Brighton: The Metropolitan Wastewater Reclamation District briefs residents about plans for new regional wastewater treatment plant
April 17, 2010
From the Brighton Standard Blade (Gene Sears):
The public meeting, hosted by representatives from the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District, was a dissemination of plans for the facility, slated for construction near the intersection of U.S. Highway 85 and Weld County Road 2. Representatives answered questions for the 100 or so attendees who wandered in and out of the recreation center. A crew of Metro Wastewater staffers and public relations contractors displayed placards detailing plant construction, location, environmental impacts and the service area for the plant, scheduled to open in 2015…
In a project overview published last month, Metro Wastewater District noted that communities in the northern metropolitan area need updated and expanded water treatment, as existing facilities are pushing capacity limits. The district claims the new $220 million facility is more cost effective and efficient than upgrading current facilities and will benefit area communities by eliminating seven neighborhood lift stations. In preparation for the upgrade, the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District sold $250 million in sewer improvement bonds in August in New York. The bond issue included $63 million in tax-exempt bonds and $187 million in taxable Build America Bonds, which are available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. A portion of the bonds will directly finance the new plant.
The road to building the plant has been a long and bumpy one, beginning with talks more than a decade ago. It nearly failed when plans assembled under the original 2005 partnership – known as the Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Authority and consisting of three members from each Brighton, South Adams County Water and Sanitation District and the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District – dissolved in disagreement. Brighton subsquently signed on with MWRD as a member entity. The new plant will effectively treat 22 to 26 million gallons of water per day at full operating capacity. Brighton’s current wastewater facility treats 2.3 million gallons per day.
Rather than face large capital expenditures for a new Brighton-owned plant, the city will simply pay tap fees like every other municipality in the district. Tap fees are the charge for hooking homes and businesses up to a water and sewer system and are typically paid by developers, who in turn roll them into the cost of the home or business.
More wastewater coverage here.
Fort Lupton: Water line replacement
April 17, 2010
From the Fort Lupton Press:
Construction is expected to begin next week on a waterline replacement project on Fourth Street between Grand and McKinley avenues. Chris Zadel, of Fort Lupton’s Northern Colorado Constructors, said the firm expects to begin work on or around April 19. The project will include the installation of a new 8-inch waterline, milling of existing asphalt and overlay with new asphalt on Fourth Street from Grand Avenue east to McKinley Avenue. Northern Colorado Constructors was awarded the project through the citybidding process.
More infrastructure coverage here.
Colorado River District board meeting April 20, CRWAS public review period extended to July 21, 2010
April 17, 2010
From email from the Colorado River District (Martha Moore):
Second Regular Quarterly Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Colorado River Water Conservation District, Hotel Colorado, 526 Pine Street, Glenwood Springs, CO
Here’s the link to the website. I couldn’t find the agenda posted there.
From email from the Colorado Water Conservation Board:
The Colorado River Water Availability Study (CRWAS) Phase 1 Draft Report public review period has been extended an additional 30 days for a total of 120 days. The new comment period end date is July 21, 2010.
The Colorado River Water Availability Study (CRWAS) is available for public review on the CWCB website. We value your input; please send your comments to Ray Alvarado (ray.alvarado@state.co.us).
More Colorado River Basin coverage here.
CWCB: Board meeting May 18-19
April 17, 2010
From email from the Colorado Water Conservation Board:
Notice is hereby given that a meeting of the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) will be held on Tuesday, May 18, 2010, commencing at 8:00 a.m. and continuing through Wednesday, May 19, 2010. This meeting will be held at 1580 Logan Street, Suite 610, Denver, CO 80203…
Complete information about these activities can be found on CWCB’s Website: www.cwcb.state.co.us.
More CWCB coverage here.
Here’s an opinion piece penned by Charles White running in The Denver Post. Mr. White maintains that the CWC is the right organization to help shepherd the bill. From the article:
The Colorado Senate made the right decision in referring the contentious proposal to establish a “right to float” on the state’s waterways to the Colorado Water Congress. This was not, as suggested by The Post, a “punt” of the issues. Rather, it was a realistic recognition that more work is needed to address the serious flaws in the original bill. Under House Bill 1188…
The Colorado Water Congress is ideally suited to address each of these issues. Since 1957, it has brought divergent interest groups together to study, negotiate, and propose legislation on a wide variety of topics related to Colorado water. The CWC would convene a broadly representative panel to make recommendations for new legislation that could have much broader public support. This common-sense solution to the current impasse deserves The Post’s endorsement.
More HB 10-1188 coverage here.
Energy policy — nuclear: Colorado Mined Land Recreation Board uranium mining rules public meeting recap
April 16, 2010
From the Loveland Reporter-Herald (Tom Hacker):
The seven-member Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board rented a spacious conference room at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Loveland, believing that controversy surrounding a uranium mining proposal in Northern Colorado would drive attendance. But two hours into the hearing, billed to run 1-9 p.m., only four people had shown up to offer testimony in the room that would accommodate more than 150. “I’m shocked,” board chairwoman Catherine Kraeger-Rovey said in an interview after declaring a recess following the four brief comments. “I was sure there would be more than this,” she said. “Where are they? I should have brought a book.” But by 5 p.m., the room had nearly filled with opponents of a Canadian mining company’s plan for a large mining operation in northwestern Weld County near Wellington…
“It’s not that I oppose nuclear power, or that I oppose mining,” Fort Collins resident John Dixon said. “This is about quality of the groundwater contained in an aquifer that’s within 15 miles of a population of 300,000 people.” Dixon said Powertech had failed in its assurances that groundwater quality would not be harmed during the mining process, nor in the early prospecting operations that pull water out of test bore holes to measure uranium content…
The reclamation board will gather public input in other Colorado communities affected by uranium development, including Grand Junction and Salida, and conclude its public comment period in Denver in June. The board will issue rules in July following hearings.
More coverage from the Fort Collins Coloradoan (Bobby Magill):
Uranium mining proponents lambasted state mining regulators Thursday for attempting to stall any attempt to mine uranium in Northern Colorado, while others accused the mining industry of trying to weaken proposed uranium mining regulations…
The Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board’s proposed rules will govern how Powertech Uranium Inc. and other companies will be able to mine using a process called in situ leaching, or ISL mining. Powertech is proposing to open such a mine in Weld County, a few miles northeast of Fort Collins at the company’s Centennial Project site. The proposed rules will implement a 2009 state law requiring uranium mining companies to fully clean up groundwater near their mine sites after mining is complete. The rules are also expected to provide a measure of transparency to the uranium prospecting process and implement other environmental safeguards…
“This in situ mining is a great opportunity,” said Bill Bibbey of Greeley, who called the proposed rules onerous and too restrictive for mining companies. Comparing the rules to the recently-passed federal health-care bill, Bibbey said they’re full of pages of “stuff” meant to stall the mining process.
Likewise, University of Denver law professor and former uranium geologist K.K. DuVivier said in situ leach mining is a much cleaner method of extracting uranium than the underground mining methods used elsewhere in the West. Uranium, she said, is likely already in groundwater, and extracting it via in situ leaching won’t necessarily make water quality any worse. “I would just like to specifically say I have some concern about rules that really don’t help with monitoring the water, that are just there to delay things, to make it economically infeasible for Powertech to come in,” she said…
Cañon City resident Kay Hockley said she’s afraid that mining companies prospecting for uranium won’t be held to the same environmental standards as oil and gas explorers under the new rules. The rules, she said, don’t require companies to measure how pristine groundwater is prior to prospecting, preventing regulators and water well owners from ever knowing the true extent to which the mining companies have contaminated the groundwater.
More coverage from The Greeley Tribune (Colin Lindenmayer):
[Wallace Mays], the chief operating officer, chairman and director of Powertech USA, made a rare appearance Thursday at one of the many gatherings where residents have expressed opinions about the proposed uranium mine Mays hopes to build near Nunn. In his southern accent — Mays is from Texas — he explained he wanted to hear what the locals were saying about his company…
After three more public hearings hosted by the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board, Mays will have an opportunity to share his thoughts on the situation, which so far has raised loud opinions from several angles.
Wiggins: Town augmentation project update
April 16, 2010
From The Fort Morgan Times (Dan Barker):
Holbrook said a biological assessment of the water project was sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but it will take three to four weeks before the agency will send a letter to USDA on its findings. It would then take four to eight weeks for Industrial Facilities Engineering to put together bid-ready design documents for the USDA to look at, he said. Unfortunately, a representative of USDA said that even after the Wildlife Service approved the report the town must publish the report and wait for 30 days for any response, said Town Clerk Craig Trautwein. Then there must be a finding of no significant impact on the environment, which could take another 15 days. These waits for agencies could hinder the construction end date, because it sounds like it could take months before Industrial Facilities Engineering gets the go-ahead to do the final process design report to submit to USDA, Longcor said.
However, all of this waiting will be worth it for a potentially nice grant and a 40-year loan, Holbrook said. Wiggins Town Administrator Bill Rogers said parts of the project could run concurrently, which means the pumping station could be built at the same time as sections of the pipeline and various sections of the pipeline could be built simultaneously to keep the project on schedule.
Custer County: Round Mountain board elections
April 15, 2010
From The Wet Mountain Tribune (Nora Drenner):
The special district election will be held Tuesday, May 4, with the polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the county courthouse on that day. Those wishing to receive a ballot in the mail have until April 28 to submit a request, if the ballot is to be mailed. The cut-off date to request a mail-in ballot that the voter is going to pick-up at the courthouse is April 30.
Click through to read Ms. Drenner’s candidate profiles.
More Custer County coverage here.
From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):
I am now accepting registration for families of disabled children interested in our annual CAST (Catch a Special Thrill) event at Horsetooth Reservoir. If you, or someone you know, has a child with disabilities between the ages of 5-18 who might be interested in a day of fishing and fun up at the reservoir, please contact me either by phone or e-mail for more information…
Just a quick update on Horsetooth Reservoir: we are still filling the reservoir at a rate of about half a foot per day. We are currently at an elevation of just under 5412. We anticipate this rate of fill will last through the month.
More Colorado-Big Thompson coverage here.
From The Yuma Pioneer (Tony Rayl):
The $60 million loan from the Colorado Water Conservation Board initially was finalized on November 3, 2008, with the completion date set for November 3, 2010. RRWCD authorized spending $45 million last June to purchase the water rights to more than 50 wells north of Laird, to be used for the proposed pipeline that would deliver water to the North Fork of the Republican River at Colorado-Nebraska state line. The board made the move at that time as concerns arose the loan money might be taken away if not used due to Colorado’s financial crisis. The remaining $15 million is to be used toward the actual construction of the pipeline.
However, getting to the construction phase has proved difficult. Kansas and Nebraska, who along with Colorado comprise the Republican River Compact Administration, have voted against the pipeline, as each has raised several concerns both states would like to see addressed to their satisfaction before granting approval. After the RRCA rejected Colorado’s revised proposal last August, Colorado invoked the matter go to fast track arbitration, as allowed by the final stipulation agreed to by the three states. Even that has gone slowly, with an arbitration schedule finally settled just two weeks ago. Due to all those circumstances, it has become obvious the pipeline would not be completed by the initial deadline. Attorney David Robbins recommended during the RRWCD Board’s regular quarterly meeting, last Thursday in Yuma, that the district request the completion date be extended for one year…
Peter Ampe of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office met briefly with the RRWCD Board, last Thursday. He said Colorado’s stance will be that all the objections raised by Kansas and Nebraska are purely arbitrary and really have nothing to do with the pipeline itself. If [Arbiter Martha Pagel] agrees, during the motions phase of the process, then the trial itself simply will be about how the pipeline plan meets compact guidelines. The arbitrator’s decision is non-binding, but Ampe said it is admissible if the case ends up going to the U.S. Supreme Court.
SB 10-027 (Fine illegal surface water diversions): Governor Ritter signs the bill just in time for irrigation season
April 15, 2010
Here’s the release from the Governor’s office:
GOV. RITTER SIGNS SEVERAL BILLS INTO LAW TODAY
Gov. Ritter signed the following bills into law today:
HB10-1044 Neighborhood youth org requirements
HB10-1107 Urban Renewal Area Ag Lands
HB10-1135 Define domestic violence child custody
HB10-1233 Relocation of stalking statute
SB10-27 Fine illegal surface water diversions
More SB 10-027 coverage here. More 2010 Colorado legislation coverage here.
From The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (Dennis Webb):
Denver Water has reached across the Continental Divide to select Glenwood Springs attorney Jim Lochhead as its next manager and chief executive officer. He replaces Chips Barry, who will be retiring at the end of May after 20 years on the job. Lochhead’s hiring is another signal of increasing cooperation between Denver and the Western Slope over water issues, and it is being well-received by the Colorado River Water Conservation District. “It’s a tremendous selection on the part of the Denver Water board,” district spokesman Jim Pokrandt said…
Lochhead said, “I’m looking forward to kind of bringing that broader perspective to Denver Water and not only advocating for Denver Water but also hopefully bringing an understanding of the Western Slope and the state and the West and some of the issues and challenges that we face,” he said. He said today’s world is more interdependent, and it’s important to find ways for entities to work through a lot of common challenges. “Denver Water holds the key to a lot of that as the premier water utility in Colorado,” he said…
Gov. Bill Ritter praised Lochhead’s hiring in a news release. “In the West, water issues touch every part of our life and having a leader like Jim will benefit the whole state. Jim’s leadership and experience dealing with water issues makes him a perfect fit for this position,” Ritter said.
More coverage from the Vail Daily (Julie Sutor):
Lochhead is currently a lead shareholder at law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, where he has negotiated many complex transactions regarding water and other natural resources in the Rocky Mountain West. He has a bachelor’s degree in environmental biology and a law degree from the University of Colorado…
Denver Water obtains much of its water supply by pumping the precious resource from the Colorado River Basin across the Continental Divide to growing Front Range cities and suburbs. Those transbasin water diversions have often been a source of tension between West Slope and Front Range communities…
“By selecting a current West Slope resident to head its agency, Denver Water chose a leader who understands the statewide repercussions of Denver Water’s decisions. [Western Resource Advocates] looks forward to working with Mr. Lochhead as Denver Water continues to improve its conservation programs, water supply planning, and role as a leader to help resolve water issues statewide,” [Western Resource Advocates water program director Bart Miller] added.
More Denver Water coverage here.
Leadville to celebrate 150 years of mining
April 15, 2010
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Tracy Harmon):
The April 1860 discovery of gold in California Gulch by Leadvillite Abe Lee set this town on its mining path filled with plenty of colorful characters and their rags-to-riches stories. The 150th anniversary celebration of mining in Leadville is scheduled at 5:30 p.m. April 24 at the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum, 120 W. Ninth St. The event will begin with tours of the museum and a wine tasting. A three-course gourmet dinner will follow at 7 p.m…A silent auction and Victorian dance featuring the music of the Shadow Mountain Sting Band will follow starting at 9 p.m. Victorian or miners’ attire is encouraged. Cost is $80 per person or $150 per couple or $20 per person for dance-only tickets. Reservations for the event are requested by Monday by calling 1-719-486-1229.
From The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel:
A hydrology study found the existing spillway is inadequate and could pose a threat to the safety of the dam, so the state is limiting water in the lake to a level not to exceed 1-foot below the crest of the spillway. Lowering the lake level a vertical foot has decreased the length of the boat ramp to 17.5 feet and launching is not recommended for vessels over 18 feet long. A concrete curb at the end of the ramp marks a water depth of 3 feet. Beyond this curb, there is a 4-foot to 5-foot drop off. If boaters back their trailers beyond this curb, it could result in trailer and/or vessel damage. The storage restriction will remain in effect until a state-registered engineer proposes a solution to increase the capacity of the spillway.
More infrastructure coverage here.
Ridgway State Park open for boating
April 15, 2010
From The Grand Junction Daily Press (Dave Buchanan):
To prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species, all trailered vessels entering and leaving the park are required to be inspected. The inspection station is open from 8 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. seven days a week through May 3. After then to May 15, hours will be 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. After May 15, the summer inspection hours will go into effect: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through Labor Day.
More Uncompahgre River watershed coverage here.
Montrose County Commissioners support the Lower Dolores River Working Group’s proposals
April 15, 2010
From the Montrose Daily Press (Katharhynn Heidelberg):
Those supporting alternate plans to protect the Lower Dolores River can count Montrose County in. Montrose commissioners are supporting the Lower Dolores River Working Group’s efforts to develop protections for the river that also protect private property and water rights, the commission decided in a resolution last week. Parts of the Lower Dolores, which flows through Montrose County’s West End, are listed as “suitable” for federal Wild and Scenic River designation.
More Dolores River watershed coverage here.
Fort Morgan: Council hears that the city needs to bump rates 5% in each of the next two years
April 14, 2010
From The Fort Morgan Times (John Brennan):
Council members seemed to agree on the need for the water rate increases, and Mayor Terry McAlister directed the city staff to bring back a proposal soon that the council could vote on.
The biggest reason for the rate hikes is the looming $40 million debt that the city will incur when its share of the cost of the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) starts coming due in the next several years, Ullman noted.
The good news, which came out of an accompanying study of city sewer rates presented by Ullman at Tuesday’s council work session, is that he sees no need for an increase in those rates at this time. He did, however, suggest that the city raise its plant investment fee, or sewer tap fee, for new hookups to the sewer system.
HB 10-1250 (Water Conservation Bd Construction Fund): La Plata-Archuleta Water District update
April 14, 2010
From The Durango Herald (Dale Rodebaugh):
The water district, created in 2004, wants to provide drinking water in a 400-square-mile area in southeastern La Plata County and southwestern Archuleta County. La Plata County would be developed first. But before it can move ahead, residents must agree to tax themselves to pay for planning, capital improvements, construction, maintenance and administration. If they approve ballot Issue A, voters are authorizing a levy on the market value of their property of 5 mills (half a penny), expected to raise $5.1 million in 2011. The levy could vary in future years but may never exceed 5 mills. The 5-mill levy would cost the owner of a $200,000 house $7 a month.
[Board president Dick Lunceford] and Amy Kraft with Harris Water Engineering, the district’s consulting engineer, told commissioners they’ll soon begin discussing technical issues with county planners and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe on whose reservation much of the area to be serviced lies. They’ll also be evaluating the project’s overall viability in light of possible drops in revenue, Kraft and Lunceford said. BP is the largest gas producer and the largest source of property-tax revenue for the district. But as gas production eventually falls off, so will revenue. For now, however, a 5-mill property tax levy – applied to the $1.2 billion of assessed value in the district – will produce the $5.1 million annually that the district anticipates, Lunceford said…
The district has several water sources in mind, Lunceford said. For starters, it owns a total of about 22 cubic feet a second from the Piedra, Pine, Animas and Florida rivers. It also is interested in buying 500 to 1,000 acre-feet from the state if Colorado exercises its right to Animas-La Plata Project water. The district has its eye on leasing 200 to 300 acre-feet from the Pine River Irrigation District. The district will need an estimated 2,750 acre-feet to serve about 5,000 customers in the two counties over the next 20 years…
Eventually, a joint water-treatment plant with Bayfield is anticipated, Lunceford said. But whether it would be constructed before a treatment plant at the base of Lake Nighthorse, the A-LP reservoir, depends on which water source comes on line first, he said. If the A-LP is developed first, distribution lines would be extended to Florida Mesa. If the joint project with Bayfield comes about first, Gem Village and points south and west would be the first area to receive district water.
Meanwhile State Senator Bruce Whitehead is pushing the state of Colorado to buy water from the Animas-La Plata project, according to a report from Joe Hanel writing for The Durango Herald. From the article:
The proposed sale – financed by state natural-gas and oil tax money – raises the question of why the state should buy the same water that the tribes can get for free. “I might have the same question,” said Scott McElroy, an attorney for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.
The answer lies in control of the water. “It comes down to whether you would rather own the water or do long-term leases,” Whitehead said. Whitehead was the executive director of the Southwestern Water Conservation District until last year, when he filled a vacancy in the state Senate. The district has pushed the state for years to buy rights in the Animas-La Plata Project.
The Southern Ute tribe also welcomes state participation, McElroy said. But if the state doesn’t buy in, the tribe is willing to talk with local water districts about supplying water, McElroy said at a Colorado Water Conservation Board meeting on March 29…
The new La Plata Archuleta Water District wants to buy up to 1,400 acre-feet from the state. The La Plata West Water Authority also has told the state water board it is interested in buying water out of the state’s future share. The La Plata Archuleta district has not talked to either Ute tribe about leasing water, said Steve Harris, the district’s consulting engineer. The district would need the lease to be permanent, Harris said. “But if they were reasonable terms, of course, we’d be willing to talk,” Harris said…
The federal government built the reservoir [Lake Nighthorse] primarily to settle American Indian water rights claims. Both the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes get 33,050 acre-feet, enough to turn the tribes into two of the biggest water owners in the Four Corners. Smaller amounts go to the Navajo Nation and water districts in Colorado and New Mexico. The state of Colorado has an option to buy 10,460 acre-feet, half of which could be consumed in any year. It’s roughly enough water for a city the size of Durango. If Colorado does not buy the water, it would go to each Ute tribe in equal parts…
On Thursday, the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee will consider an amendment to House Bill 10-1250 to spend $36 million over three years to buy the water from the federal government…
The last two years, the Legislature has raided most of Colorado’s water funds in order to balance the budget. An improved forecast for gas and oil tax money has given state officials the confidence that they will have enough money to complete the Animas-La Plata deal.
Ballots for the election will be mailed to residents in the district on Thursday, according to a report from Dale Rodebaugh writing for The Durango Herald. From the article:
Votes must be cast by May 4. Voters may mail their Issue A ballot or hand-carry it to the office of Harris Engineering, the district’s consulting engineer.
Voters are asked to approve a 5 mill (half a penny) property-tax increase to raise $5.1 million in 2011, and future mill levy increases cannot exceed 5 mills annually. Approval of Issue A also would remove the La Plata Archuleta Water District’s revenue limit set by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights Amendment – allowing it to spend such proceeds and any other revenue such as from grants.
The mill levy could be adjusted annually by the district’s board of directors. [ed. This is the TABOR exemption -- the mill levy adjustment does not require taxpayer approval.]
More infrastructure coverage here.
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Patrick Malone):
Ritter has met with rafting interests and landowners hoping to broker a compromise “so this doesn’t become some kind of ballot Armageddon.” Since the Senate amended [HB 10-1188] last month, it has been a fixture on the House calendar with no action…
Since a Colorado Supreme Court ruling in the late 1970s that allowed rafters passage through private lands, outfitters and landowners have coexisted mostly harmoniously, Ritter said Monday. But the Western Slope acrimony and resulting bill created a rift. “The controversy that was normally dormant came to the surface,” Ritter said.
The governor said his office has intervened because the specter of numerous ballot initiatives further muddying the water over who can travel Colorado’s rivers and where looms large. To date, 12 proposed initiatives swirling around those questions have been filed with the state for possible placement on the November ballot. Talks between both sides of the issue have been productive at times, and broken down at others, Ritter said. It’s likely a conference committee of the Legislature will soon hear the bill in its amended form, but ideally, Ritter would like to see rafters and landowners calm the waters themselves.
More 2010 Colorado elections coverage here.
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Patrick Malone):
The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would allow Walsenburg, Rocky Ford and about 150 other statutory towns and cities to lease the land they own with water rights. Until now, only home-rule municipalities have had that authority. In Walsenburg’s case, a prospective tenant already is on the doorstep. A wind farm proposed by Denver-based Viento Claro Energy may be built by Torch Renewable Energy on 2,300 acres of land in Huerfano County owned by the city of Walsenburg. Viento Claro has proposed to pay Walsenburg about $11 million in royalties over 25 years for the site.
More SB 10-181 coverage here. More 2010 Colorado legislation coverage here.
The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District sets the Colorado-Big Thompson quota at 80%
April 13, 2010
From The Fort Morgan Times:
The 80 percent quota will make available a total of 248,000 acre-feet of C-BT Project water. C-BT allottees — those water users within Northern Water boundaries who own units of C-BT water — include municipalities like the city of Fort Morgan, domestic water districts like the Morgan County Quality Water District, industries and farmers…
In determining the quota, the board also considers the need to maintain C-BT Project storage reserves. The board strives to utilize the supplemental water supply provided by the C-BT Project to complement the supplies available from native sources to ensure adequate regional water supplies through the current water year.
Morrison, Idaho Springs and Georgetown pool their resources and share de-watering and de-sludging equipment
April 13, 2010
From the Clear Creek Courant (Ian Neligh):
The municipalities entered into a partnership in 2008 to purchase a unit worth $300,000. They received a $200,000 grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and are splitting the remaining cost.
The mobile system is mounted inside a small trailer and can be moved from town to town along the Interstate 70 corridor. “So (the unit) will be on site here for the time we need it. It will be hauled to Georgetown and also to Morrison,” said Idaho Springs City Administrator Cindy Condon. “So all of us are getting cooperative effort out of one piece of machinery — instead of everybody having to own their own.” Condon said she came up with the idea after talking with the other town administrators. “We were (all) contracting out to a company … that comes in and does (the work) for a …five-day period (or) whatever it takes to take the sludge out of the system,” Condon said. “And when you’re talking $100,000 a year among the three of us, we felt like within a short time we could pay this piece of equipment off and have it be a real asset to the citizens.” The three municipalities will work together to train operators, schedule use of the equipment and share maintenance expenses.
More wastewater coverage here.
Snowpack news: Dust storms blanket snowpack with dust
April 13, 2010
From The Aspen Times (Carolyn Sackariason):
The red dust blanketing area mountains and virtually every surface in town is a result of oil and gas development and off-road vehicle activity in southeastern Utah, according to David Garbett, staff attorney with Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. He informed the Aspen City Council on Monday of the effects the dust has on the community. The snow stained by dust melts faster because it absorbs more solar energy, which affects the snowpack in Aspen and surrounding areas…
Beyond an expedited snowpack and quicker spring runoff, dust-covered snow affects Aspen’s water supply, officials said. The city’s water department has to spend more money in increased treatment chemicals to remove the dust, which resists coagulation. It makes its way through the city’s filters and is difficult to remove, according to city officials. “Water treatment plants in Colorado are experiencing this phenomena throughout areas affected by these storms,” wrote Chuck Bailey, the city’s water treatment plant supervisor, in an e-mail regarding the issue. “It is usually temporary during spring/summer runoff, but still a new challenge to us.”
Destabilization of the soil on the Colorado Plateau in Utah is the primary cause of the local dust storms, contrary to other reports that it’s from rockslides in Mexico or weather events as far away as Mongolia, Garbett said…
A cold front was expected to move across Utah and Arizona, generating strong south-southwesterly winds with gusts potentially reaching 50 mph. The strong winds were expected to cause blowing dust in parts of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado, which could be transported long distances, causing hazy skies and restricted visibility at times even in areas where the winds are lighter.
Cherokee Metropolitan District looks to Colorado Springs Utilities for help in meeting summer demand
April 13, 2010
From KRDO.com (Mireya Garcia):
In the last agreement, Cherokee provided it’s own water, and Colorado Springs provided services – -that aid ended in 2009. The current proposed agreement is different. Cherokee is asking for both water and services from the Springs. “We are in a really good situation in terms of having a robust water supply, so Cherokee approached us and explained their need for drinking water in their system,” says Patrice Quintero, of Colorado Springs Utilities.
The agreement will take effect Wednesday if approved by the Colorado Springs City Council on Tuesday. It would include provisions to prevent any sale of the water and services that would violate city code. “As we understand it, they are in a critical situation where their residents are in need of safe and reliable drinking water, ” Quintero tells NEWSCHANNEL13.
