I’m on deadline at Colorado Central Magazine. I’ll see ya on Thursday.
From The Fort Morgan Times (Dan Barker):
FEMA is asking that all levees be recertified in the wake of the disaster which happened in New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina, and this is the next step for Wiggins…
Holbrook said that certifying the levee will mean doing spot checking of the structure, but one of the first steps is to meet with FEMA representatives to determine exactly how they want it done.
More Wiggins coverage here.
Fort Morgan: Stormwater issues meeting May 25
May 16, 2011
From The Fort Morgan Times:
The city will hold a neighborhood meeting next week to tell residents about some of the findings and possible alternatives for the Northwest Quadrant storm drainage problems. The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, at the Fort Morgan School District Support Center, 715 W. Platte Ave. City officials and representatives from the engineering firm Short Elliott Hendrickson will be there to share the findings of the detailed study and analyses, as well as possible/feasible options in moving forward.
More Morgan County coverage here.
Here’s the release from Northern Water (Brian Werner):
The Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry (CACI), the state chamber of commerce, today announced its endorsement of the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) as an essential project for the economy of the Northern Front Range. CACI President Chuck Berry said that the CACI Executive Committee agreed to support the building of NISP at its April meeting.
“An adequate, reliable supply of water is essential for economic development and quality of life of residents of Northern Colorado,” Berry said, adding that NISP will be a major economic development opportunity for Northern Colorado and will result in more than $450 million in construction projects.
NISP will provide 40,000 acre feet of water annually to 15 municipalities and water districts representing more than 200,000 residents in Northern Colorado.
The CACI endorsement comes as NISP business supporters, chamber of commerce members and public officials gather May 19 to show their support for the project. The Water, Jobs and the Economy rally will be from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Larimer County Fairgrounds and Events Complex at The Ranch in Loveland.
CACI joins Club 20, the Western Slope’s leading business advocacy organization in endorsing NISP. Club 20 endorsed NISP in September 2010. More than 15 area and statewide business organizations have now endorsed NISP as critical for the Northern Colorado economy, including the following:
Berthoud Area Chamber of Commerce
Carbon Valley Chamber of Commerce
Club 20
Colorado Association of Commerce & Industry
Evans Chamber of Commerce
Fort Collins Board of Realtors
Fort Lupton Chamber of Commerce
Greeley Chamber of Commerce
Lafayette Chamber of CommerceLongmont Chamber of Commerce
Mead Area Chamber of Commerce
Progressive 15
United Power
Upstate Colorado
Weld Community Development Group
Weld County Builders Association
Windsor Chamber of CommerceCACI was created in the mid-1960s when Colorado’s business leaders merged the Colorado Chamber of Commerce with the Colorado Manufacturing Association. About 435 companies, local chambers of commerce, trade associations and local economic development organizations belong to CACI. CACI’s mission is to champion a healthy business environment. To achieve this mission, CACI has key four objectives: (1) maintain and improve the cost of doing business; (2) advocate a pro-business state government; (3) increase the quantity of educated, skilled workers; and (4) strengthen Colorado’s critical infrastructure (roads, water, telecommunications and energy).
More Northern Integrated Supply Project coverage here and here.
From the Aspen Daily News (Dorothy M. Atkins):
The cold temperatures and large amounts of precipitation that have been plaguing Aspenites through the off-season have assured many rafters that the Roaring Fork River will have plenty of snowpack to pull from to maintain river flow well into the summer…
The Fork is fueled by snowmelt from snowpack located up Independence Pass. The gauging station located on Independence Pass is reporting 21.6 inches, — 159 percent of average snowpack — according to the Roaring Fork Conservancy…
This year with more snowpack and colder temperatures, the hope is that the Fork will remain navigable through August…
“I hate to say I have any expectations, because who knows what will happen,” said raft guide Casey Vandenbroek. “I would be so stoked to be on Slaughterhouse until mid August, and I feel like we have enough snow if we just get a nice steady melt.”
A nice steady melt is what everyone is hoping for this year.
From The Greeley Tribune (Dan England):
This season, boaters expect water levels may even surpass that 1983 record of just under 6,000 cubic feet per second. Those are water levels that bring elation from experienced boaters, concern from law enforcement and rescue personnel and a mix of the two from rafting companies…
The only thing for certain is the water should be higher than it’s been in years, and it will probably be a few weeks before boaters really see it. Even if it does warm up in a hurry, said Bell, a kayaker and atmospheric scientist, it takes a while to start the melt with such a deep snowpack, which could mean a peak later in June.
More whitewater coverage here.
From Steamboat Today (Tom Ross):
Winter 1983-84 was the season of 40 consecutive days and nights of heavy snow, and the ski season ended with 447.5 inches of the white stuff. And like it has in spring 2011, the snow kept on coming into May. All heck broke loose in the third week in May when the temperatures jumped into the 80s and a summer shower fell on top of the rotten snowpack. Butcherknife Creek flooded backyards in Old Town, and city officials were constantly checking the old Ninth Street footbridge over the Yampa River. On about May 24, the water was within inches of the old bridge, and the river peaked the next day at 5,670 cubic feet per second…
I’m not predicting a 30-foot wall of water this runoff season, but it might be wise to take some precautions. Personally, I’m keeping my irrigation boots and my chest waders in the back of the vehicle for the rest of spring. Jay Wetzler, owner and operator of the Steamboat Hotel on the city’s south side, bought flood insurance last month to protect his property from the possibility that either Walton Creek or the Yampa River might show up this month for a repeat performance. “It was expensive, but we’ve seen so much development in the floodplain, there’s no way to tell what’s going to happen,” he said.
Here’s the link to the current issue. Here’s a preview:
The Niobrara Formation, one such organic-rich shale, is a particularly hot target here in Colorado. While a large volume of natural gas (>700 billion cubic feet by one estimate) has already been produced, it is now Niobrara oil that is the focus of everyone’s attention. Often mentioned for comparison purposes are the Bakken Formation of North Dakota or the Eagle Ford Shale of Texas. But, as producers are just beginning to ramp up drilling and production, the question of how much oil is really available for exploitation over the long term remains to be answered.
One of the first Niobrara horizontal wells, known as the Jake well, was drilled by EOG Resources in October 2009 and produced 50,000 barrels of oil in its first 90 days. After a year, it is still produc- ing more than 2,500 barrels of oil per month. This is significant given that the average oil well in the U.S. generates just 300 barrels of oil per month. Another well, the Gemini well drilled by Noble Energy in early 2010, produced over 32,000 barrels of oil in 6 months. These early results are certainly promising, but for each of the more prolific wells, there are others that show little or no produc- tion. How quickly the flow of oil declines is very important for looking towards future potential of the resource as a whole.
From the Salt Lake Tribune (Judy Fahys):
In two years, the Department of Energy has hauled away nearly 4 million tons of uranium tailings, which for decades had been leaching into the adjacent Colorado River. The work is about two years ahead of schedule, and makes DOE project manager Don Metzler burst with pride. “Look!” he exclaimed, gazing over the deep gouge excavators have carved into the 130-acre pile. “This pile is disappearing.”
Now, with another 12 million tons still to go, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money that has fueled the accelerated cleanup is about to run out. Progress is expected to slow to a comparative crawl as the Energy Department slashes the cleanup team by two-thirds next month.
Instead of 320 people on the job, there will be funding enough for around 100 under the DOE’s projected budget for cleaning up the old uranium mill started by Charlie Steen and later taken on by the bankrupt Atlas Corp.
Greeley: New raw water line from Bellvue, currently under construction, to cost $180 million
May 15, 2011
From the Greeley Gazette (Jack Minor):
Currently the city is building a new 30 mile, 60 inch pipeline from Bellvue. The project began in 2004 and is expected to be completed in 2013. The new pipeline will transmit water rights currently owned by the city and future water purchases.
Monson said the last expansion of the Bellvue pipeline was in the 1950′s and since then Greeley’s population has increased four fold. Current census figures show the current population at almost 93,000 an increase of 20 percent from the 2000 census.
The project will spend $84 million on pipeline construction and $96 million for water acquisition. [Jon Monson, Greeley water and sewer director] said even after spending the $180 million, the project will still not meet the needs for the projected 40 year growth. The city will still need to build additional water storage such as expanding the Milton Seaman reservoir.
More infrastructure coverage here.
Telluride: The Idarado Mining Company is recalling water rights that it gave the town in 1992
May 15, 2011
From The Telluride Daily Planet (Matthew Beaudin):
The company said in a press release that it would use the water to generate power at the Bridal Veil Power Station, a turn of the 20th century hydroelectric powerplant that looms at the end of the box canyon. “In 1992, we conditionally deeded our water rights to Telluride because we were not using them at the time, reserving the right to recall them for Idarado’s future needs,” said David Baker, president of Idarado, in a release. “We are now exercising our right to recall these water rights to support electrical power generation and for other possible uses in the future.”[...]
The Bridal Veil Power Station is an uncommon confluence in the channels of groundbreaking utility and improbable beauty. It is one of the oldest operating AC generators in the country (behind the Ames hydroelectric station, just up the highway) and still surges power into the local grid, but it is also a building of a certain esteem, standing sentry to the valley from its perch atop the state’s tallest waterfall.
More San Miguel River watershed coverage here.
Arkansas Valley Super Ditch: ‘Corn-Fallow’ workshop May 18 to discuss rotational fallowing
May 15, 2011
From the La Junta Tribune Democrat:
Corn-Fallow Workshop … Wednesday beginning at 1 p.m. in the meeting room at the Colorado State University Extension Building, 411 North 10th in Rocky Ford…
Speakers will include John Schweizer, president of the Super Ditch, talking about why the Super Ditch was formed, who is involved and where the Super Ditch is today. Jim Valliant, research scientist, CSU Arkansas Valley Research Center, will present results of a 4-year study of fallowing land for 1, 2 or 3 years and then planting corn as compared to continuous corn. Jeff Tranel, CSU Extension ag and business management economist, will discuss costs and returns based on the results of the 4-year study and ideas for leasing amounts. This study was funded by the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District.
Dr. Perry Cabot, CSU water resources specialist, will report on results of two demonstration projects on Corn-Fallow funded by the Colorado Water Conservation Board.
More coverage from Chris Woodka writing for The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:
One of the problems could be bringing ground back into production after leaving it fallow for as long as three years. Lease agreements could be reached in some cases after farm ground was prepared in the fall. Jim Valliant, a CSU Extension researcher, and Jeff Tranel, a CSU extension economist, will share the results of studies at the Rocky Ford Agriculture Research Center that show the effects of fallowing land for one, two or three years and the costs of bringing the land back into production. This study was funded by the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District.
John Schweizer, president of the Super Ditch, will talk about how it was formed, who is involved and where things now stand with the company.
From The Aspen Times:
The result will be something that can be applied to other transbasin diversions, according to John Ely, county attorney. The city’s project, which would divert water from Maroon Creek that would not be returned, constitutes a transbasin transfer of water, he said…
The information will be useful when additional diversions are proposed in the headwaters of Pitkin County, predicted Commissioner Rachel Richards. And, she said, the city contributes to the tax revenue that supports the Healthy Rivers and Streams fund.
Here’s the announcement from the Colorado Water Trust.
2011 Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference: ‘The First Drop Lands Here’ October 4-6
May 15, 2011
Here’s the conference page link from the Colorado Watershed Assembly.
Here’s a look at some research from the University of Hawaii, from Bob Berwyn writing for the Summit County Citizens Voice. Click through and read the whole thing. Here’s an excerpt:
An international team of climate scientists used tree-ring records from North America, particularly from the US Southwest, to give a continuous representation of the intensity of El Niño events over the past 1,100 years, developing a model that can be used to improve El Niño prediction in climate models. The study was spearheaded by Jinbao Li, of the International Pacific Research Center at University of Hawai’i at Manoa. It was published in the May 6 issue of Nature Climate Change.
From the Pagosa Sun (Jim McQuiggin):
Later in the meeting, the council was asked to “bless” a decision by the Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation to spend $2,000 to fund a work plan that would satisfy council’s concerns regarding details of the study.
In late February, county commissioner and CDC board member Michael Whiting proposed reallocating $30,000 of CDC money to fund the research. Although the Archuleta Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to reallocate their $15,000 portion of CDC funding to pay for research, council has twice rejected reallocating its $15,000 of CDC funding.
Council members opposed to allocating CDC funds for the research have cited discomfort with inadequacies and unanswered questions in the proposed work plan outlining the study.
From the Delta County Independent (Hank Lohmeyer):
The Lower Gunnison Stakeholders Group found a wide range of criteria on which to base its “non-suitable” recommendations. Existing water rights, private property rights, and production agriculture were important. In several cases, streams’ “outstandingly remarkable values” were found already protected by current management regimens. Streams within the NCA and Wilderness especially were found to benefit from the management regimens on their surrounding public lands. Members of the Stakeholders Group felt that official Wild and Scenic designation on some segments would only attract more visitors to them and damage their special characteristics. “The outstanding remarkable values that BLM has identified for these streams and stream corridors are, in many cases, the result of the management practices of local ranchers and, more recently, the BLM’s management practices,” the group found.
The Stakeholders Group did find some conditions in the stream segment corridors it studied to be less than ideal, and they made recommendations for improvement. For example, protection of historical and cultural sites in the corridors should be site-specific. Signage, fencing, and use of volunteer “stewards” to monitor the sites’ conditions were recommended. Other sensitive cultural sites should not be identified publicly to protect their pristine condition…
The 10 stream segments included stretches on the Gunnison River, Rose Creek, Big and Little Dominguez Creeks, Cottonwood Creek, and Escalante Creek.
More Wild and Scenic coverage here. More Gunnison River basin coverage here.
Precipitation news: Denver Metro area rainfall totals are greater than two inches over the last week
May 15, 2011
It is still raining a bit this morning at Gulch Manor. Click on the thumbnail graphic for the impressive 7-day rainfall map from the Urban Drainage & Flood Control District. The gauge near here (Hidden Lake) reads 2.24 inches for the week.
From email from the Ditch and Reservoir Alliance (John McKenzie):
The 2011 Colorado Small Hydro Workshop will take place on Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at Lindsay Auditorium at the University of Denver.
The Workshop will include panels on small hydro in Colorado, new low-head technologies to agricultural applications, methods of financing hydro projects in Colorado, innovative utility policies to support small hydro, a review of Colorado’s FERC permitting pilot program, as well as a recent projects roundtable. The luncheon keynote address will be provided by TJ Deora, Director of the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office.
The workshop is being held in conjunction with the National Hydropower Association’s Regional Meeting, which is taking place at the same location the previous day, Tuesday, June 14th.
Both events are free and registration is open to any interested members of the public. Registration is available on-line at http://hydro.org/news-and-media/events/details/nha-southwest-regional-meeting-2/
Here’s the release from Northern Water (Brian Werner):
Colorado business leaders, chamber members, residents and public officials will gather May 19 to show their support for the Northern Integrated Supply Project. The Business Rally for NISP will be from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Larimer County Fairgrounds and Events Complex at The Ranch in Loveland.
U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner will be the keynote speaker at the event. The program will also include business owners, mayors from participating NISP communities, county commissioners, state legislators and Don Marostica, the former director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.
The rally, which is open to the public, will include a barbecue luncheon and an opportunity to discuss the proposed water storage project with participants and staff.
“Water is and will continue to be vital in promoting the economy and jobs for Northern Colorado residents, and NISP is a critical piece of that,” said Kathy Peterson, Chairwoman of the NISP Participants Committee. “As the permitting process continues, we are grateful for the increasing support and endorsements from businesses and economic development groups.”
NISP participants are 15 local and regional water districts and municipalities in Northern Colorado who are dedicated to providing current and future generations with sustainable and environmentally sound water supplies. Northern Water is coordinating the NISP on participants’ behalf…
Additional information about NISP can be found at gladereservoir.org.
More coverage from Bobby Magill writing for the Fort Collins Coloradoan. From the article:
Werner said the rally will tie NISP to the creation of jobs and the expansion of the local economy. “If we’re going to expand our economy, we have to have some water for it,” he said. The rally will be a chance for business owners who support the project but aren’t familiar with its details to learn more about it, he said.
More Northern Integrated Supply Project coverage here and here.
From the Colorado Independent (David O. Williams):
“Has the action of injecting at high pressure these fluids into the hydrocarbon formation, do we have evidence that that has contaminated groundwater? No, we don’t,” said David Neslin, executive director of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which regulates natural gas drilling for the state…
“The main question that I contemplate is why the focus on disclosure?” said Tisha Schuller, executive director of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association (COGA). “Disclosure doesn’t actually prevent groundwater contamination.” Schuller also echoed Neslin’s sentiments in an article posted on the COGA website: “The two most important areas to prevent environmental effects are spills and proper well construction. Both of these areas are regulated by state law.”
From KMTV.com:
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation issued new projections Wednesday saying the reservoir behind Hoover Dam should swell by almost 12.5 million acre-feet by October. That’s up 1 million acre-feet from projections a month ago for Las Vegas’ main source of drinking water.
Click through to the article for their photo of Lake Mead.
More Colorado River basin coverage here.
Colorado Ag Water Alliance: Governor Hickenlooper touts the importance of agriculture to Colorado’s economy
May 14, 2011
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
“My job is to see that we hold water up front and center to those in urban areas, so they realize how dependent we are on agriculture and the rural areas,” Hickenlooper told the Colorado Ag Water Alliance Friday. The alliance, which represents major statewide agricultural groups, in March asked Hickenlooper to increase planning, funding and permitting of water projects; continue funding for research of alternative transfer methods that don’t dry up farmland; add a representative from the Republican River basin to the Interbasin Compact Committee; and place more emphasis on the sustainable use of groundwater. In response, Hickenlooper brought the state’s top water officials to the alliance meeting Friday and pledged to do all he could to expedite water projects. He also supports ongoing state efforts to find new ways to share water…
For the last two years, Colorado agriculture revenues have been $7 billion, while the industry employs 110,000 people. But the benefits go beyond that in protecting rural economies and enhancing the environment, Hickenlooper said…
The governor said his arm-twisting skills may not be sufficient to convince cities to accept alternative ag transfer proposals rather than secure their own supplies, but said everyone in the state needs to work together to find mutually acceptable projects…
Hickenlooper said he is trying to find common ground with the governors of Nebraska and Kansas to see how water can be used cooperatively among the states within the boundaries of interstate compacts that place limits on what can be done. He also encouraged state agencies to work with federal regulators — the Environmental Protection Agency, Army Corps of Engineers, Interior and Agriculture — to remove red tape that can hold up projects for years.
More coverage from Chris Woodka writing for The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:
As DNR director, [Jim Martin current Region 8 director for the EPA] asked Jennifer Gimbel, executive director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, to testify in Congress about the state’s preference to store more water in Chatfield Reservoir rather than accept the no-action alternative: drying up more agricultural land to satisfy urban demand. “The federal regulatory agencies have stopped saying ‘no,’ and are now saying ‘no, because,’ ” Gimbel said. “We are making progress (toward) ‘yes, if. . .’ ’’
Gimbel said the federal agencies say they do not want to influence state water rights, but that by blocking storage of more water in existing reservoirs like Chatfield in order to protect wetlands, the agencies are unwittingly setting the stage for more ag dry-up.
Meanwhile, Colorado State University has named a new head of Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. Here’s the release from CSU (Jim Beers):
Gregory Perry, an expert in agricultural finance and taxation who has extensively studied water-management issues, will join Colorado State University July 15 as new head of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
Perry, a professor at Oregon State University at Corvallis, served for about three years as an interim department head there. His additional leadership posts at OSU focused on programs for graduate and undergraduate students, and he also started an international studies program in Chile.“Dr. Perry has outstanding leadership experience and a highly recognized reputation in teaching and research that fits very well within the mission of our college at CSU,” said Craig Beyrouty, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences. “He is an important addition to our leadership team as the College of Agricultural Sciences addresses complex, local and global issues in agriculture and resource economics. We are delighted that Dr. Perry will be part of our College and serve in this very important role.”
Beyrouty noted that Perry’s research into water issues – especially his study of the interface between water management and agricultural finance – fits well with a key focus area for the College of Agricultural Sciences.
Perry will replace Stephen Davies as leader of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, a department with about 20 faculty members and about 325 undergraduate and graduate students.
Davies, department chair for six years, will return to a full-time focus on teaching and research. Davies teaches classes including agricultural marketing and international agricultural trade.
His ongoing “Future of Colorado Agriculture” project gathers critical information from agricultural stakeholders and provides these insights along with economic analysis to statewide policymakers. Davies also leads water-modeling research in Colorado and internationally.
Perry, who was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to teach in Chile, said he hopes to continue advancing CSU’s Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics to benefit students and the agricultural industry.
“Economics is the driving force in a lot of ways that agricultural activities occur in the state, determining what commodities are grown, when and how,” Perry said. “Economics becomes the prism through which all agribusiness production decisions are seen.”
He added: “Fundamentally, our job is to educate – to discover new knowledge and to disseminate that knowledge. So if we can do our jobs well, people involved in agriculture have the best economic science available to them to make the best decisions for their own well-being and for improved well-being in the state, nation and even the world.”
In Colorado alone, the agricultural industry annually generates $20 billion in economic activity, according to the state Department of Agriculture.
“This impact points to the importance of understanding agribusiness, finance and economics in food production,” Beyrouty said. “We also seek to understand and teach students about the intersection of agricultural economics with environmental issues, land and water management.”
Perry said he hopes to lead the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics in efforts including recruitment and ultimate career placement for talented graduate students, a focus on improving the quality of undergraduate instruction and student learning, support for young faculty members, creation of an endowed chair to advance high-impact research and teaching, and creation of endowed scholarships to support undergraduate education.
Perry earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Utah State University and his doctorate in agricultural economics at Texas A&M University.
And here’s the Final Report – Alternative Agricultural Water Transfer Methods Grant Program from the Colorado Water Conservation Board. Here’s the summary:
Alternative Agricultural Water Transfer Methods Grant Program Summary
As Colorado’s population continues to grow in the coming decades, it is likely that increased transfers of agricultural water rights will occur in order to satisfy increased municipal and industrial (M&I) water demands. The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), Interbasin Compact Committee (IBCC), and the Colorado Water Congress have indicated their support of alternatives to traditional transfers resulting in permanent dry‐up in order to minimize the negative socioeconomic impacts to rural communities that so often result from such transfers.
One of the outcomes of the Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI) 2 study was the recognition that the State of Colorado might be able to provide incentives for M&I providers to consider alternative methods for their water supply options. In response, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 07‐122, which authorized the CWCB to develop a grant program to facilitate the development and implementation of alternative agricultural water transfer methods (ATMs).
Since its inception in 2007, the CWCB’s Alternative Agricultural Water Transfer Methods Grant Program has awarded $1.5 million to various water providers, ditch companies, and university groups for the funding of six unique projects; five of which have been underway during 2009– 2010. As illustrated in SWSI 2, rotational fallowing, Interruptible Service Agreements (ISAs), water banks, purchase and leasebacks, deficit irrigation, and changing crop type are the kinds of options that are available as alternatives to permanent agricultural transfers.
With the exception of purchase and leasebacks and some limited occurrences of short‐term leasing, these ATMs are just beginning to be explored as viable options for meeting M&I water demands in Colorado. While promising, there are technical, legal and institutional, financial, and other issues associated with ATMs. Through the ATM Grant Program, CWCB and others are currently exploring ways to address these issues utilizing incentives to gain greater awareness, interest, and participation from agricultural water users and municipalities with alternative agricultural water transfers.
The objectives of this memorandum are to further the understanding of the feasibility of implementing ATMs in Colorado by:
1. Providing an overview of ATM concepts;
2. Providing a summary of the ATM projects funded by grants awarded by CWCB;
3. Providing an overview of the current state of agricultural transfers in the South Platte Basin and the Arkansas Basin and assessing the viability of future transfers in various regions of those basins; and
4. Identifying and summarizing barriers to successful implementation of ATMs and summarizing the ways in which grant‐funded ATM projects have made progress toward finding solutions to the identified barriers to implementation.
More Colorado water coverage here.
From the Cortez Journal (Reid Wright):
MVI shareholder Drew Gordanier said Monday he thinks it is unfortunate that the proposal has created “animosity among friends” within the organization. Gordanier said he personally would support the lease if it were for local agriculture instead of environmental groups. He said he does blame the MVI board for its efforts to seek additional income. “I have nothing against them. I just think they should seek other revenue sources,” he said.
Meanwhile, the water conservation board is silent on how it and supporting organizations would fund the proposed $500,000 annual lease. Linda Bassi, chief of stream and lake operations for the organization, said more details will be released if the project moves forward…
In addition, he worries that if the water is leased to environmental groups, they might be able to seize control of the water permanently. “My biggest concern is them leasing the water to the environmental groups,” Gordanier said. “If you lease that water, they can prove that you can live without it.”
MVI officials approached their shareholders Thursday with a proposal to lease some of their water to a group of organizations for wildlife and environmental efforts on the Lower Dolores River. At the time, [MVI General Manager Don Magnuson] said the need for water on the Lower Dolores River is well documented and he believes MVI has enough water to provide for the need. Under the proposal, which is still under negotiation, MVI would lease a maximum of 6,000 acre-feet of water a year to organizations spearheaded by the Colorado Water Conservation Board. The water would be used during three years of need sometime in the next decade. The water conservation board would be able to use the water for a maximum of 120 days during the irrigation season – which usually goes from May 15 to Oct. 15…
Although the price is still under negotiation, MVI is currently asking $500,000 per year, or $1.5 million for the three years of water. MVI hopes to use the money for capital improvement projects, such as putting ditches into pipe, which reduce the amount of water lost to leaks. A recent irrigation pipe project saves an estimated 1,500 acre-feet in water annually, Magnuson said.
But after the drought of 2002, which left reservoir levels precariously low, MVI shareholders – comprising mostly farmers and ranchers – expressed a reluctance to part with their water during Thursday’s meeting. They also feared any revenues gained from the agreement would be lost to bureaucracy or loan debt.
Water would come from Groundhog Reservoir, and would be released through the Upper Dolores River and McPhee Reservoir into the Lower Dolores River.
More Dolores River watershed coverage here.
