Colorado Trout Unlimited’s 2011 Annual Gala & Auction March 11
February 28, 2011
Click here to register. From email from Colorado Trout Unlimited:
Please join us on Friday, March 11th at the Arvada Center for our biggest event of the year – the 2011 CTU Annual Auction & Gala! Last year’s event was our most successful to date and raised over $37,000 for river conservation. This year we hope to raise over $40,000 in support of our growing youth conservation education program, river advocacy, and native fish restoration efforts across Colorado.
The evening kicks off at 5pm with a cocktail reception featuring live music, complimentary beer and wine, and opportunities to bid on a wide range of silent auction items of interest to the angler and nonangler alike. The festivities continue with a sit-down dinner and a live auction featuring some remarkable packages from a Key West getaway, to a South African safari, to a party suite for a Rockies game at Coors Field.
Conservation: Ann and Mike Luark named ‘Conservationists of the Year’ by the Eagle County Conservation District
February 28, 2011
From the Eagle Valley Enterprise (Mike Lederhause):
This year, the Eagle County Conservation District recognized Mike and Ann for their continued stewardship of their ranch. The ranch is highly visible from the Colorado River Road and the first glance reveals the level, well-cared-for fields of alfalfa, which border the Colorado River, and the neat appearance of the ranch. The Luarks have planted varieties that produce exceptionally well on their ranch along with taking steps to maximize the efficient use and conservation of their irrigation water. They have installed a combination of pivot sprinkler and gated pipe irrigation to irrigate their land. Doing so reduces the runoff and silting of the river and the overall amount of water needed to grow a crop. To improve the riparian area along the river, they first installed livestock troughs, then installed more than 6,000 feet of fence to keep cattle off the river bank. This year they will be planting more than 150 trees along the river. Mike and Ann also manage a large colony of honey bees that pollinate almonds in California, fruit in the Palisade area and the various crops in Eagle and Routt Counties, and complete the cycle of life for the various plants. The excess honey and wax is recovered and sold locally.
More Colorado River basin coverage here.
Snowpack news
February 28, 2011
From the Loveland Reporter-Herald:
The figures for the Big Thompson mirror those for the rest of the South Platte River basin, which slakes the thirst of the state’s biggest urban areas and most-productive farmland. Federal figures show the basin at 122 percent of its 30-year average. Statewide, all of the major river basins are close to or above their historical averages. Leading the way is the North Platte basin, at 132 percent, with the Colorado River basin at 127 percent, Yampa at 125 percent and Gunnison at 120 percent. In the southern half of the state, the Arkansas River basin is at 105 percent of average, the Animas/San Juan basin is at 99 percent and Rio Grande at 90 percent.
Cloudseeding update
February 28, 2011
From KJCT.com (Dann Cianca):
George Stowell lives in Gunnison and is the operator of one of the many cloud seeding generators in the county. The generator is actually located in his back yard and works by injecting the cloud seeding solution into a propane burner. The heat carries the particulate that results into the upper levels of the atmosphere where the particles act, in simple terms, as an attractive place for tiny water vapor droplets to gather. Could seeding works by increasing the efficiency by which rain drops or ice crystals form within the cloud. Atmospheric conditions have to be just right for this to work, however, so the generator is typically only turned on a few times per season. The state issues permits through the Colorado Water Conservation Board and these permits only allow the operators to seed at when the permit area will be affected. This basically happens when the wind is blowing a certain way.
The Gunnison County program has been ongoing for about ten years and is partially sponsored by the county itself. The county isn’t actually the largest source of funding for the program however as many other interests which include agriculture groups, municipal water districts and even ski resorts contribute…
Operators of these programs say that the science is sound and that it provides good results. With Colorado’s dependency on water, they say that having extra snow-pack can make a huge difference on the economy of the state. That is why these programs have expanded over the years to include many areas of Western Colorado. Generators exist in the San Juans, the Upper Gunnison River Basin, the Grand Mesa area and even near Vail to name a few.
Denver: ‘Save the American Dream’ rally
February 27, 2011
I was at the rally yesterday. Click on the thumbnail graphics to the right for a couple of photos. Some of the riot police were stationed at 14th and Sherman.
Here’s a tweet from email:
Earlier today, the Sheet Metal Workers tweeted, “America would like to thank Scott Walker for waking a sleeping giant-our labor movement! #p2 #wiunion #solidarity.”
The very first time that I stood near the west steps of the capitol building, exercising my free political speech, was in 1968 when Coloradans greeted former Governor George Wallace of Alabama during that tumultuous summer. An organized section of the crowd shouted — in unison — something that sounded like, “I can still pluck my yew,” each time the governor started to speak. That really got his goat so he started yelling back at them. We never did hear what he came to say.
Snowpack news
February 27, 2011
This time of year Arizonans are looking upriver at the snowpack in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. They are welcoming big releases from Lake Powell for the farms and cities of the desert southwest and hoping for more. Here’s a report from Tony Davis writing for the The Arizona Daily Star. From the article:
The Colorado River Basin Forecasting Center predicts that April-July runoff into Lake Powell, which straddles the Arizona-Utah border, will be about 113 percent of normal. That’s about 9 million acre-feet of water. An acre-foot is about 325,850 gallons. Last year’s April-June runoff was only 73 percent of average, or 5.79 million acre-feet, said Brenda Alcorn, a forecaster for the center in Salt Lake City. For the decade of 2000-2009, the Colorado’s average annual flow into Lee’s Ferry, just below Lake Powell, was the lowest for any decade since authorities started keeping records on the river more than a century ago…
Lake Mead is now about 40 percent full, while Lake Powell is about 60 percent full. But the bureau’s Buck adds that forecasts change monthly and could go up or down by April, the start of the spring-runoff season. “We want to err on the side of caution in these forecasts,” Buck said. “In the past, we’ve looked pretty good up to this point, but by the time April rolled around, it wasn’t so good.”
Arkansas Basin Roundtable update meeting March 1
February 27, 2011
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
A progress report on the activities of the Arkansas Basin Roundtable is set for 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday at Otero Junior College in La Junta. The meeting is part of an outreach by the roundtable to explain how it has dealt with water issues in the Arkansas River basin since the roundtable was created by the Legislature in 2005. Previous meetings have been in Colorado Springs and Salida.
More IBCC — basin roundtables coverage here.
Orchard City: Private water systems in the area face steep costs and loss of control to connect to the municipal system
February 27, 2011
From the Delta County Indpendent (Hank Lohmeyer):
The town has offered to pay half the materials costs if 19 of 39 Bull Mesa Pipeline members pay the other half, and also pay all installation to bring their local system up to current town specifications. The town then wants to tap those 19 members into the new West Side transmission line and take them over as town water customers. At the Bull Mesa Pipeline Company’s annual meeting on Feb. 18, members found little advantage to their system from the town’s offer. But, the offer is delivered with a velvet hammer touch: If the pipeline company doesn’t accept the town’s offer now, then if future state regulations allow or require the town to take the pipeline over, it could be on terms far less favorable than the ones being offered now…
Orchard City’s offer appears straightforward on its face. But it passes without mention of several thorny issues it raises.
• Only 19 water taps of 39 on the Bull Mesa pipeline would be affected. Accepting the town’s offer would mean splitting the company in half with those 19 members leaving to become water customers of the town directly. Members at the annual meeting saw possible legal issues involved with splitting the company. The town’s offer applies only to the 19 members on the lower portion of the pipeline, and not to the upper 20 members.
• The idea of “abandoning” the upper pipeline members, who in many cases are friends and neighbors, was objectionable to members. The move would leave th eother 20 to their own reduced-resource fate after many decades of working together to build and maintain the Bull Mesa system.
• The town’s offer would mean, by rough calculations, spending an estimated $3,000 by each of the 19 members to bring their current water service lines up to town specifications. And, it would mean draining half of the company’s $20,000 bank account to help pay for the upgrades.
• The town’s offer means that after the local system is upgraded, all the new investment along with more than a half century of work building the system would be given to the town, for free – a major sticking point.
• The 19 tap owners would still pay the same higher outside rates as others do, along with getting lower monthly “minimums.” And they would be completely at the mercy of whatever water policy is adopted by the town board, a board they have no vote on.
• Important also is the sense of freedom of self determination that members of the Bull Mesa company derive from being able to manage their own water supply.
• There were also some unanswered technical questions in the town’s offer.
More infrastructure coverage here.
Wastewater: Englewood and Littleton are considering a $10 million disinfection system for their combined plant
February 27, 2011
From the Littleton Independent (Tom Munds):
The plant is jointly owned by the cities of Englewood and Littleton. It is a regional facility that serves the foothills area from Interstate 25 to the foothills and from Highlands Ranch north to Evans Avenue. The plant provides treatment services to about 160,000 accounts, which serve about 300,000 people. A recent four-year modernization and expansion project cost more than $113 million and expanded the size of the plant by about 39 percent. However, more stringent federal and state regulations are coming that require additional disinfection treatment. Plant officials and representatives of the engineering consulting firm met with both city councils to explain how the evaluation was done that resulted in the recommendation to install the ultraviolet system at a cost of about $10 million. Stu Fonda, utility director, said the bonds to install the system would be paid for through small increases in service fees that would total about $4 to about $12 a month.
The team met with the Littleton City Council on Feb. 8. The council debated the issue and then the consensus was to seek a second opinion. “We wanted a second firm to look at the proposal and tell us whether the change to a different disinfection process is necessary and, if it is necessary, is the ultraviolet system the best way to go?” Littleton Mayor Doug Clark said…
The types of disinfection evaluated included chlorine dioxide, ozone, peracetic acid, chlorination and ultraviolet. Kurt Petrik, supervising engineer for consultant Brown and Caldwell, said the ultraviolet system was selected because it offered significantly more benefits than the other systems evaluated. Some of the benefits included no toxic disinfection by-products, elimination of the need to store and handle toxic chemicals and a lower operating cost. Fonda said the ultraviolet system’s operating expenses would be about $70,000 less than now spent to operate the chlorine-based system.
Energy policy — oil shale: Grand Junction Energy Forum & Expo recap
February 27, 2011
From The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (Dennis Webb):
Anton “Tony” Dammer, senior vice president of Red Leaf Resources Inc., said a spike in oil prices related to concerns about Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s response to unrest there shows how vulnerable the United States is because of its reliance on foreign oil. “He’s holding us up. He just cost us $20 a barrel. I mean, come on, we can’t do this anymore,” Dammer said at Friday’s Energy Forum & Expo at Grand Junction’s Two Rivers Convention Center.
Dammer is the former director of the Department of Energy’s Office of Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves, and he founded the DOE’s Unconventional Fuels Program. At Red Leaf, he’s helping pursue a process of producing kerogen from shallow oil shale deposits in northeastern Utah. Red Leaf has shale leases covering 17,000 acres of state school trust lands, and the company plans to undertake a 9,500-barrel-a-day project there that will employ 200 people, Dammer said. Utah welcomes oil shale development, Dammer said.
Colorado Foundation for Water Education: ‘Climate & Colorado’s Water Future’ Workshop March 11
February 26, 2011
Don’t forget to sign up for the workshop. It should be a hoot. The workshop is at the National Ice Core Lab at the Denver Federal Center. It’s a treat to go into the freezers where they store and work with the ice cores.
More coverage from the Summit County Citizen’s Voice. From the article:
Ice cores from the right sites can contain an uninterrupted, detailed climate record extending back hundreds of thousands of years, including temperature, precipitation, chemistry and gas composition of the lower atmosphere, volcanic eruptions, solar variability, sea-surface productivity and a variety of other climate indicators. In an ice core, all that information is stored in one place, making it much easier for researchers to pinpoint the timing of specific events or changes in the atmosphere.
One of the biggest collections of ice cores is maintained at the National Ice Core Laboratory in Denver, and early next month, participants in the Colorado Foundation for Water Education’s Climate & Colorado’s Water Future’ Workshop will have a chance to tour the lab as part of an interactive workshop on climate science.
More Colorado Foundation for Water Education coverage here.
Castle Rock: Water discussion March 6
February 26, 2011
From The Parker Chronicle:
For residents of the Front Range, water is always an issue. At 2 p.m. March 6, the Philip S. Miller Library in Castle Rock will have an open discussion about this topic with those in the know. Castle Rock utilities director Ron Redd and local water conservation specialist Rick Schultz will help attendees learn where our water comes from, why Castle Rock water rates differ from Denver water rates and more. Registration is free at 303-791-7323 or at DouglasCountyLibraries.org.
More South Platte River basin coverage here.
NIDIS Weekly Climate, Water and Drought Assessment Summary of the Upper Colorado River Basin
February 26, 2011
Here are the notes and slides from this week’s webinar, from the Colorado Climate Center.
More forecast news from the Summit County Citizen’s Voice. From the article:
For the next few months, forecasters expect the jet stream to begin tracking farther north, both in response to the weakening La Niña and to the gradual springtime warming of the northern hemisphere. La Niña’s influence should last at least through March, with periods of moderate to heavy snowfall, while drier than average conditions, along with gusty winds, will prevail east of the Continental Divide.
From the Associated Press via The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel:
Originally, the department budgeted $108 million for the removal of 2 million tons. But when the project reached that benchmark, only $83 million had been spent. Moab Federal Project Director Donald Metzler says the remaining money will be used to remove at least 300,000 more tons of tailings to the permanent disposal site near Crescent Junction, about 30 miles south of Moab.
More Moab tailings coverage here and here. More nuclear coverage here and here.
Southern Delivery System update
February 26, 2011
From the Cañon City Daily Record (Charlotte Burrous):
“(The project) will provide water through 2050, depending on growth and potentially a decade or two beyond that,” said Colorado Springs Utilities SDS program director John Fredell, who spoke at the Fremont County Engineering Scholarship Foundation annual fundraiser dinner Thursday at the Abbey. “One key fact about Colorado Springs is more than half of our growth is from within. And we have a lot of military expansion.”[...]
“The majority of our water is transmountain water so it comes from the Western Slope,” Fredell said. “Under water law, when we have water pumped into another basin, we’re taking water from the west slope that wasn’t in the Fountain Creek-Arkansas River Basin, you actually have a right to use that water to extinction that wasn’t on this side of the Divide to start with so it gives us a real opportunity.” What the organization can do is treat the water, release it down Fountain Creek, trade that water with an agricultural interest east of Pueblo. The communities and farmers get that water and SDS takes its share of water from the Pueblo Reservoir, Twin Lakes or Turquoise Lake then run the water through a pipeline to complete the process again. “We found we can get two to two and a half uses out of that water,” Fredell said. “As you can imagine, that water is very valuable versus water that is native to this basin which by law you can only use it once.” Currently, the water runs down Fountain Creek 24/7, but it can not be exchanged all the time. Instead, SDS can store the water to coincide with releases from the reservoirs as it needed.
A look at the challenges facing the users and managers of the Upper Colorado River
February 26, 2011
From the Summit Daily News (Janice Kurbjun):
When proposed projects to firm the Front Range water supply move forward — pumping just a small portion of what’s already removed — the Upper Colorado will be at less than 20 percent of its original flow, said Nathan Fey, American Whitewater’s Colorado stewardship director. And that prospect poses significant threats to the river’s wildlife and ecological health as well as the tourism industry in Summit County, Grand County and beyond, he said. The Colorado River is a mecca for fishermen, with prized trout fisheries. Whitewater boaters take to the rapids at all times of the year. Hikers enjoy the scenic panoramas and riverside hot pools. Wildlife is abundant in the headwaters area and as the river meanders down the Western Slope…
Such values have qualified the river, from near its source to its confluence with the Roaring Fork in Glenwood Springs, as a candidate for federal Wild and Scenic River designation, American Rivers’ report states. To continue to enjoy recreational activities and discourage environmental and ecological breakdown of the river, it’s all about flow, American Rivers’ Colorado conservation director Matt Rice said. The Upper Colorado River is going to be a focal point for the organization, which opens a Denver office in the near future. Between hydropower reform and partnering to develop Wild and Scenic River designations, the group has a lot on its plate.
More Colorado River basin coverage here.
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
“This is an El Paso County problem, and I’m reluctant to give a penny to solve a problem caused when your voters rejected the stormwater enterprise,” Pueblo County Commissioner Jeff Chostner said Friday. Chostner was addressing Colorado Springs Vice Mayor Larry Small, who heads the Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District board and supported the idea. The request for funding was pulled before the board had a chance to vote.
Summit Economics, a Colorado Springs firm, has submitted a proposal to look at an integrated stormwater plan that would address a complex web of issues tied to the future water supply of El Paso County through Southern Delivery System. Colorado Springs already has committed $20,000; El Paso County, $10,000; and four other communities $1,000 each to fund the study. The study would look at setting up a stable source of funding for stormwater projects in El Paso County, compliance by future SDS partners with Pueblo County 1041 regulations and an integrated solution that also involves parks. One of the study’s goals is to avoid impacts on water rates as well.“We need a watershed-wide integrated approach to stormwater management,” [Colorado Springs Vice Mayor Larry Small] said, in arguing for funding the study. “The only way to do it is watershed-wide.”
Chostner objected, however, saying that when Pueblo County commissioners negotiated the 1041 land-use agreement with Colorado Springs, the stormwater enterprise was in place. The 1041 conditions require future users of SDS to have “a funding mechanism similar to the Colorado Springs Stormwater Enterprise.”
Colorado entrepreneur modifies GE membrane water treatment plant to use solar for use in developing countries
February 25, 2011
From GreenBiz.com (Marc Gunther):
Jack Barker and his wife, Carmen, have been in the water business for years, providing maintenance and support to small water systems in Colorado. “It’s always been a passion of mine, drinking water,” he told me. About four years ago, Barker got the local distributorship for the GE Homespring, which uses thousands of tiny, fibre membrane strands to block out contaminants like bacteria, parasites and viruses. He thought: “Wouldn’t it be neat to get this technology to places in the world that need it the most?”
Easier said than done. Costs were one issue, he knew, and the availability of parts and technicians was another. What’s more, places that lack safe drinking water often also lack electricity.
It was then that Barker decided to design and build the Sunspring, which incorporates GE’s technology, but runs on solar power. “It’s probably 96 percent assembled when you get it,” he says. “From crate to making water takes about two hours.” Surplus electricity can even be used to charge a mobile phone…
Barker’s company, Innovative Water Technologies, has deployed about 20 Sunsprings in Haiti. He says they should last 10 years and can purify up to 5,000 gallons of water a day, at a cost as low as $.0013 per gallon.
“It’s one of the most cost-effective water treatment systems in the world,” he says.
Here’s a A Q&A with Jack Barker on Solar Powered Water Purification from R&D Magazine.
More water treatment coverage here.
Colorado College State of the Rockies Project releases ‘Conservation in the West’ survey: Westerners favor environmental protection
February 25, 2011
Here’s the release from the State of the Rockies Project:
Majority of Western Voters Believe Environmental Protections, Strong Economy Can Co-Exist
First-ever “Conservation in the West Survey” measures voters’ environmental attitudes in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — A new bi-partisan poll of inter-mountain West voters shows that a strong majority (77 percent) believe that environmental standards and a strong economy can co- exist. The findings, from the first-ever “Conservation in the West Survey,” reveal differences and many points of agreement among voters on issues such as conservation, regulations, renewable energy and other environmental issues.
The poll, conducted by Lori Weigel at Public Opinion Strategies (a Republican firm) and Dave Metz at Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (a Democratic firm), measured environmental attitudes of 2,200 voters in the five Western states January 23-27, 2011. The survey is being released by the Colorado College State of the Rockies Project, which, for the past eight years, has worked to increase public understanding of vital issues affecting the Rockies through annual report cards, free events, discussions and other activities.
“This research underscores an interesting and important trend in these five states,” said Walt Hecox, Ph.D., professor at Colorado College and director of the State of the Rockies Project. “While there are differences of opinion on a range of issues, there are true common values shared between each state, including a commitment to protect the important natural resources that make this region so unique.”
“Particularly interesting is the emergence of renewable energy sources – such as solar and wind power – as a much more attractive option over traditional fossil fuels,” added Hecox. (According to the results, voters indicate more positive impressions of solar and wind power as energy sources than they do for coal or oil.) “Voters see renewable energy as producing jobs, and they have ambitious goals for using more of these sources to supply their states’ overall energy needs.”
[Click here for] some of the key findings. To view the executive summary or entire report, please visit:
http://www.coloradocollege.edu/StateoftheRockies/conservationinthewestsurvey_e.html
More coverage from David O. Williams writing for the Colorado Independent. From the article:
Conducted by both a Republican and Democratic polling firm and produced for the Colorado College State of the Rockies Project, the “Conservation in the West” survey found that voters thought the average percentage of their state’s electricity coming from renewable resources should be about 65 percent.
Generally expressing more positive impressions of solar and wind power than coal or oil (with the exception of Wyoming residents), 77 percent of all those surveyed felt environmental standards and a strong economy can co-exist. And 65 percent said they disagree that renewable energy is “too unreliable to be a significant part of our energy supply.”
And a majority of voters in all five states (70 percent), which also included New Mexico, Montana and Utah, said it’s “time to start replacing coal with other energy sources like wind and solar power.”
From The Denver Post (Bruce Finley):
The “Conservation in the West” survey, commissioned by Colorado College and released this morning, also found that two thirds of voters believe current laws protecting air, land and water should be strengthened or better enforced. Even when offered an economic rationale for relaxing environmental standards, 77 percent of voters surveyed said standards that apply to major industries must be maintained. Only 18 percent favored relaxing standards in an effort to boost the economy and generate jobs. The survey indicates most voters consider environmental protection and a strong economy to be compatible goals.
A majority in every state where voters were surveyed – Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming – said they favor replacing coal with other energy sources such as wind and solar power. And 54 percent indicated they’d be willing to pay at least ten dollars more per month to increase the use of renewable energy to generate electricity in their state.
Conservation front and center for Donala Water and Sanitation District — Xeriscape Expo February 26
February 25, 2011
From The Tri-Lakes Tribune (Lisa Collacott):
In an effort to help its customers switch to xeriscape gardening and landscaping Donala has hired Susan McLean, a professional horticulturist and designer, as conservation manager. McLean’s plans are to take Donala customers from the existing irrigation rationing program to a xeriscape design. In doing so, she will offer training and assistance. “We are really trying to encourage water conservation,” McLean said. “Xeriscape is an excellent way to save water.”
She said there is enough water now but Donala is looking toward the future. As a kickoff to the new program, the company is having a Xeriscape Expo Feb. 26 at Antelope Trails Elementary School. There will be presentations on xeriscape, displays of water-wise gardening resources, efficient irrigation and lawn care, and door prizes…
Another project in the works is the Donala Gardens, a xeriscape demonstration garden on Gleneagle Drive. The garden, which will start at the Gleneagle subdivision sign and extend to the shopping center, will give customers ideas for putting their own xeriscape garden together. “You can have a fabulous garden on very little water,” McLean said. “You can really make a big difference with xeriscape.”
The Xeriscape Expo is free and intended for Donala customers, but everyone is welcome to attend. It will be from 1-3 p.m. on Feb. 26.
More conservation coverage here.
The Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District hires Edwin Winton as their new director
February 25, 2011
From the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District via the Pagosa Daily Post:
The Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District Board of Directors are pleased to announce the hiring of Mr. Edwin (Ed) Winton to fill the position of District Manager. Mr. Winton was selected from a group of four well qualified finalists. His career history includes extensive experience not only in the water/wastewater utility field, but also in management. He will be relocating from Topeka, Kansas, and is expected to assume his new post with PAWSD on approximately March 14, 2011.
The PAWSD Board believes Mr. Winton will be a positive addition to our staff, the District and the community we serve. We look forward to his arrival.
Grand County files for a Recreational In Channel Diversion right on the Upper Colorado River
February 25, 2011
From the Sky-Hi Daily News (Tonya Bina):
Appropriated on Dec. 21, the 2010 water rights, if realized, may give Grand County traction with future water cases affecting the Fraser and Colorado Rivers, according to county officials. A recreational in-channel diversion allows for a call in a certain place and time for the benefit of “boating, rafting, kayaking, tubing, floating, canoeing, paddling, and all other non-motorized recreational uses” as “part of (the county’s) ongoing effort to improve water-based recreational and economic opportunities for its citizens and the general public,” states the water rights application. The “byproduct” would be allowing Grand County to be “in the conversation” when it comes to decisions about future river uses, according to Grand County Commissioner James Newberry…
Objectors to the Division 5 conditional water rights filing in Garfield County’s 9th Judicial District Court, Glenwood Springs, have until the end of February to oppose the application. Town boards and rights holders from Kremmling to Winter Park are considering opposing the filing as a means to join the case to ensure their water interests are protected — in some cases, a position of objection could be viewed as “friendly opposition,” and in others, genuine opposition…
Grand County’s application for conditional rights names a Hot Sulphur Springs Whitewater Park in Pioneer Park near the town, with no rights at flows above 900 cubic feet per second (cfs), and a Gore Canyon Whitewater Park in two locations, one above and one below Pumphouse recreation area west of Kremmling, with no rights at flows above 2,500 cfs. One or more of these sites could be the source of calls for recreation water in the river from the headwaters of the Colorado and in the length of the Fraser River…
The county’s 2010 water right would be junior to existing rights and may only influence future development and diversions on the river, [Grand County Commissioner Gary Bumgarner] said.
More Colorado River basin coverage here.
2011 Colorado legislation: The Colorado Department of Wildlife agrees to look at water projects
February 25, 2011
From the Summit County Citizen’s Voice (Bob Berwyn):
The five-year program was announced a few weeks after State Rep. Jon Becker (R-Fort Morgan) proposed a bill that would have diverted revenue from hunting and fishing licenses to the Colorado Water Conservation Board. The wildlife agency now says it will work with Becker to explore opportunities that will first and foremost benefit wildlife and wildlife recreation, but will also help other entities and individuals who depend on water resources in the state.
“In the face of budget issues that are creating challenges throughout state government, it is especially challenging to plan for increasing water demand while protecting natural resources over the long term,” Department of Natural Resources director Mike King said. “There is a lot of overlap between healthy wildlife habitat and what sportsmen and agricultural communities need. We welcome the opportunity to combine these goals and find ways to make limited state funding go further.”
“We have several critical water development needs, such as repairing the dam at Beaver Reservoir to allow us to store water again,” said Division of Wildlife Director Tom Remington. ”We also have some great opportunities, such as reaching a storage agreement with Rio Grande Reservoir operators to store Division of Wildlife water critical to our needs in the San Luis Valley.”
More coverage from The Fort Morgan Times (Marianne Goodland):
The bill’s [HB 11-1150] problem, and Becker`s too, was that diverting the money from DOW would have cost the agency $200 million over the next 10 years in federal funds. That money, according to DOW, funds hunter and aquatic education, sportfish and wildlife restoration, and boating access. Lisa Dale of DOW told this reporter that the money represents 25 percent of the division`s annual funding. Losing it “would have touched everything we do,” she said. And that put Becker on the radar for hunters and fishermen and women, and not in a good way, and as a result HB 1150 faced a probable defeat on Monday. Instead, Becker got a little help from Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling, and the cooperation of a new Citizen`s Wildlife Advisory Council that Sonnenberg heads. Sonnenberg told this reporter that he made sure the “right people were in the right room at the right time” to hammer out the issues, and eventually, the agreement.
More 2011 Colorado legislation coverage here.
From the Denver Business Journal (Cathy Proctor):
Weld County companies involved in supplying, delivering, treating and recycling water are among many benefiting from the economic boom rippling from the billions of oil and gas dollars being invested in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming to find and extract oil and gas from the Niobrara shale.
Rio Grande Basin Roundtable meeting recap
February 25, 2011
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Matt Hildner):
…local officials pointed to the rehabilitation of local reservoirs as an important step in getting more water for basin users. The state has imposed storage restrictions on six of them, including Continental, Terrace and Sanchez reservoirs. The latter three each have storage capacities of over 10,000 acre feet.
But getting funding for reservoirs that need repair and are owned by private irrigation companies is a tricky proposition. “Its out of the realm for the ag users,” said Travis Smith, who sits on both the statewide roundtable and the Colorado Water Conservation Board.
The most likely source of infrastructure funds would be the federal government…
Greg Johnson, a water resource planning specialist for the conservation board, said the desire to avoid having to deal with the [National Environmental Policy Act] was an important reason for the increase in agricultural transfers on the Front Range over the last two decades. He added that repairing the state’s reservoirs so they can store at full capacity ranks first among already-identified projects that could help the state meet its shortfall. He cited a recent media report that such repairs could result in nearly one million acre-feet of additional water. The board also called for more work to be done on the analysis of the valley’s nonconsumptive needs, such as the water required to maintain fisheries.
More IBCC — basin roundtables coverage here.
