other land trusts from across the country that have been awarded accreditation since the fall of 2008. Accredited land trusts are able to display a seal indicating to the public that they meet national standards for excellence, uphold the public trust and ensure that conservation efforts are permanent. The seal is a mark of distinction in land conservation.

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, based in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., awards the accreditation seal to community institutions that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. The Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance established in 2006, is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land conservation and nonprofit management experts from around the country. The Alliance, of which Montezuma Land Conservancy is a member, is a national conservation group based in Washington, D.C. that works to save the places people love by strengthening conservation throughout America.

Nichols concluded, “Achieving the right to use the accreditation seal provides tangible assurance to our members, easement donors, and financial contributors that the trust and financial support they have invested in the Montezuma Land Conservancy has not been misplaced.”

Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that landowners use to protect important agricultural land, wildlife habitat, and scenic open space by limiting subdivision and residential development. Lands remain in private ownership and management, and public access is not granted. Financial benefits can include reduction in state, federal, and estate taxes and continued agricultural property tax status. In certain cases, landowners may receive cash for protecting their land. For more information, contact the Montezuma Land Conservancy at 565-1664 or info@montezumalandconservancy.org

Thanks to the Cortez Journal for the heads up.

More conservation easements coverage here and here.

Mesa County: Commissioners approve contract for first phase of wastewater project for Whitewater

From The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (Mike Wiggins):

County commissioners Craig Meis and Janet Rowland on Monday approved a $2.1 million contract with Mendez Inc. of Grand Junction to complete the first phase of a three-phase sewer line project from Whitewater to the Clifton Sanitation District, 3217 D Road. Commissioner Steve Acquafresca was absent from the meeting…

The first phase of the project, which should be completed early next year, covers three miles of sewer line to be built from the entrance to the Western Colorado Dragway, just north of the intersection of U.S. Highway 50 and 32 Road, to the intersection of 32 and C 1/2 roads. County Senior Engineer Julie Constan said the county received nine bids for the first phase, including six from Front Range firms. The bid from Mendez, which was the lowest, came in nearly $900,000 below the county’s estimated project cost, an indication of how hungry the recession has made contractors for work.

More wastewater coverage here.

SB 10-181 (Municipal Authority To Lease Land) passes Senate Local Government and Energy Committee

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Patrick Malone):

[SB 10-181] (pdf) would allow Walsenburg and about 150 other statutory cities and towns in Colorado to lease the land that they own with water rights. Under current law, only home-rule municipalities have that authority. In Walsenburg’s case, the benefits of SB181 are on its doorstep. A proposed 100-tower wind farm has offered to lease 2,300 acres of land in Huerfano County owned by the city of Walsenburg. The wind farm proposed by Denver-based Viento Claro Energy would be built by Torch Renewable Energy. Viento Claro is eyeing a $23 million investment on the land owned by Walsenburg and adjacent property owners. If Walsenburg were allowed to lease the land to Viento Claro, the city would realize about $11 million in royalties over a 25-year span, according to Viento Claro…

Sen. Ken Kester, R-Las Animas, and Rep. Wes McKinley, D-Walsh, are sponsoring the bill…

And it’s not just Walsenburg that would benefit, according to the city attorney, Dan Hyatt, who also represents the city of Rocky Ford. Hyatt said Rocky Ford — another statutory city — also has land with water rights that could generate long-term revenue if it were allowed to lease it. “The potential benefit of this bill is immense,” said Geoff Wilson of the Colorado Municipal League. Next, the bill will be placed on the consent calendar in the Senate for preliminary approval.

More 2010 Colorado legislation coverage here.

Colorado State Parks boating and invasive mussel inspection information

From The Denver Post:

Current boat inspection hours for other eastern Colorado reservoirs administered by Colorado State Parks are:

Cherry Creek Reservoir: Through April, the east ramp will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Both ramps will be open Friday through Sunday. Full operation resumes May 1.
Barr Lake: Through April, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Saturday. Drop boxes for pre-inspection seals are available at the ramp and may be used at other times. Boat motors cannot exceed 10 horsepower.
Boyd Lake: Through April, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, main ramp only. Pre-inspection seal drop boxes available at the ramp at other times.
Jackson Lake: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Pre-inspection seals may be used at other times.
North Sterling Reservoir: Opens to boating April 15.
Lake Pueblo: Through April 14, 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. No loading or unloading of boats permitted after hours.
Trinidad Lake: Beginning April 1, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
John Martin Reservoir: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday through Tuesday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Lathrop State Park: Both lakes closed to trailered boats until the water level in Martin Reservoir returns to its normal level.

More coverage from Chris Woodka writing for The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:

“Based on what we’ve seen in other parts of the country, it can take anywhere from three to five years after initial introduction, before adult populations boom and mussels start colonizing on infrastructure or before shells are found along shorelines,” said Jerry Neal, spokesman for the DOW.

First found in Lake Pueblo in late 2007, signs of invasive mussels popped up at six other reservoirs in the state in 2008. It appeared the zebra and the closely related quagga mussels would follow the pattern of rapid spread seen in other states. In response, the state launched an aggressive boat inspection and decontamination program, along with boater education and risk assessment programs that were meant to slow down that spread. In 2009, the only state-wide evidence of invasive mussels was found at Lake Pueblo, despite more than 400,000 boat inspections, 3,300 decontamination procedures and research at 100 lakes or reservoirs. Even at Pueblo, only the larvae, called veligers, were found last year. No live mussels have yet been found within the state, although 19 boats with attached mussels were intercepted coming into the state last year…

Weather could have played a part in the failure to detect mussels at higher elevation lakes after positive results in 2008, Neal said. “In reservoirs above 7,000 feet, cooler water temperatures may cause a considerable fluctuation in the number of veligers produced from year to year,” Neal said. “We had an unusually cool, wet spring and summer in 2009 which may have resulted in a much shorter breeding season for the mussels and fewer veligers.”[...]

OTHER PESTS

Zebra and quagga mussels can clog pipelines, ruin beaches and deplete nutrients in lakes, but are not the only aquatic pests that concern Colorado Division of Wildlife officials. Among the others:

RUSTY CRAYFISH

Native to the Ohio River basin, the crayfish are more aggressive than native species, colonize and can diminish the native fish population. They were found for the first time last year on the Yampa River near Steamboat Springs.

NEW ZEALAND MUD SNAILS

The tiny snails can reach concentrations of 500,000 per square yard and out-compete native food sources for fish. They have been found at one site on the Green River and two sites in the South Platte basin and monitored since 2004.

EURASIAN MILFOIL

An aquatic weed, it takes over lakes under certain conditions, choking out most other forms of life. So far, the state has confirmed 15 exotic milfoil sites, five native (northern milfoil) and two hybrid sites. A management program began in 2005.

PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE

A weed that grows in marshy areas or wetlands, it crowds out native or beneficial plants. It is controlled to protect waterfowl habitat and maintain flows. In Colorado, 29 cities and counties participate in a management program started in the South Platte basin in 1993.

More invasive species coverage here and here.

CWCB: Board approves Animas-La Plata Project water purchase

From The Durango Herald (Joe Hanel):

The board voted 7-0 to support the concept, but it would have to vote again later this year to complete the sale.

Colorado could use the water to help hold off an interstate water war. If the four states in the Upper Colorado River Basin have to send water downstream to fulfill the Colorado River Compact, this state could use its share of Animas-La Plata water to keep downstream states satisfied, according to a water board memo. If the state buys into Animas-La Plata, it would get a vote on the seven-member board that will operate the project.

The Southern Ute tribe supports more state involvement in Animas-La Plata, said Scott McElroy, a lawyer for the tribe, during Monday’s water board meeting.

More Animas River watershed coverage here and here.

Snowpack news

From the Aspen Daily News (Catherine Lutz):

With what looks like two relatively dry days left in the month, March snowfall on local ski areas is looking to be well below average, and significantly less than in three of the last four years. March has historically been the snowiest month of the winter, but hasn’t been in the last several years.

Snowmass has seen 50 inches fall on the top of the mountain so far this month, compared to an average of 60 inches. Last winter, 67 inches fell in March and in the record 2007/2008 season, Snowmass amassed 88 inches in the last full month of the ski season. Aspen Mountain and Aspen Highlands received 43 and 42 inches, respectively — on average they get about a foot more than that. And while last March was just below average for Aspen Mountain, the 62 inches Highlands had was respectably above its 55-inch average. Buttermilk has had 38 inches in March, well below its 50-inch average…

Last winter, storms blew in red dust from the desert on multiple occasions, which hastened the melting of the snowpack and in one instance turned into frozen brown ice when a cold windstorm with minimal precipitation blew through.

Southwestern Colorado Water Conservation District Annual Seminar ‘Common Causes’ April 2

From the Pagosa Sun:

This year’s theme is “Common Causes,” and there will be a lineup of notable speakers who will address how water districts and various organizations work together to address common concerns.

In addition to [photographer John Fielder], one of the ranchers interviewed in Fielder’s recent book, “Colorado Ranges,” T. Wright Dickinson, will speak. Other speakers include Dave Grey; David Brown and Josh Linard from the United States Geological Survey; Doug Kemper, executive director of Colorado Water Congress, and Kent Singer, executive director of Colorado Rural Electric Association; and a panel that will talk about water quality work being done.

The registration is $30 for advance registration and $32 at the door, per person. This fee includes morning and afternoon snacks and a buffet lunch. Registration on April 2 begins at 8 a.m., the seminar begins at 8:30 a.m., and the seminar will wrap up at approximately 4 p.m.

It is recommended that advance reservations be made by contacting Jane Maxson at 247-1302.

More San Juan Basin coverage here.

State Engineer to sign San Luis Valley groundwater irrigation rules setting the timing to coincide with surface irrigation

From the Valley Courier (Ruth Heide):

When the state shuts off the water to ditch and stream irrigators this fall, groundwater irrigators will have to stop pumping as well. Colorado Division of Water Resources State Engineer Dick Wolfe said he plans to sign an irrigation season policy in a week or two. “All water use for irrigation in the basin will be subject to that irrigation season policy – surface and wells,” he said, “which is something that has not occurred in the past.”

The presumptive irrigation season for the Rio Grande Basin (the San Luis Valley) will be April 1 to November 1, Wolfe explained. He added that the irrigation season policy would outline specific criteria that could be considered to vary from that presumptive season. For example, last fall the water division permitted water diversions past the normal irrigation season for recharge purposes. Wolfe said the irrigation season policy he will sign in the next week or two will solely apply to Division III, the Valley. “We don’t have a specific policy like it anywhere else in the state,” he said. This could become a model for other areas, he added.

He said the policy is required under legislation specific to this basin and will be incorporated into the groundwater rules he is developing with the assistance of a 55-member advisory committee. A sub-committee of the larger group worked specifically on the irrigation season policy. The well rules advisory committee meets again April 28, and Wolfe anticipates one more meeting in May before submitting a final draft of the rules to the water court. “The process has been good,” Wolfe said. “I have been amazed we have sustained 50-plus members at every one of these meetings. That’s remarkable. That just shows the dedication of the people of this Valley.”[...]

Wolfe explained that the goals of the groundwater rules include: develop plans of water management to address sustainability of the aquifers; set an irrigation season; address the impacts to senior surface water users within the basin; and protect the state’s ability to meet its Rio Grande Compact obligation to downstream states.

More San Luis Valley groundwater coverage here.

Animas-La Plata Project: La Plata-Archuleta Water District interested in 500-1000 acre-feet if Colorado exercises the state’s option on A-LP water

From The Durango Herald (Joe Hanel):

Dick Lunceford, president of the water district’s board, said A-LP water is part of the district’s master plan. “We plan to have two treatment plants – one at the base of Lake Nighthorse and the other as part of a joint project with the town of Bayfield,” Lunceford said.

The water district estimates it needs 2,750 acre-feet of water from A-LP and the Pine River to serve residents in a 400-square-mile area – first in southeastern La Plata County and, eventually, southwest Archuleta County…

The district’s consulting water engineer Steve Harris said the time to act is now. “Getting A-LP water is a one-shot opportunity,” Harris said. “There won’t be another time.”

More Animas River watershed coverage here and here.

Northern Integrated Supply Project: Cost estimates increase to $490 million

From The Denver Post (Monte Whaley):

NISP officials blamed much of the cost hike on the addition of capacity for pump plants and pipelines by participants, and for increasing the storage capacity of Galeton Reservoir. The changes, say project officials, will increase efficiency and its sustainability. Cost increases were also brought on by a desire to answer questions about water quality, hydrology and riparian corridor issues. “We wanted to make sure, as does the Army Corps, that all questions are being answered,” said Kathy Peterson, chairwoman of the participant group. “It costs additional dollars and is taking additional time, but we believe it’s necessary.” In all, the cost estimate changes were not surprising, because estimates for projects of this size change over time, the district said.

But to [Save the Poudre's Gary Wockner], it appears the project’s cost is spiraling out of control. “This project started out in 2003 for $350 million and it’s now $490 million,” he said. “There just seems to be no end in sight for the cost escalation.”

More Northern Integrated Supply Project coverage here and here.

Arkansas Valley Conduit: Southeastern Colorado lawmakers hope to protect CWCB funds including the conduit

From the La Junta Tribune Democrat (Debi Brazzale):

Early indications are that the funding will be left largely intact in the coming budget year after having been diverted last year to help cover the state’s budget deficit. Neverthess, Rep. Wes Mckinley, a Democrat from Walsh, and Republican Sen. Ken Kester, of Las Animas, say they are on guard and that the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s funds need to be protected to keep water projects going in their districts.

Of special concern is the Arkansas Conduit Project, which took a temporary hit last year when more than $100 million was diverted from the water conservation board to help the state through its fiscal straits and balance the state budget. Some $35 million of that total came out of the conduit project’s funding, putting federal matching dollars at risk as well. The project provides treated water to southeastern Colorado. That money since has been recouped through higher-than-anticipated revenue from the state’s severance tax, according to Colorado Water Conservation Board Direction Jennifer Gimbel. Gimbel also said that, so far, next’s year’s pending budget takes $11 million from the board’s funds but that the diversion won’t affect the conduit or any other current projects.

McKinley acknowledged the budget process is far from over. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they did take some more,” said McKinley. “It seems like if there’s money out there, there’s several hands grabbing for it.”

More Arkansas Valley Conduit coverage here and here.

Colorado Watershed Assembly presents Water on the Land: Water Rights and Land Conservation workshop April 23

From email from the Colorado Watershed Assembly:

The Colorado Water Trust is pleased to invite you to its first ever water workshop in Basalt, Colorado on Friday, April 23 at the fantastic Basalt Library in a room overlooking the Frying Pan River.

The workshop is generously funded by Great Outdoors Colorado and the Colorado Water Conservation Board. The agenda includes a description of how the Roaring Fork Basin works, and sessions on basic principles of Colorado water law, the state’s the instream flow program, green water transactions, and water and land conservation. It concludes with a discussion of local hot topics.

This is the first in a series of twelve workshops they will be doing around the state over the course of this year. Up next: Silverthorne and Fort Collins.

For more information, visit Workshop flyer–Basalt.pdf.

More conservation easement coverage here. More instream flow coverage here.

Arkansas River Basin Water Forum April 6-7

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

The annual Arkansas River Basin Water Forum provides a dialogue for discussion about water issues and will culminate with the Bob Appel Friend of the Arkansas Award. It is sponsored by various water agencies. This year’s theme is “Our Multifaceted Gem.” Panelists during the event will talk about the Southern Delivery System, Super Ditch, the High Line Canal water leasing project and the Arkansas Valley Conduit. Climate change, water quality, wildlife issues and recreational concerns also will be addressed. Keynote speaker will be Doug Kemper, executive director of the Colorado Water Congress.

More Arkansas Basin coverage here.

Colorado Public Radio to feature Fountain Creek

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

A documentary television series looking at how Fountain Creek has changed over 300 years, told through the viewpoint of a 10-year-old child, is being planned and could begin airing as soon as next month on Rocky Mountain PBS. The outline of the series was shared at the Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District meeting Friday by Glenn Ballantyne, who is working with the Fountain Creek Foundation to produce the show…

Called “Fourteen to Four” — a reflection of the change in elevation in thousands of feet in the Fountain Creek Watershed from the top of Pikes Peak to the confluence with the Arkansas River in Pueblo — the series will be 10 segments of 30 minutes apiece. Each segment will cover 30 years of history.

More Fountain Creek coverage here and here.

Ruedi Reservoir: Operations update

From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):

I wanted to kick off Spring with two announcements about our information outreach for Ruedi Reservoir this year:

1. In order to keep folks better informed about our operations through the spring, summer and fall, this year we will host two public meetings. The first will be at the usual time in May, before spring run-off and any possible Coordinated Reservoir releases under the Endangered Fish Recovery Program. The second will be in late July to provide a “heads up” of operations through August and into early fall. Our goal with the July meeting is to help eliminate surprises for the Basalt community regarding Lower Fryingpan River flows and demands for water from the Endangered Fish Recovery Program and other water users.

With that in mind, our first meeting this year will be on Wednesday, May 12, from 7-9 p.m. in the Basalt Town Hall.

Our second meeting will be on Thursday, July 22, also from 7-9 p.m. and in the Basalt Town Hall.

2. I am also pleased to announce the debut of the Ruedi Reservoir Webpage. Please visit it at www.usbr.gov/gp/ecao/ruedi.html. On this page you will have “one stop shopping” for information or hyperlinks related to the Reservoir, including flows for the Lower Fryingpan River, the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project history, Ruedi Dam, the Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program, and reservoir elevations (once the gauge is properly adjusted. It is currently off-line).

As for flows in the Fryingpan [Friday March 26], releases from the reservoir combined with Rocky Fork Creek are resulting in a flow of approximately 69 cfs. We anticipate that will continue through the end of March and into early April.

Please visit the Webpage and let me know what you think. And hopefully, I will see you in May.

More Fryingpan-Arkansas project coverage here.

Rio Grande Basin: Annual Rio Grande Compact Commission meeting recap

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Matt Hildner):

Although last year’s spring runoff came earlier than usual, Colorado sent 299,300 acre-feet of water across the New Mexico state line. The state also accrued a 1,500-foot credit…

The compact, signed in 1938, uses a sliding scale that allows Colorado to keep much of its water in dry years while hiking delivery requirements in wet years. In a year with an above-average snowpack, flows in excess of 560,000 acre-feet on the Rio Grande must be sent downstream. On the Conejos River, which is managed by a similar sliding scale, flows in excess of 224,000 acre-feet must be delivered to New Mexico in an above-average year…

Colorado State Engineer Dick Wolfe, who serves as the state’s commissioner, said they would keep a close eye on the efforts of the other two states to deal with endangered species like the silvery minnow and the southwest willow flycatcher, which impact how the other two states manage the Rio Grande. Although Colorado is working on a habitat conservation plan for the flycatcher, a small bird, the management decisions the other two states have to make on the river for the species have not effected Colorado.

San Luis Valley water leaders Doug Shriver and Ray Wright died in a freak snow-slide accident a while back. The Compact Commissioners passed a resolution acknowledging their efforts. Here’s a report from Ruth Heide writing for the Valley Courier.

More Rio Grande Basin coverage here.

Flaming Gorge pipeline: The Casper Star-Tribune editorial board sounds off

From the Casper Star-Tribune:

Seeking to blunt the fierce opposition from southwest Wyoming communities to the plan to carry water across Wyoming from the Green River Basin to Colorado’s Front Range, supporters of the pipeline have courted eastern Wyoming communities for support. It appears they’ve had some success: Cheyenne, Torrington and Laramie County have joined a coalition of public entities, most in Colorado, that has launched a two-year study of building a water pipeline from Flaming Gorge Reservoir across southern Wyoming to the Front Range. A competing private pipeline project, pushed by Colorado entrepreneur Aaron Million, also has drawn some support from eastern Wyoming entities. But the pipeline backers’ political savvy doesn’t mask the fact that there are serious environmental and economic questions about the proposed transbasin pipeline. As we’ve said before, the potential damage to southwest Wyoming likely can’t be outweighed by benefits to other cities, and it’s difficult to see much benefit accruing to the state from any aspect of the project…

Even if it’s determined there would be little harm to Wyoming, the very idea of a transbasin water diversion raises a red flag. Natural watercourses have been dammed and diverted for many years across the West to benefit people, but hindsight has shown that environmental harm from some of those projects outweighs the benefits. Do we really want to risk further environmental degradation by shipping water across the Continental Divide?
If there’s not enough water to support the current rate of population growth along Colorado’s Front Range without importing it from elsewhere, perhaps development should be slowed. At the very least, it would be nice if Colorado kept its internal water worries to itself.

More Flaming Gorge pipeline coverage here and here. More Colorado Wyoming Cooperative Supply Project coverage here.

HB 10-1051 (Water Efficiency Plans Annual Reports) and HB 10-1358 (Water-smart Homes)

From The Denver Post (Yesenia Robles):

[HB 10-1051] (pdf), sponsored by Rep. Jack Pommer, D-Boulder, and Sen. Bruce Whitehead, D-Hesperus, requires water providers to annually report water usage instead of doing so every seven years. “We’re just getting a little more specific, and of course making it more frequent. A lot of things happen over seven years,” Whitehead said. Whitehead said the purpose of having more recent and specific information funneled to the Water Conservation Board is to keep track of the conservation efforts of many water providers and to find gaps in the efforts. Some water providers expressed concerns about the costs of reporting the information. Whitehead said the information is already gathered, so financial impacts should be minimal.

The other bill, [HB 10-1358] (pdf), will require all home builders to offer water-efficient appliances and fixtures, including washing machines and shower heads, as options for home buyers. Johnston and Rep. Randy Fischer, D-Fort Collins, who sponsor the bill, said now is not the time to make it a requirement to use those appliances. They said they expect that in the long run most people will make that choice — if they have it — when they realize the savings on their water bills.

More 2010 Colorado legislation coverage here.

Snowpack news

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

But that brings up the idea that so much of the water that could come in a potentially wet year like this — Pueblo precipitation is about 25 percent above average — just flows down the river. “We can waste enough water between now and the end of June to raise a crop,” Mauch said…

Snowfall in the last month has gone up from 89 percent to 109 percent in the Arkansas River Basin, mostly in the Southern mountains. The accumulation above Pueblo remains slightly below average, but has increased abundantly in the past week with two storms moving through. Another is headed through the state today. “If this continues, we’ll have a big river this summer,” Mauch said. The Colorado River Basin, which provides water imported into the Arkansas River Basin, was only at 78 percent of average as of Friday…

Lake Pueblo had more than 265,500 acre-feet of water on Friday, almost 10,000 acre-feet more than would be allowed after April 15 to maintain flood control capacity under federal rules…

The water most likely to spill belongs to Aurora, Round Mountain Water District in Custer County and Victor in Teller County. Those communities have excess-capacity contracts with Reclamation and are outside the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District. Canal companies are under the gun to get water out of the reservoir stored under the 2008-09 winter water program or the 2009 Fry-Ark allocation by May 1. The waiver is subject to flows in the watershed above Pueblo Dam remaining below average, which for the time being they are.

Tri-Lakes area: Water Returns xeriscape educational workshops April 3 and April 17

From The Tri-Lakes Tribune (Nicole Chillino):

Water Returns is coming to Monument April 3 with a xeriscaping essentials class and to Palmer Lake April 17 with a class that delves deeper into the process of saving water, and money, on landscaping elements. All classes are taught by industry professionals…

The April 3 program is $45 for the entire workshop, including lunch, or $15 per session. The April 17 workshop is $65 for design and irrigation or $40 for one or the other…

For more information or to sign up for a workshop, e-mail info@waterreturns.org or call 719-534-9960.

More conservation coverage here.

Poncha Springs and Salida are close to agreement on a regional wastewater system

From The Mountain Mail (Sue Price):

Poncha Springs administrator Jerry L’Estrange said two agreements are being drafted – one to transfer sewer maintenance and operation to Salida and separate agreement for provision of services. Regional sewage rates will be part of the agreements.

The municipalities have disagreed about terms of a 2004 agreement and an unpaid $100,000 sewage treatment charge Salida officials claim is owed by Poncha Springs. Despite two marathon mediation sessions between Salida and Poncha Springs in August, an agreement wasn’t reached and Salida officials sued the town. L’Estrange said if the intergovernmental agreements are approved, “provisions of the lawsuit could go away.” City administrator Jack Lewis said the agreements would result in “a settlement of the lawsuit.”

More wastewater coverage here.

Longmont: City is turning dirt on Lykins Gulch stormwater project

From the Longmont Times-Call (Rachel Carter):

If a 100-year flood were to hit the city, water would rush down Lykins Gulch, slam into the small ditch under Airport Road, run over the street and flood most of the land between Airport Road and Hover Street…construction finally began last month to reroute Lykins Gulch north to Golden Ponds. Crews also will build a new section of trail from Airport Road to the St. Vrain Greenway at Golden Ponds, and realign Rogers Road so it meets up with the west side of Airport Road, where the Air Care Colorado testing center is located.

More stormwater coverage here and here.

Northern Integrated Supply Project: Costs increase to $490 million

From Windsor Now!:

Water providers that are paying for and would receive water from the Northern Integrated Supply Project have updated the project’s cost estimate from the 2006 figure, noting that the price has gone up 15 percent to $490 million. The 11 cities and four water districts involved in NISP — in Weld and Larimer counties — continue to see it as the best and most affordable option for their future water supplies…

Much of the cost estimate change is based on participants’ decision to add capacity for pump plants and pipelines and increased storage at Galeton Reservoir, according to Northern officials. The changes would increase project efficiency and, with that, its sustainability. The updated Glade Reservoir cost estimate remains within the current construction cost index and inflation. Costs have also increased because of participants’ strong commitment to answering questions raised during the public comment period about water quality, hydrology and riparian corridor issues, said Kathy Peterson, who chairs the participant group.

More Northern Integrated Supply Project coverage here and here.

Trout Creek: Medicine Bow-Routt foresters are asking for input for a proposed trout barrier

From Steamboat Today (Tom Ross):

■ Comments can be e-mailed to comments-rocky-mountain-medicine-bow-routt-yampa@fs.fed.us. When submitting comments on the Web, the subject line must be “Trout Creek Fish Barrier” to ensure proper routing.

■ Written comments should be submitted to Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests, Attn: District Ranger, P.O. Box 7, Yampa, CO 80483. Telephone: 970-638-4516. Fax: 970-638-4635. When submitting comments, include full name and address.

■ Future documents and information on the Trout Creek Fish Barrier will be posted at www.fs.fed.us/r2/mbr/projects/wildlife. Members of the public may use the site to participate in the analysis.

More restoration coverage here.