New Colorado Geological Survey study identifies geology as culprit for poor water quality in some headwaters streams
November 21, 2011
From the Summit County Citizens Voice (Bob Berwyn):
Frequently, acid rock drainage from natural sources and mine sites combine to cause severe downstream water quality problems. In these situations it is important to distinguish the natural, or background, water quality so that realistic clean- up goals for water quality can be set.
Peru Creek and the Snake River are a perfect example of this combination. The abandoned Pennsylvania Mine is thought to contribute a significant amount of acid mine drainage to water that is already tainted. As a result, the water downstream is toxic to trout and other aquatic organisms. Various agencies and groups have been wrestling with cleanup scenarios for decades.
The research explains that rocks in parts of Colorado’s mineral belt were altered by intensely hot water circulating in the earth’s crust, often associated with volcanic activity during Colorado’s geologic past.
These hydrothermal alteration changed the composition of the rocks by dissolving some minerals and depositing others.In the affected areas, the process deposited metal-sulfide minerals, commonly pyrite (fool’s gold), in the rocks. When these rocks are exposed at the surface, they interact with oxygen and the iron sulfide “rusts” to form iron oxide minerals, creating striking yellow, orange, and red colors — similar to the oxidation of metal in an old rusty car.
Acid rock drainage occurs when the sulfur that is displaced by the oxygen combines with water to form weak sulfuric acid. The acidic water then dissolves minerals from the bedrock, often adding significant amounts of dissolved metals to these headwater streams. Natural acid rock drainage has been active in Colorado for thousands, possibly millions of years.
More water pollution coverage here.
Lower Dolores Boating Advocates will hold a public discussion of boating issues and possible changes below McPhee on November 30
November 21, 2011
From the Cortez Journal:
Everyone who rafts, kayaks and canoes on the lower Dolores River is invited to a presentation by Nathan Fey from American Whitewater at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, at the Dolores River Brewery, 100 S. Fourth St. Fey will lead a discussion about the ongoing negotiations with water managers about releases from McPhee dam. All whitewater boating enthusiasts are encouraged to attend to learn more about possible changes for the Dolores River. The event is sponsored by the Lower Dolores Boating Advocates. For more information, contact Jay Loschert at 799-1475.
More whitewater coverage here.
From The Crested Butte News (Alissa Johnson):
In spite of early concerns that funding for cloud seeding might dry up, Gunnison County entered into an operational agreement with North American Weather Consultants for the 2011-2012 winter season on November 15. With the total bill projected at $95,000, a 3.26 percent increase over last year, the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District came through with a $26,500 contribution. The county will contribute $10,000 and Mt. Crested Butte budgeted $3,000. The Colorado Water Conservation Board will cover $47,500 in matching funds, and the remaining moneys will be collected from a variety of local contributors.
IPCC — Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX)
November 20, 2011
Here’s summary from the IPCC. Here’s a list of the specific findings from the fact sheet for the report:
Specific findings of the report
Two metrics are used to communicate the degree of certainty in key findings: qualitative confidence in the validity of a finding based on evaluation of the underlying scientific evidence and agreement; and quantified measures of uncertainty expressed as probabilities. Terms such as “robust evidence,” “medium confidence,” “likely,” or “very likely” have specific meanings that are discussed in the final section of this document.
Changing extreme events
—Observations since 1950 show changes in some extreme events, particularly daily temperature extremes, and heat waves.
—It is likely that the frequency of heavy precipitation will increase in the 21st century over many regions.
—It is virtually certain that increases in the frequency of warm daily temperature extremes and decreases in cold extremes will occur throughout the 21st century on a global scale. It is very likely—90 per cent to 100 per cent probability—that heat waves will increase in length, frequency, and/or intensity over most land areas.
—It is likely that the average maximum wind speed of tropical cyclones (also known as typhoons or hurricanes) will increase throughout the coming century, although possibly not in every ocean basin. However it is also likely—in other words there is a 66 per cent to 100 per cent probability—that overall there will be either a decrease or essentially no change in the number of tropical cyclones.
—There is evidence, providing a basis for medium confidence, that droughts will intensify over the coming century in southern Europe and the Mediterranean region, central Europe, central North America, Central America and Mexico, northeast Brazil, and southern Africa. Confidence is limited because of definitional issues regarding how to classify and measure a drought, a lack of observational data, and the inability of models to include all the factors that influence droughts.
—It is very likely that average sea level rise will contribute to upward trends in extreme sea levels in extreme coastal high water levels.
—Projected precipitation and temperature changes imply changes in floods, although overall there is low confidence at the global scale regarding climate-driven changes in magnitude or frequency of river- related flooding, due to limited evidence and because the causes of regional changes are complex.
Trends in disaster losses
—Economic losses from weather- and climate-related disasters vary from year to year and place to place, but overall have increased (high confidence).
—Total economic losses from natural disasters are higher in developed countries (high confidence).
—Economic losses expressed as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) are higher in developing countries (high confidence).
—Deaths from natural disasters occur much more in developing countries (high confidence). From 1970 to 2008 for example, more than 95% of deaths from natural disasters were in developing countries.
—Economic losses from weather- and climate-related disasters have been heavily influenced by increasing exposure of people and economic assets (high confidence).
Managing the risk
—An iterative process involving monitoring, research, evaluation, learning, and innovation can reduce disaster risk in the context of climate extremes (robust evidence, high agreement).
—Many measures for managing current and future risks have additional benefits, such as improving peoples’ livelihoods, conserving biodiversity, and improving human well-being (medium evidence, high agreement).
—Many measures, when implemented effectively, make sense under a range of future climates (medium evidence, high agreement). These “low regrets” measures include systems that warn people of impending disasters; changes in land use planning; sustainable land management; ecosystem management; improvements in health surveillance, water supplies, and drainage systems; development and enforcement of building codes; and better education and awareness.
—Effective risk management generally involves a portfolio of actions, from improving infrastructure to building individual and institutional capacity, in order to reduce risk and respond to disasters (high confidence).
—Post-disaster recovery and reconstruction provide an opportunity for reducing the risks posed by future weather- and climate-related disasters (robust evidence, high agreement). However, short-term measures to protect people from immediate risks can increase future risks, such as improvements in levees encouraging further development in flood plains (medium evidence, high agreement).
—Risk management works best when tailored to local circumstances. Combining local knowledge with additional scientific and technical expertise helps communities reduce their risk and adapt to climate change (robust evidence, high agreement).
—Actions ranging from incremental improvements in governance and technology to more transformational changes are essential for reducing risk from climate extremes (robust evidence, high agreement).
More climate change coverage here and here.
Illinois utility SCADA system cracked, pump shut down by intruders
November 20, 2011
From Reuters via FoxNews.com:
The Nov. 8 incident was described in a one-page report from the Illinois Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center, according to Joe Weiss, a prominent expert on protecting infrastructure from cyber attacks. State police investigators believe the hackers broke into the water utility’s network by using credentials stolen from an undisclosed U.S. company that produces software to control industrial systems, said Weiss, who read excerpts from the report to Reuters over the phone. “An information technology services and computer repair company checked the computer logs of the system and determined the computer had been hacked into from a computer located in Russia,” Weiss said, quoting the report.
Here’s an in-depth look at hydraulic fracturing from Mark Jaffe writing for The Denver Post. Click through and read the whole thing. Here’s and excerpt:
It took Anadarko’s contractor, Superior Well Services, about a week to haul in the water, sand, chemicals and equipment for the frack, which would take just one day. As it began, Jon Anderson, a senior completions technologist, sat before 10 computer screens in a trailer on the site. The readouts showed details on things such as slurry rates, downhole pressure and wellhead pressure, and chemical mixing. The first test was to pump in plain water at a pressure higher than would be used in the frack to check the well’s integrity…
Environmental and community groups raised concerns about its safety, the toxicity of ingredients in fracking fluid and its impact on air and water. That has led to a push for better data, disclosure and controls on fracking by state and federal agencies, including:
• An Environmental Protection Agency study looking at the impact of fracking on drinking water resources, from the acquisition of the water to the disposal of frack fluids.
A preliminary report is slated for next year and a final report in 2014.• An EPA-proposed rule, expected to be adopted next year, limiting air pollution from oil and gas operations, including fracking.
• A Department of Interior-proposed rule for regulating fracking on public lands.
• A Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission proposal requiring drillers to file the ingredients of their frack fluids in a database with public access. A public hearing on the rule is scheduled for Dec. 5.
• A joint industry-state program in Colorado to test residential water wells before and after fracking. Companies responsible for 90 percent of the wells drilled this year are participating.
More hydraulic fracturing coverage from Anthony A. Mestas writing for The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:
Grass roots and environmental groups in the Spanish Peaks area contend fracking — technically, hydraulic fracturing — leads to contaminated water and, possibly, earthquakes. State and federal regulators along with energy companies dismiss the claims. Fracking poses no threat to ground water and does not cause earthquakes, they say…
In the Raton Basin, which stretches from Southern Colorado to Northern New Mexico, fracking occurs in coal beds to release the natural gas coal-bed methane. Water, nitrogen, sand and several additives are pumped under pressure into the coal beds to create fractures used to free the gas…
The average depth of the wells is 1,300 feet, or less than a quarter mile, a much shallower depth than shale gas wells that can extend more than 1 mile below the surface. At that depth, the wells — and fracking zones — also operate far below the depth of most of the area’s water wells, which generally are less than 200 feet down…
To guard against contamination of the region’s water, companies such as Pioneer follow a number of safety steps, as directed by the Environmental Protection Agency and state energy regulators. Among them:
- The drill casing at the surface is surrounded by cement to prevent leaks or spills. Tests are run to confirm that the cement is solid and adequately surrounds the casing.
Water wells in the drill area are tested before and after the drilling operation.
- The “flow back” water from the well is directed to a tank or lined pit for at least 30 to 60 days and then returned to the ground in deep injection wells that extend down 4,000 to 7,000 feet.
- The chemical additives used in the fracking mix are minimal and considered safe.Additives make up less than 1 percent of Pioneer’s fracking mix. The chemicals are the same found in products such as ice cream, salad dressing, household cleaners and dish washing soap, the firm says. The bulk of the mix is water (55 percent), nitrogen (35 percent) and sand (9.9 percent.)
The Environmental Protection Energy released this report, PAVILLION AREA GROUNDWATER INVESTIGATION Pavillion, Fremont County, Wyoming on August 30, 2011. It shows contamination of groundwater in the area from hydraulic fracturing. Here’s the introduction:
This Analytical Results Report (ARR) for the Expanded Site Inspection (ESI) at the Pavillion Area Groundwater (GW) Investigation site (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System [CERCLIS] ID# WYN000802735) in Fremont County, Wyoming, has been prepared to satisfy the requirements of Technical Direction Document (TDD) No. 0901-01 issued to URS Operating Services, Inc. (UOS) under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team 3 (START 3) Contract No. EP-W-05-050. This report has been prepared in accordance with the EPA “Guidance for Performing Site Inspections under CERCLA,” Interim Final, September 1992, and the “Region 8 Supplement to Guidance for Performing Site Inspections under CERCLA” (EPA 1992; EPA 1993). Field activities were conducted from January 18 to January 22, 2010, in Pavillion, Wyoming. Field activities followed the Site Inspection (SI) format during the ESI, applicable UOS Technical Standard Operating Procedures (TSOPs), and the Generic Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) (UOS 2005b; UOS 2005a). This ARR is intended to be used in conjunction with the Field Sampling Plan (FSP) (UOS 2010).
Contamination from chemicals of concern in the Pavillion area was originally alleged by local residents when visual and odor parameters for several domestic wells changed. Visual changes included yellow color, increased turbidity, oil sheen, and inclusion of small gas bubbles. A hydrocarbon odor was also reported. Prior screening, sampling, and analyses conducted previous to EPA’s investigation indicated chemicals of concern in domestic wells with unknown risks to health and unknown sources. A previous SI performed by EPA narrowed the area of concern to an area in and around 11 wells that possessed detections of methane; volatile petroleum hydrocarbons (VPH), tentatively identified semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs); nitrate; arsenic; phthalates; and caprolactam. These wells are located in Sections 2, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 21, and 27 of T. 3N., R. 2 E. and Section 7 of T. 3 N., R. 3 E. See Section 3.3.2 for a summary of previous work.
Meanwhile, Pitkin County is petitioning the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission for full disclosure of the materials used for hydraulic fracturing. Here’s a report from Andrew Travers writing for the Aspen Daily News. From the article:
The commissioners, in a letter drafted this week to the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission, are calling for that body to adopt stricter disclosure guidelines than what is currently being considered. “We obviously have fracking activities ready to occur in our county,” County Commission Chair Rachel Richards said Tuesday.
The gas commission is considering adopting a rule that would require companies to disclose the chemical contents of fracking fluid, but allow them to withhold contents they deemed “trade secrets.”
“There are some large loopholes in that rule-making approach,” Richards said, concerned companies could abuse the “trade secret” exemption.
The county leaders bristled at the notion that gas companies could shield their chemical formulas. They stressed potential threats to public health in their letter and discussions of the issue this week. “Unless you are pumping Coca-Cola into the ground, we want to know what is in this thing,” said County Commissioner Michael Owsley.
Two Fountain Creek meetings coming up, dam study progress — November 30, flood control and water rights — December 7
November 20, 2011
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
Progress on a study of dams on Fountain Creek will be presented at 10 a.m. Nov. 30 at the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, 15 S. Seventh St., in Colorado Springs. The study is funded in part by $300,000 from the city of Colorado Springs as a condition of its 1041 land use permit from Pueblo County for the Southern Delivery System. It is sponsored by the Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District. The U.S. Geological Survey will look at the hydrological impact of dams at various points along Fountain Creek to measure the impact they would have on flows at various levels…
A second forum is scheduled at 1 p.m. Dec. 7 at Fountain City Hall. It will look at how water rights could be affected by flood control projects on Fountain Creek. The Fountain Creek district’s citizen advisory group and technical advisory committee will attend. Panelists include Kevin Rein, deputy state engineer; Mark Shea, attorney for Colorado Springs Utilities; Carol Baker, Fountain Creek specialist for Colorado Springs Utilities; Larry Small, executive director of the Fountain Creek district; Dan Henrichs, superintendent of the High Line Canal; Alan Hamel, executive director of the Pueblo Board of Water Works and a member of the Colorado Water Conservation Board; and Gary Barber, who has worked with Fountain Creek communities on water issues and served at the Fountain Creek district’s first executive director.
The panel will be moderated by Chris Woodka, an editor who reports on water issues for The Pueblo Chieftain.
Say hello to ImagesAtChieftain.com
November 20, 2011
Say hello to the Chieftain’s online photo gallery. I’ve spent far too much time this morning clicking around. They’re using blogging software so they publish an RSS feed for their posts.
They have a great image of Pikes Peak from the Arkansas River valley that I’m hoping to buy.
New USFS ski area permit requirements are designed to keep water rights with the land at ski areas
November 19, 2011
From the Summit County Citizens Voice (Bob Berwyn):
At issue is a water-rights clause in the standard ski area permit that specifies who owns the water flowing down from public national forest system lands both within and outside ski area boundaries. The current language has been in place since 2004 and the ski industry says it’s been working well. Under the 2004 clause, ski areas exercise almost absolute control over all water rights associated with ski area operations — to the point that a resort could potentially sell at least some of the water rights, potentially leaving a future ski area permittee high and dry…
The agency is seeking to sustain resorts operating under permit for the long-term by ensuring that the water rights stay with the ski area even if there is a change in ownership or some other unforeseen circumstance, according to Jim Bedwell, director of the agency’s recreation and heritage resources programs. Bedwell said the agency recognizes that the value of ski areas is tied at least in part to the associated water rights. “If there’s a change of ownership, the buyers will know they have continued ownership of the water rights, They can’t be parted out,” he said.
More water law coverage here.
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
The amount of water required per oil well can vary from 1 million to 8 million gallons, depending on where the well is. That’s a one-time use over the life of the well. In a vertical well, fracking may occur only once. In a horizontal well, it can be done up to 40 times. “The most we’ve seen in Colorado is a dozen,” Kerr said.
Of more concern are the chemicals used in fracking, which can affect water quality. About half of the drillers voluntarily provide the state with information about which chemicals are being used. Next month, the commission will have rule-making hearings that include a requirement to divulge the chemicals used.
The state already requires concrete casing of oil wells to a depth of 50 feet below the deepest aquifer. The Niobrara is 8,000 feet under the Denver Basin. Water wells in the area are 500 to 2,000 feet deep. State rules also require isolating the fracking zones to prevent migration of chemicals into water supplies.
State Rep. Marsha Looper, R-Calhan, plans to introduce legislation that would require a more complete state accounting of the water needs of oil and gas drilling in the state.
More 2012 Colorado legislation coverage here.
New Colorado Geological Survey study identifies geology as culprit for poor water quality in some headwaters streams
November 19, 2011
From the Associated Press (Catharine Tsai) via The Denver Post:
In southern Colorado, the headwater areas included the Silverton and Lake City areas, the Platoro-Summitville area, the East Trout area in Mineral County, the Kite Lake area in Hinsdale County, and the Rico and La Plata mountains. They also included the Ruby Range area encompassing Mount Emmons by Crested Butte, the Grizzly Peak area south of Aspen and Leadville, the Red Amphitheatre area near the Climax mine, Twelvemile Creek and the Montezuma stock area. The Rabbit Ears and Never Summer range areas in northern Colorado also were included.
More coverage from Chris Woodka writing for The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:
Researchers found rocks in these areas were altered by intensely hot water during the volcanic activity during Colorado’s geologic past. Some minerals were dissolved, while metal-sulfide minerals like pyrite (fool’s gold) were deposited. When the rocks were exposed at the surface, they interacted with oxygen to form iron oxide minerals, like a rusted car. The striking yellow, orange and red colors that can inspire awe also contribute to acid rock drainage, and the process has continued for millions of years.
By determining the natural processes, the state hopes to be able to determine background water quality to differentiate between natural effects and man-caused disturbances such as mining, said Matt Sares. “This study does not determine a cause for acid drainage in every case,” Sares said. “It identifies areas where you might not want to put in a mine or develop a domestic water supply.”[...]
“While there is increased potential, the study did not always find pollution in areas with these formations,” Sares said.
More coverage from Dale Rodebaugh writing for The Durango Herald. From the article:
Acid rock drainage occurs when sulfur displaced by oxygen combines with water to produce weak sulfuric acid. The acidic water then dissolves minerals from the bedrock and often adds significant amounts of dissolved metals to streams. The geologists who did the research collected 101 water samples in the 11 headwaters areas. The project lasted four years. Funding for the study came from the Colorado Geological Survey through severance taxes derived from the production of gas, oil, coal and metallic metals.
More water pollution coverage here.
Coyote Gulch outage: I’ll see you on Saturday
November 17, 2011
I’m on deadline at Colorado Central Magazine. I’ll see you Saturday morning.
Colorado Springs Utilities will book significant revenue from their supply deal with the Cherokee Metropolitan District
November 17, 2011
From The Colorado Springs Gazette (John Schroyer):
Utilities has been working on a deal with The Cherokee Water District, on the eastern edge of Colorado Springs, under which Utilities will deliver a minimum of 500 acre-feet of water per year. That could net up to $738,000 for the city next year, and as much as $900,000 in 2013. And the deal, as they say, is nearly sealed.
Cherokee relies mainly on groundwater [ed. Upper Black Squirrel designated groundwater basin], but as time goes on that source has been dwindling. In the past, Utilities has provided water to Cherokee on an emergency basis, but last April, the City Council gave Utilities the go-ahead to write up a contract that would grant Cherokee reliable water delivery.
On Wednesday, Utilities Water Services Division General Manager Wayne Vanderschuere presented the contract to the board. Under its terms, Cherokee has to pay Utilities at least $2.4 million next year for a minimum of 500 acre-feet of water service, with a cap of 1,000 acre-feet for $4.4 million. The price, which Vanderschuere said is expensive, is 9.32 cents per cubic foot. That price, however, can be reduced for Cherokee if it finds alternate sources for water, instead of buying directly from Utilities. Cherokee still would have to pay for delivery (i.e. use of Utilities’ piping system), but Utilities could save more water for its residential customers. The city’s share of the $2.4 million minimum is $400,529, and the maximum is $738,833. In 2013, the minimum would drop to $299,186, but the maximum would increase to $907,710.
Board President Scott Hente practically clapped his hands in delight. “It’s a win for all of us,” Hente said happily. “There are all kinds of things we could do with that money. We worked out a great deal.”
CWCB: The goal of a grant approved Wednesday is to, ‘develop a consistent way to measure crop consumptive use,’ for ag water lease-fallowing change cases
November 17, 2011
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
The $279,000 study would develop a consistent way to measure crop consumptive use that can be transferred if the water is sold through lease programs such as the Arkansas Valley Super Ditch. Colorado Springs Utilities, Pueblo Board of Water Works and the Lower Arkansas, Upper Arkansas and Southeastern Colorado water conservancy districts will contribute $157,500 toward the study. They received an additional $121,500 from the Colorado Water Conservation Board, which approved a grant in Berthoud Wednesday. “The purpose of this project is not to transfer water via temporary leases, but make possible the water transfer by constraining costs, protecting other water rights from potential injury, maintaining agricultural economies and preserving the institutionalized and long recognized water court process,” said Todd Doherty of the CWCB staff…
The water groups want to develop a commonly accepted model that would look at how much water historically has been used to grow crops in the major agricultural areas of the Lower Arkansas Valley and how much flows off fields to be returned to the Arkansas River. Traditionally, those determinations have been made on a case-by-case basis in water court…
“The reason our district is involved in looking at these temporary transfers is because they could have deleterious effects on other water rights,” [Terry Scanga of the Upper Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District] told the board. “This would provide a common platform so that transferrable use of water could be preserved. We’re looking at potential impacts, and that could reduce the costs of both objectors and applicants in water court.”
Click through and read the whole article, including the handy glossary of terms dealing with ag water transfers.
More Arkansas River basin coverage here.
Here’s a report about leasing activity in the Lower Arkansas River basin from Anthony A. Mestas writing for The Pueblo Chieftain. Click on the thumbnail graphic to the right for the Chieftains’s rendering of 2010 permitting activity from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Click through and read the whole article. Here’s an excerpt:
The courthouses in Bent, Prowers and Kiowa counties have been inundated the past few months with land firms researching mineral rights and offering leases to landowners for unnamed oil companies, officials in the three Lower Arkansas Valley counties confirmed Wednesday. “There probably are 20 to 25 land men here every single day,” Bent County Clerk and Recorder Patti Nickell said. “They are researching the land so that they can offer leases to the landowners.”
Officials in all three counties said they are unaware of any type of proposed oil drilling operations in the area and do not know which oil companies are behind the research effort…
Nickell said a steady stream of land men began arriving in Bent County in June. “It has increased, increased, increased. These are land people who work for oil companies,” Nickell said…
“We are certainly willing to cooperate with the oil and gas exploration and any permitting that would be necessary in Prowers County. We see that as a resource that would help the county financially as well as employ people and give a stimulus to the local economy,” [Prowers County Commissioner Gene Millbrand] said.
More coverage from Peter Strescino writing for The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:
Vince Matthews, state geologist and executive director of the state Geological Survey, said while Pueblo County sits on the Niobrara Formation, it is too shallow here. A perfect example of this is at Lake Pueblo, where the formation’s layers are totally exposed. “To be productive, it’s got to be about a mile deep,” he said. “In Pueblo, it’s too close to the surface and even eroded away.”
While Pueblo probably will never be considered a production site, Prijatel agreed there will be considerable economic expansion around the Wattenberg Field exploration. “Wherever something happens, that’s where people go,” he said. “Look at North Dakota. There’s a boom, there’s a need for housing, there’s jobs. Even motel workers will be making $20 an hour because of the demand. “People are spending a lot of money.”
From The Durango Herald (Rocío González):
Last month, Tipton, R-Cortez, expressed his concern about a requirement that would make private water holders sign their water rights over to the U.S. government as a condition for permits for uses such as ski areas or grazing. The congressman wrote Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack requesting that the agency stop interfering in such matters.
While questioning Glenn Porzak, a representative for the National Ski Areas Association, Tipton inquired about compensation for those who would have to sign their water rights away. According to Porzak, it would be “zero.”
This new requirement would be tied to a series of changes including special-use permits and a proposed planning rule that the Department of Agriculture – namely, the Forest Service – has been working on for years. However, the USDA already is enforcing the permit requirement despite the fact that it has yet to be officially implemented.
“I think you underscored a very important point during your comments, saying that all water owners should be concerned,” Tipton told Porzak. “In the 3rd Congressional District, throughout the state of Colorado, water is what we absolutely need, particularly for the grazing.”[...]
When witnesses for the federal agency were asked why it needed the water rights, they answered it is a matter of “control.”
New Colorado Geological Survey study identifies geology as culprit for poor water quality in some headwaters streams
November 16, 2011
Here’s the release from the Colorado Geological Survey (Matt Sares):
Is high, pristine mountain water always clean and pure? Can streams unaffected by human activities and livestock influences be unfit for human consumption, or fish? A new study by the Colorado Geological Survey (CGS) has some surprising answers. The study examines specific areas in Colorado that have naturally poor, surface-water quality due to the area’s geology.
The report, titled “Natural Acid Rock Drainage Associated with Hydrothermally Altered Terrane in Colorado,” identifies a number of streams in eleven different headwater areas of Colorado where surface water is acidic and has high concentrations of metals upstream of any significant human impacts.
Rocks in these areas were altered by intensely hot water circulating in the earth’s crust, often associated with volcanic activity during Colorado’s geologic past. The “hydrothermal alteration” of the rocks changed their composition by dissolving some minerals and depositing others. In the affected areas, the hydrothermal-alteration process deposited metal-sulfide minerals, commonly pyrite (fool’s gold), in the rocks.
When these rocks are exposed at the surface, they interact with oxygen and the iron sulfide “rusts” to form iron oxide minerals, creating striking yellow, orange, and red colors – similar to the oxidation of metal in an old rusty car. “Acid rock drainage” occurs when the sulfur that is displaced by the oxygen combines with water to form weak sulfuric acid. The acidic water then dissolves minerals from the bedrock, often adding significant amounts of dissolved metals to these headwater streams. Natural acid rock drainage has been active in Colorado for thousands, possibly millions of years.
More coverage from the Associated Press (Catharine Tsai) via The Columbus Republic. From the article:
The agency launched the study after working with the U.S. Forest Service to identify Environmental problems related to abandoned mines. Former Colorado Geological Survey Deputy Director Matt Sares says that during that work, researchers found that water upstream of mine sites wasn’t always as pristine as researchers thought it would be.
The Colorado Geological Survey’s new study identifies streams in 11 headwater areas where surface water is acidic and has high concentrations of metals even upstream of any significant human impacts.
More water pollution coverage here.
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Matt Hildner):
Much of the valley floor was downgraded from extreme to severe drought conditions following October rain and snow. But that precipitation was not enough to completely alleviate the dry conditions from last fall and winter, the National Weather Service said in a report issued last week…
The agency said precipitation last month was at or below average in much of South-Central and Southeastern Colorado with the exception of higher terrain and the extreme Eastern Plains, which saw above-average precipitation. The [National Weather Service's] station in Alamosa recorded 0.48 inches of moisture — 0.19 inches below the October average.
Click on the thumbnail graphic above and to the right for the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor map.
CWCB: The Two Rivers Water Company is applying for a $1.18 million loan to renovate Orlando Reservoir
November 16, 2011
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
The Two Rivers Water Co. has applied for the loan through the Colorado Water Conservation Board, which will vote on the proposal at a meeting today in Berthoud. The money would be used to repair Orlando Reservoir, located 10 miles northeast of Walsenburg…
Two Rivers purchased the Orlando Reservoir earlier this year, along with additional farmland in Huerfano County. The repairs at Orlando Reservoir are part of a new business model that would allow more efficient use of water resources, according to a CWCB staff memo.
More Arkansas River basin coverage here.
New Report Finds Power Plants Stressing Water Supplies: First Systematic National Look at Power Plant Impacts on Water and Data Quality
November 15, 2011
Here’s the link to the report from Western Resource Advocates and the Union of Concerned Scientists. From the executive summary:
Take the average amount of water flowing over Niagara Falls in a minute. Now triple it. That’s almost how much water power plants in the United States take in for cooling each minute, on average.
In 2005, the nation’s thermoelectric power plants— which boil water to create steam, which in turn drives turbines to produce electricity—withdrew as much wa- ter as farms did, and more than four times as much as all U.S. residents. That means lighting rooms, powering computers and TVs, and running appliances requires more water, on average, than the total amount we use in our homes—washing dishes and clothes, showering, flushing toilets, and watering lawns and gardens.
This tremendous volume of water has to come from somewhere. Across the country, water demand from power plants is combining with pressure from growing populations and other needs and straining water resources—especially during droughts and heat waves.
Here’s the joint release from Western Resource Advocates (Jason Bane) and the Union of Concerned Scientists:
Power plants are stressing freshwater resources around the country, according to a new report by the Energy and Water in a Warming World Initiative, a three-year research collaboration between the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and a team of more than a dozen scientists. The report, “Freshwater Use by U.S. Power Plants: Electricity’s Thirst for a Precious Resource,” is the first systematic assessment of how power-plant cooling affects freshwater resources across the United States and of the quality of the data available on power plant water usage.
“Our research found that power plants can be very important in terms of the pressure put on the freshwater resources we depend on—rivers, streams, lakes, and aquifers—even in unexpected places,” said lead researcher Kristen Averyt, who is deputy director of the Western Water Assessment at the University of Colorado Boulder.
The UCS-organized analysis looked at different aspects of the implications of power plant water use related to the supply and demand of freshwater and to water quality issues, particularly water temperature.
“Some of the watersheds our analysis identified – in places like Texas – should come as no surprise,” said Averyt. “But unlike in arid regions, where many power plants have already minimized their water use, we found indicators of potential problems in seemingly water-rich regions like the Southeast. Here our analysis uncovered some surprises, such as the Seneca River in South Carolina and the Upper Dan in North Carolina.
“It’s important for the public to know that because many power plants depend so heavily on water, there’s a real risk that they’ll have to cut back electricity production at times when they can’t get enough cooling water,” noted Averyt. “Just ask power companies in Texas.” The record-breaking 2011 Texas drought has put so much pressure on the water supply that operators have warned that if it continues into next year, power cuts on the scale of thousands of megawatts are possible.
To gauge water-supply stress, the analysis examined the balance of local water supply and demand in each major watershed or “sub-basin” in the United States, then factored in the amount of water that power plants are using. The analysis then focused on areas where power plant demands were the largest contributor to water body stress based on the methodology.
Because of the need for good information to perform these types of analyses, the study also assessed the U.S. Department of Energy’s reporting system used to track power plant water usage. The analysis looked at what power plants reported as their water usage in 2008 – the most recent data then available.
“Uncovering power plants’ water use was not an easy task because the data reported by plant operators and compiled by the U.S. Energy Information Administration—the most comprehensive set of information on power plant water use and cooling technologies—was full of holes and errors,” said John Rogers, the report’s co-author and senior analyst at UCS. “We had to piece together a lot of information to get a better handle on how much water power plants were really using.
“If we had used the Department of Energy data, we would have gotten a different picture of water stress from what we see in our results,” added Rogers. “Where our analysis found water-supply stress to be driven mainly by power plants, several did not show up when we used the available data from the Energy Department.”
The report also showed that power plants are stressing water bodies by discharging water at temperatures harmful to fish and other wildlife. In 2008, 350 power plants across the country reported discharging water at temperatures of over 90 degrees Fahrenheit and some at temperatures over 110 degrees, according to the report.
“It’s unsafe for people to sit in a Jacuzzi at 105 degrees, let alone live in it,” said Rob Jackson, director of the Center on Global Environmental Change at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University and a member of the report’s scientific advisory committee. “Fish and other species can’t climb out of the hot tub.”
In recent years, a number of power plants have had to cut back power production because they were unable to stay within water temperature discharge limits, according to the report. “If we start saving water today, we’ll avoid blackouts and water shortages tomorrow,” said Jackson.
Without water-smart energy choices, energy-water collisions may worsen as the population and the corresponding demand for energy and freshwater supplies grows, and as the climate changes. Water-smart technologies include wind and solar photovoltaics, which use essentially no water, and produce no carbon emissions, according to the report.
“Every time we build a power plant, we’re making decisions that last for decades,” said Peter Frumhoff, director of science and policy at UCS and head of the scientific advisory committee for the report. “By investing in power plants that are efficient, use low-water cooling and produce little or no carbon emissions, utilities and plant owners can help protect the water resources our kids and grandkids will depend on, and public utility commissions can encourage or require them to do so, especially where research indicates that power plants place water resources at risk.”
The leading national experts on this report and its Scientific Advisory Committee also included scientists from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Vanderbilt University, the University of Texas, Tufts University, and the University of Arizona.
More energy policy coverage here.
USDA: Locally grown food forecast to generate $7 billion in 2012
November 15, 2011
From the Associated Press via The Washington Post:
A new U.S. Department of Agriculture report says sales of “local foods,” whether sold direct to consumers at farmers markets or through intermediaries such as grocers or restaurants, amounted to $4.8 billion in 2008. That’s a number several times greater than earlier estimates, and the department predicts locally grown foods will generate $7 billion in sales this year.
While there’s plenty of evidence local food sales have been growing, it has been hard to say by how much because governments, companies, consumers and food markets disagree on what qualifies as local. The USDA report included sales to intermediaries, such as local grocers and restaurants, as well as directly to consumers through farmers markets, roadside stands and the like.
It found that farm sales to people like Anderson have just about doubled in the past two decades, from about $650 million, adjusted for inflation, in the early 1990s to about $1.2 billion these days. The much bigger, $4.8 billion figure came when sales to local restaurants, retailers and regional food distributors were added in.
Anadarko announces expectations for Niobrara shale play: Results from eleven wells fuel 160 well drilling program for 2012
November 15, 2011
From The Wall Street Journal (Russell Gold):
Echoing industry concerns, Mr. Hackett said he is worried that anti-drilling sentiment could prevent the projected expansion. The energy industry’s use of hydraulic fracturing, in particular, has prompted concerns about pollution; the federal government and several states are studying whether new regulations on water use and air emissions are needed…
Anadarko on Monday said that results from 11 recent wells in the Wattenberg field have given it confidence that it can drill between 1,200 and 2,700 wells in northeast Colorado. It plans to drill about 160 wells next year. Based on its early results, it expects its wells will ultimately yield between 500 million and 1.5 billion barrels of oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas. Finding a billion barrel field is extremely rare. Only a handful of billion barrel fields have ever been found in the U.S…
Recently, companies such as Anadarko and Carrizo Oil & Gas Inc. and Noble Energy Inc. have been applying horizontal wells and hydraulic fracturing in the Wattenberg, breathing new life into the field and leading to a reappraisal of its future oil and gas potential. Anadarko says it expects its production from the region to grow at a compound annual rate of 20% between 2010 and 2012. It produced about 72,400 barrels of oil equivalents there in the last quarter.
The company also said it plans to evaluate whether new technologies can be used to extend the discovery farther north into Wyoming where recent drilling results are more hit-and-miss. Some well results have been quite good, but others have not found enough oil or gas to be considered commercial successes.
Here’s a release from Governor Hickenlooper (Eric Brown/Megan Castle):
Gov. John Hickenlooper released this statement today after Anadarko Petroleum Corp. announced it plans to add more than 1,200 drilling locations in the Wattenberg field in northeastern Colorado:
“Anadarko’s announcement today shows once again that Colorado is a leader in the energy sector of our country’s economy. We are thrilled to see the company plan a significant investment in Colorado. This expected growth will create jobs and make more revenues available to local communities. We look forward to supporting Anadarko, its workforce of 1,000 people already here and the thousands of contractors it hires throughout the state.
“We also continue to work proactively to maintain the highest safety and environmental standards for oil and gas companies in Colorado, while also cutting permit times and making it easier and more predictable to develop natural gas and oil here. Anadarko’s future expansion in Colorado, on top of our effort last week to launch a multi-state initiative aimed at developing natural gas-fueled vehicles, is further evidence that Colorado is at the center of energy development in this country.”
More coverage from Mark Jaffe writing for The Denver Post. From the article:
“This is going to have huge implications for the economy of Colorado,” said Pete Stark, vice president for industry relations at IHS, a Denver-based consulting firm. A reserve that size could generate 150,000 barrels a day and, assuming oil is $80 a barrel, provide more than $4 billion in annual revenues, Stark estimated. The total value of goods and services produced in the state in 2010 was $235.15 billion…
Anadarko’s wells had initial production averages of 800 barrels a day — with the best well producing 1,100 barrels a day. The wells were drilled in the Niobrara formation, which is more than 6,000 feet deep and runs from El Paso County to the Wyoming border…
Anadarko said it also found oil in the neighboring Codell formation…
The Anadarko estimate is just for the 100-square-mile Wattenberg Field, which includes Weld County and small parts of Adams, Broomfield, Boulder and Larimer counties. Anadarko is also doing exploratory drilling in Arapahoe County, and Chesapeake Energy has filed plans to drill in Elbert and Douglas counties. Ultra Petroleum is set to drill exploration wells in El Paso County.
More coverage from David O. Williams writing for the Colorado Independent. From the article:
Groups like Clean Water Action have been actively campaigning ahead of a new boom in the Niobrara formation, which stretches from Denver to Wyoming along the densely populated Front Range of Colorado. An official for the group on Monday called Anadarko’s announcement a “mixed bag” of economic benefit and potential pollution.
CWA’s biggest concern? Hydrayulic fracturing, or fracking, which injects millions of gallons of water mixed with sand and undisclosed chemicals under high pressure into natural gas and oil wells to break up tight geological formations and free up more oil and gas.
“What does fracking bring to communities where wells are drilled?” Clean Water Action asks on its website. “Fracking brings wells 200 feet away from the backyards and parks where our children play. It brings water and air pollution from wells and open chemical pits, wastewater laced with toxins, and soot from hundreds of construction vehicles. Fracking brings new gas and income to the communities, but at what cost?”[...]
There has been a growing debate over local control versus state authority versus federal oversight of the oil and gas industry. Cory Gardner, the Republican congressman who represents Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, including Weld County, has consistently tried to strip away the authority of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since being elected last year. Anadarko has contributed to Gardner’s election campaigns.
More coverage from the Financial Times (Ed Crooks):
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cc4055bc-0f17-11e1-b585-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1dnnG2FXq
Chuck Meloy, the company’s senior vice-president for worldwide operations, said the discovery was “located right in the heart of one of our existing core areas”. Anadarko and its predecessor companies have been operating in that part of Colorado for more than 30 years but until now had used only vertical wells. This year, it began using horizontal wells, which bend and extend laterally away from the rig. Coupled with hydraulic fracturing – pumping water, sand and chemicals into the well at high pressure to crack the source rock – horizontal drilling is enabling production at commercially viable rates from oil and gas reserves that were previously uneconomic…
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cc4055bc-0f17-11e1-b585-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1dnnObQLd
Mr Meloy said Anadarko expected the field “to quickly become a self-funding, significant cash flow generator.” With US crude prices at about $98 per barrel and gas prices at less than $3.50 per million British thermal units – less than a quarter of the price of oil for the same energy content – liquids production is much more commercially attractive.
More coverage from Cathy Proctor writing for The Denver Business Journal. From the article:
“We’re very excited by what we see in the horizontal activity that we’ve had to date,” said John Christiansen, a spokesman for Anadarko (NYSE: APC), in an interview…
“Everything you could possibly want in a play — this has it. It’s great news for us and for Colorado because it’s going to generate a lot of activity and investment for a number of years,” Christiansen said.
Restoration: Park County is awaiting word from Great Outdoors Colorado on $3.57 million grant
November 14, 2011
From The Fairplay Flume (Mike Potter):
Tom Eisenman, director of Park County Planning and Zoning and also Park County Environmental Health, said the county submitted a concept paper in October to GOCO outlining its plans for a project that would target 11 miles of rivers to provide better access, environmental restoration, and improving habitat for wildlife. According to its website, GOCO has allocated $14 million to $18 million in funds for the River Corridors Initiative. GOCO is funded by 50 percent of the proceeds from the Colorado lottery. Eisenman said the county should know within the first two weeks of December if it will be asked to submit a grant proposal…
Eisenman and others worked on a six-page concept paper that was submitted to GOCO on Oct. 14. According to the concept paper, the county proposes “increasing fishing and other recreation activities by restoring natural fish and wildlife habitat and by improving access with an expanded trail system that includes ‘river walks’ and educational opportunities.”
The concept paper calls for work to be done on the South Fork of the South Platte River from Antero Reservoir to one mile upstream, where overgrazing has damaged the riparian areas. Riparian areas are the interfaces between land and a river or stream. It also calls for work to be done on the South Fork of the South Platte River from one half mile below Antero Reservoir and continuing through Hartsel. Work in that stretch would include restoration of riparian and wetland habitat, and the creation of a river walk near Hartsel. Work is also proposed for a stretch of the South Fork of the South Platte upstream from Park County Road 59 and downstream of U.S. 24 below Hartsel. Work would also be completed on the Middle Fork of the South Platte River, upstream from Tomahawk State Wildlife Area to the boundary of the Buffalo Peaks Ranch. Work is also proposed for the South Platte River from Spinney Mountain Reservoir to Eleven Mile Reservoir, also known as the “Dream Stream.” Work on that stretch of the river would focus on restoring riparian conditions and channel stability. A river walk is also planned for the Middle Fork of the South Platte River from the Fairplay Beach downstream to U.S. 285. According to the concept paper, the town of Fairplay is negotiating with private landowners to gain public access from the Fairplay Beach downstream. In addition to the river walk, restoration would be conducted to repair damage done by mining. The plan also calls for work to be done on the Middle Fork of the South Platte River from Columbia Reservoir north of Alma to the town.
More South Platte River basin coverage here.
Wiggins: The town council moves the proposed water project forward
November 14, 2011
From The Fort Morgan Times (Jenni Grubbs):
Tim Holbrook, operations manager for Industrial Facilities Engineering, Inc. and lead engineer on the water project, updated the council on how the project was progressing. “The USDA requirements are now met to the point we can have a pre-construction meeting,” Holbrook said. “Then, the start of construction can begin.” The pre-construction meeting will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, with representatives from the town, IFE, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and approved contractors. It’s possible the ground-breaking on the project could be done that day, as well, according to Town Administrator Bill Rogers.
The town’s loan closing with the USDA is expected to be completed by mail around Nov. 23, according to Town Attorney Sam Light.
Holbrook said it will take at least eight months to build the water project. During that time, IFE resident inspector Mike Miller will be on site constantly, which was something required by the USDA…
The council took two votes related to the water project. The first approved a revised resolution reaffirming the town’s issuance of water revenue bonds for a little more than $3.3 million…
The second vote approved the amended budget for the water project. The change in the budget came from the town contribution rising from $121,000 to $351,002. But that was money the town has already spent on the project, Light said, not new money being approved. The council also approved awarding bids to four contractors for different parts of the water project construction. The bid awards would have to be followed up with contracts, but those contracts can’t be formalized until the loan has closed and the town has the money to pay out to the companies, according to Light…
The council awarded a bid for supply wells and pumps construction to Layne Construction Co. A bid for augmentation ponds construction was awarded to Connell Resources, Inc. Velocity Constructors, Inc. received the bid award for construction of the water treatment building. And the council awarded a bid for water pipeline construction to Reynolds, Inc.
U.S. Representative Scott Tipton says that proposed USFS permit conditions will result in an unlawful taking of property (water) rights
November 14, 2011
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
Tipton said the requirement could affect water rights held by ski areas and ranchers, in particular. “Water rights established under state law are property rights for purposes of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Congress has not delegated to the Forest Service the authority to require permittees to transfer ownership of water rights to the United States as a permit condition,” Tipton wrote in a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack…
Tipton says the forest service does not have the authority to use permitting conditions to obtain federal ownership of water rights without just compensation and said the permit condition amounts to unlawfully taking property that violates Colorado water law.
More coverage from Reid Wright writing for The Durango Herald. From the article:
“Because of the significant percentage of water that originates on national forest system lands in the West, such a change in policy would pose a threat to the current system of state allocation and administration of water rights,” Tipton wrote. “Our concern was that our ranchers need some of those water rights for watering holes and grazing,” Tipton said in a telephone interview, adding that secured water rights also are necessary for ski areas and recreation. Tipton said he was particularly concerned about the requirement in regard to water sources that originate off permit areas as well as water rights that predate the existence of the U.S. Forest Service.
Steve Segin, a public information officer for the Forest Service, said the requirement is designed to keep the water resource tied to the intended area so it cannot be sold and piped off to other areas. “It’s designed to protect the resource, not to take it away from anybody,” he said…
The issue is scheduled to be discussed by the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
More water law coverage here.
