From the Colorado Independent (David O. Williams):
U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., and the rest of Colorado’s majority Republican congressional delegation are all wet for voting along with the GOP-controlled House to pass the Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act by a margin of 239-184 on Wednesday, according to the bill’s many outraged opponents.
“Rep. Gardner has once again made an extremist vote that increases profits for polluters at the expense of the public’s health and the environment” said Gary Wockner of Fort Collins-based Clean Water Action. “Rep. Gardner says he supports jobs, but he’s only voting to support corporate polluters’ profits.”
“It is time for the EPA to give Congress some straight answers about the consequences its regulations have on jobs and the economy, without knowing that information how can we judge whether a regulation is necessary or harmful?” Gardner said in a recent release…
All three Democratic members of Colorado’s congressional delegation voted against the bill, but Gardner joined fellow Colorado Republican House members Doug Lamborn, Mike Coffman and Scott Tipton in bucking the Obama administration, which earlier in the week promised a veto in the unlikely event the bill makes it out of the Senate.
More coverage from EarthJustice.org (Liz Judge). From the article:
The House passed this legislation 239-184, despite a vow from the White House promising a veto if the bill makes it through the Senate. This legislation is the most offensive in a fresh spate of clean water attacks waged by the majority of the 112th House. The bill undoes the basis of the Clean Water Act, the 40-year-old cornerstone of all drinkable, swimmable and fishable waters in this country. Without this landmark law, and the system it set up for federal oversight of waters across all states, we wouldn’t have the clean waters that we have today. HR 2018 removes federal oversight and leaves the fate of our waters, which flow between states and know no state boundaries, up to states.
More H.R. 2018 coverage here.
NIDIS Weekly Climate, Water and Drought Assessment Summary of the Upper Colorado River Basin
July 15, 2011
Here are this week’s notes from the Colorado Climate Center.
Runoff news: Late snowmelt, high water and monsoon moisture are impacting demand for water toy rentals
July 15, 2011
From Fox31.com (Shaul Turner):
Dangerous water levels have forced the closure of Boulder Creek to tubers, and for Boulder-based Whitewater Tube Company that means a lack of demand for tube and kayak rentals…
“Business drops about 80-percent during dangerous weather, but the extra rainfall means a prolonged season,” says Eric Bader with Boulder Outdoor Center. BOC partners with Whitewater Tube Company to plan rafting and tubing trips.
Colorado River Basin: Peter McBride (The Colorado River: Flowing Through Conflict) is interviewed by NPR’s Michelle Norris
July 15, 2011
Yesterday as I was trying to navigate the streets south of Denver during our daily thunderstorm dousing I had a chance to listed to Michelle Norris’ interview with Peter McBride. They talked about the river, its current state, and attitudes about using the river’s available water while protecting some of its wildness and natural historical value. Here’s the link to the NPR story with the audio. Here’s the transcript Here’s an excerpt:
“This estuary [ed. the Colorado River estuary] used to be one of the largest desert estuaries in North America,” McBride says. “It ran to the sea for 6 million years, and the river basically stopped in the late ’90s. It used to be 3,000 square miles with lush forests and jaguars and deer. And having walked it … it’s nothing but a cracked, parched arid landscape.”
How did this happen? As McBride puts it, too many straws in the water: Near Mexico, the river basically produces the entire lettuce crop for the United States in the months of November and December, and all of the nation’s carrots in January and February. “So whether you love the river and fish it and float it, or you’ve never been to it and you live on the East Coast, you actually eat Colorado River water,” McBride continues.
When I got home I made sure to raise a glass of Denver Water water and toast the headwaters.
More Colorado River basin coverage here.
From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):
Just a quick note: We reduced releases from Ruedi Dam to the Fryingpan River by 150 cfs today. Tomorrow, Friday, we will do the same. As a result, by Friday evening, there should be less than 500 cfs flowing through Basalt.
More Fryingpan-Arkansas Project coverage here.
Click on the thumbnail graphic to the right for a screenshot of the Crystal Dam Spill in 2009.
From email from Reclamation (Erik Knight):
While this may appear to be an accidental resend of yesterday’s notice, it is in fact another notice of a release increase for the Aspinall Unit. The bottomless well of snowmelt and precipitation continues to hold inflows into Blue Mesa Reservoir above all predictions. Maybe one day inflows will actually decrease but it certainly wasn’t yesterday. Therefore releases from Crystal Dam will be increased by a total of 400 cfs over the next 2 days. This increase will be done in 200 cfs increments, one this afternoon, Thursday, July 14th, and one early Friday morning, July 15th. Flows in the Gunnison River through the Black Canyon are expected to increase from 2950 cfs to around 3350 cfs by Friday, July 15th. This change will put Crystal Dam at full powerplant and bypass releases. Any further increases will mostly likely result in a spill at Crystal Dam. This is not expected to occur but there is a possibility if inflows continue at their current level.
More Aspinall Unit coverage here.
From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):
Recent rain storms and the tail end of snow melt run-off continue to produce high inflows into Lake Granby. As a result, we and Northern Water have been increasing releases from Granby Dam to the Colorado over the last few days. Today, releases are going up again, by about 300 cfs. We will soon be releasing upwards of 2200 cfs. The reservoir is just about full with only two and a half feet to go. Rain on the East Slope has reduced the need for diversions from the West Slope. As a result, more water must be released at the dam.
From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):
Just a quick heads up: late last night/early this morning, releases from Olympus Dam were scaled back by about 100 cfs. We are now releasing around 575 cfs from the dam to the lower Big Thompson River. Even though we have had some higher inflows from the recent storms, we are still capturing priority water (east slope run-off) in the C-BT project and using it to generate hydro-power and top off Horsetooth and Carter reservoirs. As a result, we have cut back diversions from the West Slope through the Adams Tunnel. With the tunnel low and the east slope water being taken through the system, we are able to reduce releases to the canyon a little bit.
More Colorado-Big Thompson Project coverage here.
From the Glenwood Springs Post Independent (John Colson):
Fewer than 40 percent of property owners in the Silt Mesa area are interested in hooking up to a proposed $26 million domestic water distribution system in their neighborhood, according to a consulting engineer. The primary reason for the lack of interest is likely to be money, said Dan Cokley, of the Schmueser Gordon Meyer engineering firm…
Silt Mesa is an expanse of meadows and hills north of Silt and south of the Grand Hogback. Most residents currently use wells for their household water, although about 5 percent must haul water. The area is not served by the Silt municipal water systems, and the conservancy district is working to figure out a way to get reliable water service to roughly 800 properties. County officials agreed to help pay for the feasibility study in partnership with the district, which currently provides irrigation water to the Silt Mesa area within the district’s boundaries. The study is projected to cost between $75,000 and $90,000, and the county has contributed $50,000 toward the effort, with the proviso that the BOCC be kept up to date on the study’s progress. The proposed system would draw from nearby Harvey Gap Reservoir to feed a water treatment and delivery system estimated to cost $26 million.
The water district was formed in 1957 to conserve and develop water resources within its boundaries. It operates Rifle Gap and Harvey Gap reservoirs, with related pipelines and other facilities, primarily to deliver irrigation water to farms and ranches.
More infrastructure coverage here.
Here’s the release from the Colorado Department of Wildlife (Randy Hampton):
Recent testing has confirmed the ongoing presence of quagga mussel veligers at the reservoir at Lake Pueblo State Park. Although no fully developed mussels have been found at the reservoir, the presence of veligers, the microscopic offspring of adult mussels, does indicate that mussel reproduction is occurring.
Testing originally found a zebra mussel veliger in Pueblo Reservoir in 2007. Monitoring also detected both quagga and zebra veligers in 2008 and 2009. No veligers were found in 2010. The most recent quagga mussel veliger was collected during routine sampling in May and was confirmed by microscopy and DNA testing conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The results were reported to Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists on July 6.
Colorado’s early detection program is designed to find juvenile, free-floating, veligers in the water before adult populations become apparent. Reservoirs in other states have shown that it may take many years for an invasive mussel population to establish a large reproducing adult colony. Lake Cheney in Kansas had a positive veliger detection followed by several years of negative results, before the population size was large enough to appear on the shorelines.
“Our annual monitoring program confirms that the invasive mussels are persistent in Lake Pueblo,” said Elizabeth Brown, invasive species coordinator for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “Through the mandatory boat inspection program, we will continue to stress that boaters clean and fully drain their boats before leaving Lake Pueblo State Park to help limit the spread of these invaders.”
Like all of the popular boating waters in the state, Lake Pueblo State Park has a thorough inspection process for boats that enter the reservoir. Because of the presence of quagga and zebra mussel veligers at Lake Pueblo State Park, boat owners are also required to have their boats inspected and possibly decontaminated on exit from Pueblo Reservoir.
All boats that have launched on any Colorado lake or reservoir where mussels have been detected, including Lake Pueblo, are required to pass an inspection before launching at a new location. In addition, out-of-state boats and resident boats that go out-of-state and return to Colorado must pass a state-certified inspection for aquatic nuisance species prior to launching in any Colorado lake, reservoir or waterway.
“Mandatory boat inspections have proved successful in other states at stopping the spread of invasive mussels,” said Gene Seagle, invasive species coordinator for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “We want to ensure that boats coming from other states are being inspected prior to launching anywhere in Colorado. It’s also extremely important that containment efforts continue on the reservoirs where mussels have already been detected.”
Inspection facilities also check trailered watercraft at 27 other state parks and 84 other locations outside of the state parks system. Boaters can also get boats pre-inspected and green sealed at Parks and Wildlife offices in Denver at 6060 Broadway, Grand Junction at 711 Independent and in Hot Sulphur Springs at 346 Grand County Road 362. Hours and days of operation at inspection stations vary so boaters should check times and dates in advance at http://wildlife.state.co.us/Fishing/MandatoryBoatInspections.htm or by visiting an individual state park page at www.parks.state.co.us.
In addition to the state’s inspection and decontamination program, Colorado Parks and Wildlife will continue its effort to educate boaters to stop the spread of aquatic nuisance species in the state. A series of short, easy to understand videos on how boaters can prepare for inspections is available at www.parks.co.state.us under the “Boating” tab. Boat owners can find more information about preventing the spread of aquatic nuisance species at http://wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/Profiles/InvasiveSpecies/WatercraftCleaning.htm.
“Educating boaters about mussels and how to inspect their own vessels is an important part of our effort to prevent the further spread,” said Brad Henley, Park Manager at Lake Pueblo State Park. “We greatly appreciate the continued support and cooperation of the boating public.”
Quagga and zebra mussels are non-native species introduced to the Great Lakes in the 1970′s, probably through the ballast water from an eastern European port where the mussels are native. In the last 23 years, the mussels have spread from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico and into the western United States, damaging beaches, aquatic life, municipal water systems and hydroelectric facilities. There is currently no known way to rid a water of the mussels without significant environmental damage, so prevention is the best alternative. The fingernail-sized mussels attach to anchor lines and boat hulls and their microscopic veliger young can be transported in any water transported on a boat or in a bait bucket.
Aquatic nuisance species, such as zebra and quagga mussels, rusty crayfish, New Zealand mud snails and numerous invasive water plants and weeds can create a number of ecological and economic problems due to their rapid reproduction. Because invasive mussels attach to hard surfaces like concrete and pipes, they can clog pipelines at reservoirs and lakes, boat engines, fish ladders, hydropower turbines and municipal water delivery systems.
More coverage from Chris Woodka writing for The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:
Veligers, the larval form of the clamlike creatures, were confirmed last week after microscopic and DNA testing by the Bureau of Reclamation from routine sampling of the reservoir in May. No fully developed mussels have been found, but the presence of offspring suggests they are breeding in the reservoir or upstream…
The mussels are most commonly spread from one lake to another when boats are not properly cleaned. They can live for weeks outside a water body in the wet areas of a boat. Colorado began a statewide response to zebra and quagga mussels in 2008 by stepping up boat inspections and educating boaters about the need to inspect clean and dry boats when moving them from one lake to another. Boat washes for suspect craft also were installed at several lakes, including Lake Pueblo…
The mussels damage beaches, water-supply pipes, hydroelectric generation equipment and aquatic ecosystems. Once a population becomes established, there is no known way to eradicate it, so prevention is seen as the most effective way to contain the threat.
Runoff/precipitation news: The Twin Lakes and Boustead tunnels are still running nearly at capacity
July 14, 2011
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
Reclamation operates the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, which so far has brought over 78,300 acre-feet, about 150 percent of average. May 1 projections were that 94,200 acre-feet will be brought over, and that is still on course because the Boustead Tunnel continues to run near full capacity. The Twin Lakes tunnel, the Arkansas Valley’s other major transmountain diversion, also is running nearly full, which is unusual for mid-July…
In fact, Pueblo, Colorado Springs and Aurora’s accounts in Twin Lakes are full, so they are running water to Lake Pueblo, where they have excess-capacity accounts. Aurora also is storing water in Holbrook Lake under a contract with the Holbrook Canal.
Despite heavy demand for agricultural water this spring, Lake Pueblo water levels began increasing slightly this week. “We have plenty of space in Pueblo Reservoir,” said Alan Ward, water resources administrator for the Pueblo Board of Water Works.
The Pueblo water board has about 47,000 acre-feet of water in storage at four reservoirs, and its water rights still are producing more. That’s not a record, but is getting close to the 52,000 acre-feet in storage in June 2010…
Arkansas River flows at Parkdale, west of the Royal Gorge, began increasing Friday and stayed around 4,000 cubic feet per second until Wednesday, when they dropped slightly. About 550 cfs is attributable to the municipal transfers from Twin Lakes to Lake Pueblo, with the rest of the high levels caused by steady afternoon rains in the mountains and continued snowmelt.
From The Denver Post (Joey Bunch):
Sirens blared and Boulder residents were ordered away from [Boulder] creek as a 4-foot surge of water rolled into town Wednesday night, part of another wild weather night in Colorado. The Front Range, from Pueblo to Wyoming, roiled amid thunderstorms, lightning, hail and flooding for the second night in a row — and the eighth straight day of heavy rain. Most parts of the metro region have recorded at least three times their normal rainfall for this point in July…
Storms produced another 2 inches of rain in parts of Elbert County late Wednesday afternoon, not far from where nearly 5 inches caused “the worst flooding in a decade” Tuesday night…
The city’s official weather monitor at Denver International Airport has recorded 2.12 inches of July rain through Tuesday. The average at this point in the month is 0.80 inches, according to weather records. Some parts of the city have seen more than 5 inches, according to individual rain gauges. Denver has received 11.83 inches so far this year. The normal amount for this point is 8.89 inches.
If you live in the Metro Denver area and you think it’s been wet click here for a screenshot of the 21-Day rainfall map from the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District. The closest station to Gulch Manor reads 4.57 inches in the last 21 days.
From the Loveland Reporter-Herald (Pamela Dickman):
The Bureau of Reclamation reservoir [Carter Lake] west of Berthoud is completely full, and officials expect Horsetooth Reservoir west of Fort Collins to be full within 10 days — conditions not seen for at least seven years. “There’s a whole generation of boaters that haven’t seen Carter Lake this full and definitely not this full this long,” said Dan Rieves, visitor services manager for the Larimer County Department of Natural Resources…
Most of the water is from the Western Slope and carried to Larimer County through a system of pipes, tunnels and the Big Thompson River. This year, though, heavy snowpack and rain have lessened the amount of water pulled from the Western Slope because more runoff is available, said Dana Strongin, spokeswoman for Northern Water, the water conservancy district based in Berthoud…
Horsetooth is not as full as Carter, but it was reported at 93 percent full Wednesday. The reservoir rose 10 feet in 30 days and should be full within another 10, officials said.
Conservation: Douglas County Water and the CWCB team up to install water efficient sprinklers
July 13, 2011
From 9News.com (Lori Obert):
Nearly 700 homeowners in Douglas County signed up for a free sprinkler upgrade. They are water-efficient sprinkler heads that distribute less water over a longer period of time. That means less runoff which is a waste. And the roots get what they need.
Nine college students were hired to supervise crews of 36 high school students who were trained to do the retrofits as summer jobs…
A grant from the Colorado Water Conservation board paid for the sprinkler upgrades. Douglas County Water says the rotary nozzles are 30 percent more efficient than the old sprinkler heads. The hope is for this program to spread to other communities in Colorado.
More conservation coverage here.
Here’s the release from Governor Hickenlooper’s office (Eric Brown):
Gov. John Hickenlooper sent letters this week to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting disaster assistance for eight additional counties.
One letter sought drought assistance for Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Rio Grande and Saguache counties.
“Drought impacts are resulting in the loss of native grass, mixed forage, cool season grasses and alfalfa throughout the San Luis Valley in south-central Colorado,” the governor’s letter said. “Losses are greatest to cool season grasses reaching 75 percent. The availability of surface water has resulted in many producers having to abandon alfalfa irrigation completely.”
A second letter sought disaster assistance for three Western Slope counties.
“Freezing temperatures struck the fruit growing areas in Delta, Mesa and Montrose counties beginning the last week of April and continuing through the first week in May 2011,” the governor’s letter said. “As a result, producers of apples and stone fruits in the counties suffered production losses as high as 95 percent.”
The declarations, if approved, would allow farmers and ranchers to apply for emergency loans if they are unable to obtain credit elsewhere.
Here’s the link to the U.S. Drought Monitor for Colorado in case you’d like greater detail for what’s happening here.
Aspinall Unit update: Flows in the Gunnison River through the Black Canyon should be around 2,950 cfs by Thursday
July 13, 2011
From email from Reclamation (Erik Knight):
Our pattern of good fortune continues. Late season snowmelt in combination with the early season monsoon rains has kept inflows from receding as previously (and continuously predicted). Blue Mesa Reservoir continues to rise at 0.5 feet per day and is now at an elevation of 7518.35 feet. While inflows are expected to recede in the next few days as the monsoon rains take a brief hiatus, the current rate of fill would have Blue Mesa Reservoir spilling within 3 days. Therefore in keeping with the theme of always receiving more inflow than expected, releases from Crystal Dam will be increased by a total of 400 cfs over the next 2 days. This increase will be done in 200 cfs increments, one on Wednesday, July 13th in the early evening, and one early Thursday morning, July 14th. This should preserve the safety of any potential visitors to the canyon and provide all aquatic creatures with sufficient time to become reacquainted with these higher flows. Flows in the Gunnison River through the Black Canyon are expected to increase from 2550 cfs to around 2950 cfs by Thursday, July 14th.
More Aspinall Unit coverage here.
Colorado WaterWise workshop: Assessing the Energy and Greenhouse Gas Implications of Water Management Decisions
July 13, 2011
Here’s the announcement from the Colorado Water Wise website:
Water management decisions can have significant energy impacts. Multiple factors will influence the energy intensity of the water sector in the future. Climate change will affect water supply, quality, and demand for water, potentially creating a need for new water supply options. Population growth, changing water use patterns, new technologies, and pricing policies will all affect water demand. Stricter water quality requirements and emerging contaminants may require more energy-intensive treatment technologies. Yet, rising energy prices and concerns about greenhouse gas emissions are forcing water agencies to seek new ways to better manage their system’s energy use, such as integrat-ing water reuse. The Pacific Institute, with funding from the WateReuse Research Foundation, the California Energy Commission, and the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, are developing an easy to use analytical tool that can be applied by water agencies, municipalities, and decision-makers to evaluate the energy and greenhouse gas implications of water management decisions. This model will be demonstrated at the workshop. Input will be solicited from workshop participants before the tool is finalized. The Alliance for Water Efficiency is also a partner in this project.
Colorado-Big Thompson Project update: 3,300 cfs in the Blue River below Green Mountain Reservoir
July 13, 2011
From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):
Currently, we are releasing about 3300 cfs from the dam to the Lower Blue. The reservoir is about half an inch from completely full.
From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):
Just a quick note to say that both Horsetooth and Carter Lake reservoirs are pretty darn full…this is the highest the water elevation has been at Horsetooth since 2004. Currently, it’s at a water level elevation of 5421–and still rising!
From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):
As you’ve probably noticed, releases from Olympus Dam to the Big Thompson Canyon have not changed much over the last week. We wound up dropping just less than 100 cfs since my last note.. We are currently releasing about 730 cfs. The forecasted rain storms in the mountains could bring some changes. If we see a rain run-off inflow peak into Lake Estes that is substantial, we could increase releases from Olympus Dam. However, right now we are planning to keep the 730 cfs release in place.
More Colorado-Big Thompson Project coverage here.
From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):
[Monday] and [Tuesday] saw some reductions from the release out of Ruedi Dam. We should be releasing closer to around 800 cfs, now.
Also, just a quick reminder that we will be at the Basalt Town Hall tomorrow evening for our annual Ruedi operations public meeting. We’ll give an overview of run-off this year and the Fish and Wildlife Service will provide a forecast for what they are expecting to call from the reservoir during late summer and early fall.
More Fryingpan-Arkansas Project coverage here.
Precipitation news: The Denver Metro area gets another dousing from the North American Monsoon
July 13, 2011
Click on the thumbnail graphic to the right for a screenshot of the 1-Day rain totals from the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District.
Here’s a report from TheDenverChannel.com (Wayne Harrison). From the article:
The monsoon moisture moved from the southwest to northeast across the metro area, pounding the downtown area starting just after 9 p.m.
From The Denver Post (Joey Bunch):
Areas north and southeast of the metro area had tornado and flood warnings through the evening, accompanied by 4 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service. Northwestern Elbert County saw its “most severe flooding in at least a decade,” the National Weather Service said, relaying information from a trained weather spotter who reported more than 5 inches of rain southwest of Agate.
Here’s a screenshot of the 24 hour map from the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network. Here’s the link to the ThorntonWeather.com weblog with reports and current weather for Thornton and Denver Metro. Here’s the link to the National Weather Service website. Enter your zip code for current information and the forecast for your area.
From KDVR.com:
“The storms should not be as widespread (as Tuesday),” says meteorologist Jennifer Broome. “Even an inch of rain could cause some street flooding since the ground is saturated.”
“The Mountains can expect drier conditions today with only a slight chance for afternoon t-storms,” says meteorologist Chris Tomer. “Our weather pattern continues to dry out through Saturday. The Monsoon eases.”
Fromthe Montrose Daily Press (Katharhynn Heidelberg):
Montrose can blame its recent soaking on the early arrival of “monsoonal” sub-tropical moisture, the National Weather Service says. Measurements at Montrose Regional Airport show the area approached the 1-inch mark in precipitation for the period from July 5-10, with 0.91 inches overall, said Jim Pringle, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Grand Junction office…
The moisture is flowing up from Mexico, Central America and the eastern Pacific, and though it could clear out later in the week, it’s expected to again slide westward in the middle of next week.
From the Summit Daily News:
As of Monday, Denver Water was releasing 1,890 cubic feet per second of water from the Dillon Reservoir to prevent overflow, according to Bob Steger, manager of raw water supply for Denver Water. The release is planned to stay at that rate for the time being. Steger said the inflow into the reservoir has been dropping slowly, but is still high. The July 8, 9 and 10 inflows were 2,516, 2,416 and 2,357 cfs respectively, which is 1.39 feet below spillway. If the inflow stays the same, Steger said the reservoir will begin spilling in roughly five days…
This morning’s [July 12] reservoir elevation was 9015.82 feet, which is 1.18 feet below the spillway lip and 0.21 feet higher than yesterday morning. Yesterday’s inflow was 2224 cfs, down from 2357 cfs on Sunday. Yesterday’s outflow was about 1890 cfs.
From The Greeley Tribune (Eric Brown):
A lack of rain and snow in the fall and extending through the spring left agriculture producers sweating it out for the first seven months after they had planted their winter wheat. But because the rain eventually came in May, “just in the nick of time,” local farmers are now rejoicing over the average crop that’s expected to be harvested starting this week. “Compared to what we were looking at, the crop we have now is really amazing,” Keith DeVoe, general manager at the Roggen Farmers Elevator, said. “It’s kind of a miracle.”
From Real Vail (David O. Williams):
Leslie Robinson, a Rifle resident and member of the Grand Valley Citizen Alliance, says she is concerned the fines are far too low and don’t meaningfully punish oil and gas operators for polluting local waters. Specifically, she is dismayed at COGCC agreements reached on June 23 with Berry Petroleum ($173,000) and Marathon Oil ($143,350) for hydraulic fracturing fluid and other drilling fluid spills into Garden Gulch on the Roan Plateau beginning in 2007. “Marathon paid a fine of only about a dime per gallon for draining over 1 million gallons of chemically contaminated drilling and fracking flow-back waste into local creeks and the Colorado River near Parachute,” said Robinson, a former journalist who first covered the Garden Gulch cases in early 2008. “The COGCC didn’t inflict any pain — except for a couple of days of bad PR. Really, what’s a hundred thousand dollars or two to this behemoth industry? That’s the cost of a Christmas party.”
We love a good reservoir spilling photo here at Coyote Gulch. Here’s a picture of Long Draw Reservoir spilling in 2010. Click on the thumbnail graphic to the right for a larger view.
From the Aspen Daily News (Curtis Wackerle):
Total capital costs on the plant, from the original construction through today, including the Deane buyout, equal $1.33 million, according to the city. Combined with operating costs of $182,500 since 1994, that brings total Maroon Creek plant expenses to $1.51 million…
Since the new turbine was installed and the necessary repairs completed, Maroon Creek hydro has supplied an average of 2.7 percent of the city electric utility’s power. Numerous factors, including natural streamflow and maintenance issues, determine how much power the plant can generate on an annual basis, but the number has reached as high as 2.27 million kwh in 2007 and as low as 1.1 million kwh in 2010…
The city transfers the electricity to the Holy Cross Energy grid, and is given a credit for the power on its monthly bill from the Nebraska utility — the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN). Over the life of the plant, the price the city has paid for MEAN power averages out at 3.8 cents per kwh, which brings the value of the Maroon Creek energy transfer at $990,000 since 1994. The price of MEAN power — and thus the city’s reimbursement rate for its hydropower — continues to rise and currently averages about 5.5 cents per kwh, Overeynder said. The city also saves money from the power it generates by not being charged “wheeling” and “facilities” fees. Wheeling refers to the cost of transferring MEAN power from Nebraska, and the Maroon Creek plant has saved $107,136 in those fees over the 16 years since good records have been kept…
When the plant was originally proposed, environmental concerns about streamflow were raised, just as they have been with the current Castle Creek plan. The city ended up amending its original proposal for the Maroon Creek plant, which would have left a minimum of 8 cfs in the creek, upping the minimum streamflow to 14 cfs.
More hydroelectric coverage here
and here.
From the Carbon Valley Farmer & Miner (Emily Dougherty):
A draft of the new conservation plan is available for public comment at City Hall and on the city’s website, www.ci.dacono.co.us. The idea of the plan is to conserve as much water as possible today and set up a system for smart water use in the future. While Dacono’s population is 4,200 people, the plan predicts the city to grow significantly, with a final build out of 56,000 people…
The plan details Dacono’s water system, past and future water use, planned capital improvement projects and the water conservation planning process used in accordance with Colorado Water Conservation Board’s Water Conservation Plan guidelines and policies. According to Clear Water Solution’s research, in 2010, Dacono water customers used approximately 158 million gallons, or 483 acre-feet of water. By 2021, which is the end of the planning horizon for the conservation plan, it is projected that Dacono will need to provide approximately 209 million gallons of water…
To compliment these efforts, the plan includes a list of conservation measures and programs, such as water-efficient fixtures and appliances, including toilets and clothes washers, low-water use landscapes, drought resistant vegetation, water-efficient industrial and commercial water use processes, water reuse systems, and incentives to implement conservation techniques, including rebates to customers. Residents are encouraged to review the water conservation plan, online or at City Hall…
Comments should be sent to the city of Dacono, 512 Cherry St., attention: Kelly Stroh, finance manager. The document is open for public comment through Aug. 14.
More conservation coverage here.
North American Monsoon news: All of Colorado is under a flash flood watch or setting up for minor flooding
July 12, 2011
Click on the thumbnail graphic to the right for a screenshot of the Colorado Flood Threat Bulletin this morning at around 5:30 a.m. from the Colorado Water Conservation Board Flood DSS. Here’s a report from The Durango Herald (Dale Rodebaugh). From the article:
The current flash-flood watch, which covers all of western Colorado and eastern Utah, says 1 to 2 inches of rain per hour can be expected. The annual monsoon season, the regular late-day showers that douse the area, began with precipitation during the Fourth of July weekend…
“Six inches of fast-moving water can knock most adults off their feet,” Pringle said. “One foot of water can float 1,500 pounds, which means that 2 feet of water can lift most vehicles – big trucks excluded.” The vast majority of people who have died in flash foods across the country in recent years have been in a vehicle, [Jim Pringle a National Weather Service forecaster] said.
Fountain Creek: Crews are installing a sediment collector in the creek just upstream of the confluence with the Arkansas River
July 12, 2011
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
The collector, which is sort of like a giant vacuum cleaner, was to be installed Monday, but one of two track hoes being used to move the collector into place broke down. Work should be completed today. A crowd of people, mostly city employees or contractors on the $835,000 project, came and went throughout the day. It was like watching kids with big toys playing in a sandbox as the equipment scooped out a hole to fit specifications for the collector.
The sediment collector is a 30-foot-long, 24,000-pound piece of machinery that has a variable speed motor capable of pumping up to 480 gallons of slurry per minute. It will be installed near the out-of-service railroad bridge just upstream from the Arkansas River confluence. The variable speed motor inside the collector will operate at speeds in sync with information provided over a satellite relay from the Fountain Creek stream gauge at the north end of Pueblo. The machine connects to two pipelines, one which suctions out the muddy sediment and another which injects water so that sand doesn’t plug up the machine. The high-capacity design represents a substantial boost in capability from other units made by [Streamside Systems]…
The project is needed to restore the capacity of Pueblo’s levee system, which was constructed in the 1980s to prevent the sort of costly flooding seen in the 1965 flood, said Dennis Maroney, a stormwater consultant…
In the event of a major flood, the unit would not be lost — Fountain Creek has swallowed railroad cars and bridges in the past. The collector will be anchored to the banks by cables that are designed to keep it from washing out, being swept away or being covered in mud, Tucker said…
In the event of a major flood, the unit would not be lost — Fountain Creek has swallowed railroad cars and bridges in the past. The collector will be anchored to the banks by cables that are designed to keep it from washing out, being swept away or being covered in mud, Tucker said…
The collector should be up and running within a couple of weeks.
Runoff news: Denver Water releases from Dillon Reservoir to push the Blue River over its banks in Silverthorne
July 11, 2011
From the Summit Daily News (Caddie Nath):
In the wake of a week of thunderstorms, Denver Water is preparing to release enough water from Dillon Reservoir downstream today to overflow the banks of the Blue River in Silverthorne.
“With all the rain we’ve been having it’s causing some extra problems,” assistant county manager Thad Noll said. “It also causes snow to melt faster. That’s the double whammy of rain.”
Denver Water has kept reservoir levels low all season, anticipating high runoff levels after record snowfall last winter, but heavy rain this week has increased inflows to the lake, raising water levels and leaving Denver Water and Silverthorne with a tough choice: release slightly more water than the Blue River can handle now and buy some time keeping the reservoir levels as low as possible, or keep controlling the outflow from the lake and be faced with a lot more water coming downstream when the reservoir finally fills.
The Blue River, downstream from the dam, can officially handle about 1,800 cubic feet of water per second (cfs). But current inflows to the reservoir are exceeding 2,400 cfs and once the reservoir fills completely, that is exactly how much water will have to be released downstream.
From Steamboat Today (Matt Stensland):
The Elk River just west of Steamboat peaked for the season at 5 a.m. June 7, when it reached a gauge height of 8.14 feet at the Routt County Road 42 bridge. The water was moving at 8,250 cubic feet per second, breaking the all-time record 6,970 cfs set June 8, 2010. It was a 100-year flooding event.
From the Aurora Sentinel (Sara Castellanos):
“Aurora’s water supply is in excellent shape this year,” said Greg Baker, spokesman for Aurora Water. “The heavy snows have helped us quite a bit, and we’ll have sufficient water supply throughout 2011.”
Baker says he doesn’t anticipate any changes in water restrictions this year. Aurora’s water supply across its 12 reservoirs is about 88 percent of capacity this summer, compared with 95 percent during summer 2010. Homestake Reservoir, at more than 10,000 feet, is still generating water run-off from the snowpack levels. The Prairie Waters Project will also be online all year, Baker said.
“We’re running that all year long to test it for warranty purposes,” he said. “We’re going to run it this year as though it were a drought scenario so we can test all the components and make sure we get our money’s worth.”
More infrastructure coverage here.
