Big Thompson Flood: July 31, 1976

The night of July 31, 1976 I was holed up in Steamboat Springs. I had been backpacking with Mrs. Gulch in the Flattops Wilderness for a week or so — drizzle in between downpours during the Colorado monsoon season – and bailed out for the usual, hot shower, cold beer and someone else’s cooking.

I called Denver to check in. My mother asked, “Johnny, are you anywhere near the Big Thompson Canyon?”

“Nope,” I said.

She added, “There’s been a terrible flood.”

Click here for my post from a while back with the link to a 9News (Chris Gallegos) piece about the 30th memorial service.

Drought/precipitation news: Horsestooth Reservoir levels dropping, marina prepares to close

From the Northern Colorado Business Report (Steve Lynn):

Water levels are dropping so fast that owners of about 300 boats docked at the Inlet Bay Marina at Horsetooth Reservoir will have to remove their vessels earlier than normal…

The reservoir was 34 feet below capacity Monday and could drop another 16 feet by the end of August, said Brian Werner, spokesman for the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. Water levels are decreasing from a few inches to a foot daily as farmers and cities draw on their allotments from the Colorado-Big Thompson Project.

Water levels are about 5 percent below average as farmers and cities contend with the ongoing drought, Werner said. The effects of the High Park Fire on the Poudre River also have led the city of Greeley to use more reservoir water than it normally would this time of year.

More Colorado-Big Thompson Project coverage here.

From Steamboat Today (Scott Franz):

The 3.05 inches Steamboat measured so far this month is nearly double the city’s historic average of 1.61 inches of rain for July…

The Yampa River, bolstered by the recent storms and continued release of water from Stagecoach Reservoir, was flowing at 117 cubic feet per second under the Fifth Street Bridge on Sunday afternoon. The recent abundance of rainfall also has spurred some Northwest Colorado fire officials to call for easing the Stage 2 fire restrictions that have been in place in Routt County since late last month.

Green Mountain Reservoir operations update: 315 cfs in the Blue River below the dam

From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):

The Upper Colorado River Basin has received more rain. As a result, contributions from Green Mountain have been curtailed by another 50 cfs. That means the release to the lower Blue River below Green Mountain Dam is now about 315 cfs.

More Green Mountain Reservoir coverage here and here.

Save the Poudre/Poudre Waterkeeper plans ‘Restore the Corridor’ effort to improve river ecological health through Fort Collins

From the Fort Collins Coloradoan (Kevin Duggan):

It plans to do that through a campaign called “Restore the Corridor” and dogged activism when reviewing development proposals, working to restore wildlife habitat and promoting recreational opportunities, said executive director Gary Wockner.

The group doesn’t expect to be the only “voice” for the river when it comes to determining what happens around it, said Mark Easter, Save the Poudre board of directors chairman. But somebody has to speak out when it comes to guarding the river’s health, he said, adding many community groups have an interest in what happens along the Poudre…

But critics worry the nonprofit will use its political muscle to sink all development projects along the river. Save the Poudre last month filed two appeals of projects that were approved through Fort Collins’ planning process…

“(Wockner) is saying ‘no’ to everything, across the board,” [Gino Campana, owner of Bellisimo Inc.] said. “I believe there is not a solution we can engineer to satisfy Save the Poudre.” Conceptual plans for the project call for restoring riparian forest along sections of the property closest to the river. It’s the type of work city officials and Save the Poudre say they support, Campana said.

“We should be on the same side of the table,” he said. “He wants to be on the other side.”

Wockner declined to comment on Campana’s project until its development plans are formally submitted. The only item being contested at the moment is the density issue and its potential impact on wildlife, he said…

The Save the Poudre Coalition formed about six years ago to battle the proposed Northern Integrated Supply Project, or NISP, and Glade Reservoir. Glade would be built north of Ted’s Place and draw water from the Poudre…

Save the Poudre has a right to express its opinion and take action on any topic, [Jim Reidhead, a longtime local businessman and community activist] said. It is skilled at following legal processes such as appeals in making its case. But it appears to be determined to obstruct any type of development or water-storage project on the river, especially if it might promote growth.

More Cache la Poudre watershed coverage here.

Windy Gap Firming Project: Grand County 1041 permitting process underway #coriver

From the Sky-Hi Daily News (Kirk Klancke):

The county is negotiating enhancements to help the degradation that we are already experiencing in the Colorado River below the Windy Gap reservoir but without additional mitigation for the new project, the enhancements will not solve all of the issues facing the river. We need to make sure that our elected officials here in Grand County require all of the mitigation needed to protect the Upper Colorado River below Windy Gap from the new Windy Gap Firming project.

This is our best opportunity as individuals to influence the permit process. This influence can be exercised through letters or emails to the commissioners or by attending the public hearings in the commissioners’ board room on Aug. 1 and 2…

This is your chance to influence the future of the headwaters of the Colorado River. If you were wondering what you could do to help, this is your best opportunity. Please write your letter and come to the hearing to speak.

Update: Here’s the release from Trout Unlimited (Randy Scholfield):

Trout Unlimited today urged the Board of County Commissioners of Grand County (BOCC) to deny a permit for the Windy Gap Firming Project unless the BOCC is willing to include protective measures to keep the Upper Colorado River and its gold-medal trout fishery alive.

“The Upper Colorado River is under severe stress from multiple impacts, from drought to diversions,” said Kirk Klancke, president of Trout Unlimited’s Headwaters chapter. “This is the last best opportunity for Grand County officials to push for stronger protections to ensure that the Windy Gap project doesn’t destroy the health of our rivers.”

He added, “Without stronger protections, this river faces a long, slow decline—and so do our communities, ranches and recreation economy. That’s just not acceptable. I want my grandchildren to be able to fish here and enjoy this river, as I have. I want our local businesses to thrive. I know that many other Grand County citizens feel the same way.”

The BOCC will soon decide whether to issue a 1041 permit for Northern Colorado Water Conservation District’s Windy Gap Firming Project (WGFP) and, if so, under what conditions. The BOCC is currently accepting public, written comments and has scheduled a two-day hearing in Hot Sulphur Springs that will include public testimony on August 1-2.

At present, Northern’s Windy Gap diversion is taking about 60 percent of flows out of the Upper Colorado and pumping it through the Continental Divide to Front Range communities. The proposed expansion of the project would take another 15-20 percent of flows, putting the river at a dangerous tipping point for aquatic life and ecosystem health. State studies show that the Upper Colorado below Windy Gap Reservoir has suffered a sharp decline since the construction of the reservoir , including an almost total loss of once-plentiful stoneflies and mottled sculpin—key aquatic species that make up an important link in the food chain for trout and other fish. The studies point to the reservoir’s contribution of silt combined with a lack of healthy flows, which has caused a spike in water temperatures, algae, sediment and other negative impacts on river and fishery health.

“Under present plans, expanding Windy Gap would make a bad situation worse because it would increase periods of low flows and significantly reduce runoff, which is critical to clean the river of excess silt and sediment contributed by Windy Gap Reservoir,” said Mely Whiting, counsel for TU’s Colorado Water Project.

According to a recent Colorado Parks and Wildlife report, construction of a bypass around Windy Gap reservoir and maintenance of adequate runoff are essential. “Without a bypass, it’s hard to see how the river can remain healthy when even more flows will be taken out,” said Whiting. “Grand County must press Northern to build the bypass.”

TU called on the BOCC to include several requirements in the permit, including:

- Northern should stop Windy Gap pumping when stream temperatures approach State acute and chronic standards.
- Northern should be required to not only study a bypass channel around the Windy Gap Reservoir, but also build it if the study determines that a bypass is beneficial.
- Northern must work with Grand County to monitor spring river flows and provide an adequate flushing flow to prevent sediment from collecting in the river bed and smothering aquatic habitat.
- Northern must fund a robust stream monitoring program that can accurately track the health of the aquatic species in the river and react to any declines that can’t be explained by normal fluctuation.

Trout Unlimited will present testimony at the BOCC public hearings in Hot Sulphur Springs on Aug. 1-2.

More Colorado River Basin coverage here and here.

Controlling pondweed in Dillon Reservoir

From the Summit Daily News (Dr. Joanne Stolen):

Pondweeds are the subject of my current peeve. These submerged water plants can be both good and bad. They provide food and hiding places for young fish but, when overly abundant, allow too many of them to escape the larger predatory fish. Worst of all, in shallow waters, they rot under the ice in winter and may completely use up the oxygen, causing most fish to suffocate. The species that seems to be overly abundant along the shores of Dillon Reservoir currently is curly leaf pondweed. The scientific name is “potamogeton crispus.”[...]

Habitat manipulation such as draw-downs and dredging can also be used to manage curly leaf pondweed. Fall drawdown can kill the plants, exposing them to freezing temperatures and drying out. Dredging can be used as a control by increasing the water depth. In deep water, the plants will not receive enough light to survive. There are some chemical controls. There are a small number of aquatic herbicides that can be used to control curly leaf pondweed. Formulations of diquat (Reward) and endothall (Aquathall K) can be used in small areas and will usually knock down curly leaf pondweed within two weeks. The time for treatment is in spring or early summer when natives are still dormant and temperatures are low enough. Fluridone usually has to be applied to an entire lake and requires 30 days to knock down curly leaf pondweed. I doubt whether chemical controls would be appropriate for a reservoir. In any case if you are out and about in your boat on the reservoir, grab a few handfuls. It pulls out easily.

More invasive species coverage here and here.

Illegal Stocking Hits Miramonte Trout Fishery: Rotenone to the rescue

Here’s the release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife:

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is planning to take action to eradicate smallmouth bass at Miramonte Reservoir where they’ve become established after being stocked illegally.

The agency will utilize an organic pesticide to kill all the fish in the reservoir and then rebuild this renowned trout fishery that attracts anglers from throughout the West. The operation is tentatively scheduled to occur in late summer or fall of 2013.

In the meantime, Parks and Wildlife is implementing an emergency order that removes all bag and possession limits on smallmouth bass at Miramonte Reservoir.

“Killing all the fish in the reservoir lake is something we wish we didn’t have to do, but we know we must,” said Renzo DelPiccolo, area wildlife manager in Montrose. “People who illegally move fish into lakes, ponds and rivers are not only committing a criminal act, they are endangering native species, stealing a resource and recreational opportunity from thousands of anglers and negatively impacting the local community.”

Miramonte Reservoir is located in San Miguel County about 10 miles south of Norwood in western Colorado. The reservoir is one of the most productive still-water trout fisheries in the state and people travel from throughout the West to catch the rainbow and brown trout that regularly grow to quality size. The lake is also a popular destination for crayfish enthusiasts. Miramonte accounts for about 20,000 angler days every year which contribute $1.5 million to the economy of San Miguel County.

Miramonte is a very productive reservoir, allowing Parks and Wildlife to stock thousands of fingerling trout every year. The trout grow quickly and reach quality size within two years.

“This reservoir is managed as a put and grow trout fishery and that management strategy will not change,” explained John Alves, senior aquatic biologist for the southwest region for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “Under this management strategy we can provide an excellent angling opportunity at a low cost to anglers.”

Smallmouth bass, which are a warm-water predator fish, were illegally stocked in the reservoir sometime before 2011 and reproduction has been documented. A recent survey showed that in one year smallmouth bass have increased in abundance from 5 percent to 44 percent of the fish in the reservoir.

“The bass are now a top predator in the lake. They compete with trout for food and space, and consume trout and crayfish,” Alves said. “If left alone, the bass could eventually devastate Miramonte as a trout fishery. Furthermore the habitat, prey base and water temperature will not support a quality bass fishery in the long term. So, once an illegally stocked fish population has become established, the only recourse is to start over by using a fish pesticide to kill all the fish in a lake.”

In addition to impacting a renowned sport fishery, the smallmouth bass also pose a threat to native fish downstream. An agreement between the state of Colorado, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and neighboring states restricts stocking of non-native warm water fish without a permit because of the danger they pose to native and endangered fish.

Miramonte Reservoir is located above the San Miguel and Dolores rivers which support important populations of three native fish species that biologists are working to protect: the roundtail chub, the bluehead sucker and the flannelmouth sucker. These native fish are found only in desert rivers of the western United States. Changes in the river system such as dams, pollution, water withdrawals and competition from non-native species have caused these fish to decline in range and numbers.

“Native species are needed to help maintain the natural health and balance of any ecosystem. If a species is lost, that affects the health of other plants and animals, and changes a natural ecosystem forever,” Alves said.

CPW aims to maintain healthy native fish populations not only for the benefit of native ecosystems and the people of Colorado, but also to prevent unwanted federal management of these species under the Endangered Species Act.

“Illegal stocking carries serious consequences that can have long-lasting negative effects on local communities,” DelPiccolo said.

Draining and treating a reservoir is also expensive and takes money away from other important aquatic habitat projects. The Miramonte operation will cost more than $100,000, not including staff time. The reservoir will be drawn down to a small pool and the chemical Rotenone will be applied to the remaining water and feeder streams to kill all the fish. Rotenone breaks down quickly in the environment and poses no threat to vegetation or non-aquatic species. Biologists will restock the lake with fish as soon as the pesticide has dissipated.

Anyone who has information about illegal fish stocking at Miramonte Reservoir or at any other water in Colorado should contact the Parks and Wildlife office in Montrose at 970-252-6000, or call Operation Game Thief at 1-877-265-6648. Tips can be made anonymously and cash rewards are possible.

For more information about fisheries management in Colorado and aquatic nuisance species, see: http://wildlife.state.co.us/FISHING/Pages/Fishing.aspx.

More restoration coverage here and here.

Horsethief Canyon Native Fish Facility Construction Completed

Here’s the release from the Bureau of Reclamation:

The Bureau of Reclamation in cooperation with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service have completed construction of a complex of grow-out ponds at the Horsethief Canyon Native Fish facility located just outside of Fruita, Colo. The ponds were constructed as part of the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Program, to hold and rear endangered Colorado River fish.

A total of 22 ponds were constructed by Kissner General Contractors Inc., of Cedaredge, Colo., at a total cost of $5.3 million which was funded by the recovery programs to rear endangered razorback sucker, and Colorado pikeminnow, as well as bonytail and humpback chub in the future.

The ponds range in size from 0.1 to 0.5 acres with a combined total of approximately 6.2 acres of ponds each between five and six feet deep and lined with a geo-membrane fabric to reduce seepage. This will allow the ponds to be drained, maintain water levels during operation, and provide an area for the fish to be concentrated when the time comes to be relocated. All design work on the ponds was completed by Reclamation’s Western Colorado Area Office. In the coming months, Reclamation will complete mitigation and re-vegetation of the site.

The need for the grow-out ponds was initially identified as an essential component of the recovery programs to ensure the successful reproduction of the endangered Colorado River fish and genetic monitoring efforts. Without the grow-out ponds, production of endangered fishes of optimal size and numbers for stocking cannot be ensured and certain research in the area of genetics and propagation will be hampered.

The FWS currently produces approximately 28,000 razorbacks suckers annually at the Ouray National Fish Hatchery, Grand Valley Unit in Grand Junction, Colo. Approximately 75 percent of these fish are taken to private ponds leased by the Service and the remainder of the fish are kept at the hatchery. The Service has an annual goal of releasing a minimum of 15,000 fish, at an approximate length of 300 millimeters (11.8 inches), back to the rivers.

The Horsethief Canyon Native Fish Facility will reduce, if not eliminate, the need for leasing private ponds. Also, since the facility will be operated and maintained by the Service, the facility will provide greater numbers of fish to be returned to the river.

The configuration of the ponds is shown on Figure 1. The ponds were constructed at an elevation that will prevent overtopping up to the 100-year flood event. The facility will be fenced to prevent river otters from entering the ponds and to preclude entry by the public.

Meanwhile, here’s a report about the current state of the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Program from Bob Berwyn writing for the Summit County Citizens Voice. From the article:

Issuing a “sufficient progress” memo, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said this week that, “with continued cooperation by all Recovery Program participants, the Recovery Program will continue to make significant strides toward recovery of the four endangered fishes.”

But flows are a significant concern, especially in dry years.

“The Recovery Program still struggles to meet flow recommendations in drought years. The Service emphasizes the importance of meeting the flow recommendation,” according to the memo, which also says that the Colorado Water Conservation Board has not yet provided a required depletion accounting report.

Specifically, the CWCB is behind on accounting for depletions in the Yampa River, and needs to “address projected future depletions and whether or not additional instream flow filings or other flow protections mechanisms should be considered.”

More endangered/threatened species coverage here.

Pure Cycle is divesting itself of 10% of the farms purchased from High Plains A & M — ‘… won’t affect farm operations’ — Mark Harding

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

“We’re selling a small percentage of our portfolio, but it won’t affect our farm operations,” said Mark Harding, Pure Cycle president.

Pure Cycle bought 65 farms on the Fort Lyon Canal from High Plains A&M in 2006 after High Plains had acquired about 22 percent of the shares on the Arkansas Valley’s largest canal.

High Plains lost a water court challenge, which was upheld by the state Supreme Court, to converting the shares to municipal use because it was speculative.

More Arkansas River Basin coverage here.

High Park Fire: The NRCS, et. al., have started restoration efforts above Horsetooth Reservoir

From the Longmont Times-Call (Pamela Dickman):

All told Thursday and Friday, the team planted 1,120 pounds of grass seed across 40 acres and covered it with 105 bales of agricultural straw and wood chips — a layered approach to protecting the nearby glistening waters from the ash and debris of the High Park Fire…

The ash and debris have already blackened much of the Poudre River, so Fort Collins, Greeley and the Tri-Districts (North Weld County, Fort Collins-Loveland and East Larimer County water districts) have instead been pulling water for their customers from Horsetooth Reservoir. The waters of Horsetooth remain clean, but the threat of fire pollution is real. When rains fall, the now barren Soldier Canyon could mirror a slip-and-slide, sending debris from the fire right into Horsetooth Reservoir — and the water supplies for Fort Collins, Greeley and the Tri-Districts.

From The Denver Post (Erin Udall):

By dropping a mix of seed and straw mulch on the area, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) officials hope to trigger plant growth and create a filter that will keep debris, erosion and sediment runoff from getting into the reservoir…

“Think of the Poudre (River) as the hose, and Horsetooth (Reservoir) as the bucket,” [NRCS district conservationist Todd Boldt] said, explaining that the river provides drinking water for more than 300,000 people in the area. “They rely on the hose, but when they can’t, they turn to the bucket. That’s why it’s crucial to maintain Horsetooth.”

Here’s the release from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (Todd Boldt):

Helicopters are hovering near Horsetooth Reservoir for a responsive, cooperative project to protect the reservoir’s water quality in the wake of the High Park Fire.

Helicopters are dropping an erosion control seed mix and straw mulching materials on about 40 acres that suffered the most soil burn severity within the 400-acre burn area in the Soldier Creek drainage, which sits in Lory State Park on the west side of Horsetooth Reservoir.

The helicopters, from contractor Western States Reclamation, will apply a seed mix of native species. The seeds are large, with the expectation that they will break through the fire-caused debris and establish roots without requiring much moisture. Helicopters will also drop straw mulch, then a layer of wood straw on top, to retain moisture, shelter the seed from the wind and provide soil erosion protection.

Experts expect the project to trigger plant growth in the Solider Creek area, creating a filter to prevent debris, erosion and sedimentation runoff into Horsetooth Reservoir, a key water source for area cities.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service is providing much of the technical and financial support for this $91,320 project, which is part of its Emergency Watershed Protection Program. Other sponsors are Northern Water, the cities of Greeley and Fort Collins, and the Tri-Districts (the North Weld County, Fort Collins-Loveland, and East Larimer County water districts).

The helicopters, which are staged within Lory State Park, first took off Thursday morning and will likely finish Saturday.

More restoration coverage here and here.

‘A water tour also can sharpen your math skills’ — Chris Woodka

Check out Chris Woodka’s recount of his recent tour with the Pueblo Board of Water Works. The article is running as part of The Pueblo Chieftain’s excellent Colorado Water 2012 series Written in Water. Here’s an excerpt:

In my roughly 25 years of covering water issues, I have been on several water tours, which are routinely sponsored by water providers in the summer months because you can drive to the sites where water development means the most at a time when those sites do not happen to be covered in several feet of snow…

But last week, I joined the Pueblo Board of Water Works mountain tour as a guest. I was happy to just ride the bus, chipping in with a question now and then, but fully participating in the tour. I’d never done this.

I didn’t take a single note, and this column will be all that I’m going to write about the tour.

The second phase of the Hermosa Creek restoration project is underway — Brookies are in their gun sights

From The Durango Herald (Dale Rodebaugh):

Rotenone, derived from the root of a tropical plant, is registered by the Environmental Protection Agency as a pesticide. It degrades quickly, leaves no residue and is no threat to humans or other wildlife.

“We did the first treatment last summer,” Joe Lewandowski, a parks and wildlife spokesman, said Thursday. “Then in June they went back to electroshock, which found fish that can live in little water.”

The Rotenone applied this week will catch all survivors, Lewandowski said.

In late summer or in the fall, native Colorado River cutthroat will be stocked in that section of the stream, Lewandowski said.

More Hermosa Creek coverage here and here.

2012 Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference: Water 2012 — October 9-11

Click here to go to the Colorado Watershed Assembly’s conferences webpage for all the skinny on the conference.

More Colorado Water 2012 coverage here.

Fry-Ark fiftieth birthday party August 18

Here’s the release from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):

Reclamation and the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District invite the public to celebrate the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project’s 50th Anniversary at Lake Pueblo State Park on Sat., Aug. 18. The event is located at Lake Pueblo State Park Visitor’s Center from 9 a.m.to 2 p.m.

Reclamation, the District and Colorado State Parks and Wildlife are offering free pontoon boat tours around Pueblo Reservoir and free tours of the fish hatchery located below Pueblo Dam. There will also be historical displays and several guest speakers.

Signed into law by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project is a multipurpose trans-basin water diversion and delivery project serving southeastern Colorado.

The Fryingpan-Arkansas Project provides:

- Water for more than 720,000 people
- Irrigation for 265,000 acres
- The largest hydro-electric power plant in the state
- World renowned recreation opportunities from the Fryingpan River to the Arkansas River

For more information on the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project and the 50th Anniversary Celebration, visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov/gp/ecao/pueblo/pueblo.html.

More Fryingpan-Arkansas Project coverage here.

CWCB: Statewide Drought Conference September 19-20

From email from the Colorado Water Conservation Board (Ben Wade):

2012 is proving to be a hot and dry year for much of the nation and Colorado. Currently, drought dominates the headlines as we see firsthand the impact of this natural disaster, and Colorado is doing something about it. The CWCB State Drought Conference: Building a Drought Resilient Economy through Innovation is just weeks away. We are excited to put forth a conference agenda that will help communities and business address drought concerns in new and efficient ways. The draft agenda is available on the CWCB webpage and very soon we will be announcing our keynote speakers.

As you will see, the conference promises to highlight the latest innovations in Drought Mitigation & Planning.

Please REGISTER TODAY! Space is limited.

For those traveling from out of town, the CWCB has reserved hotel rooms for the September 19-20 2012 CWCB Statewide Drought Conference that are within walking distance from the History Colorado Center. Please visit the CWCB website for hotel information. Please note that you must reserve your room by August 18, 2012 to ensure the group rate and availability.

Colorado River Basin: ‘Agriculture and recreation depend on healthy instream flows’ — State Sen. Steve King

Here’s a guest column about the Colorado River written by State Senator Steve King, running in the Grand Junction Free Press. Here’s an excerpt:

The only thing certain when dealing with water issues in the west is there are a wide variety of competing voices and opinions. For the most part, the [Colorado River Water Conservancy District] has made sure Western Slope interests aren’t neglected when competing with those of our Front Range neighbors; simply put, the CRCD has acted as a fair broker.

They have worked to build consensus among different parties on a multitude of issues during their existence. Time and again the CRCD has made sure the West Slope was not on the losing end of proposals to store and divert water to the Front Range. Specifically, the CRCD has helped resolve many disagreements between Denver Water and Western Slope water users.

More than ever, the West Slope is relying on the CRCD to do its job fairly and accurately as it addresses the many challenges ahead. As the ski industry can attest, this year’s snowpack was very low, adding pressure to our already strained river basin. All reports project 2012 as a dry year for Colorado; these reports, coupled with projections of future population growth in the west, make sensible water policy that much more important.

It’s no secret the strain on the Colorado will only become more severe as time goes on. We need proactive and innovative solutions to plan for possible future water scarcity now — failure to do so could result in the inability to maintain our current quality of life, as we prepare to meet the challenges of western population growth.

Increasingly, there have been proposals for enormous water diversion projects to satisfy the needs of the Front Range and Southern California. It is not only in the best interest of the Western Slope, but of Colorado in general, to actively pursue and advocate for conservation, flexible transfers, and water-sharing agreements first. Big diversion projects are too expensive and can best be summarized as robbing Peter to pay Paul, with the West Slope playing the role of Peter.

From the Grand Junction Free Press (Sharon Sullivan):

[Katie Steele] was one of several community leaders who spoke Wednesday, July 25, at Hawthorne Park in honor of Colorado River Day. The event was held to commemorate the day in 1921 when federal legislation was passed to rename the river from the “Grand” to the “Colorado.”

Grand Junction was one of five cities within four of the seven Colorado River basin states where residents gathered to celebrate the river’s contribution to the West’s economy and culture. Community leaders also talked about the need for Washington policymakers to consider the river’s economic impact on the region when making decisions regarding the river’s future.

About 50 people attended the midday event where Mesa County Commissioner Steve Acquafresca, former GJ Mayor Tom Kenyon, and GJ councilman Bennett Boeschenstein spoke about water concerns as drought and expanding populations strain a dwindling resource. Tom Kleinschnitz, president of Adventure Bound River Expeditions also spoke to the group, representing those whose businesses depend directly on the Colorado River.

Boeschenstein spoke about the Greenbelt movement begun in the 1970s where local visionaries like retired Judge William Ela, and the late Jim Robb imagined a cleaned-up riverfront, as well as a trail where people could walk and enjoy the scenery along the river…

The event was co-sponsored by Colorado Environmental Coalition in Grand Junction and Protect The Flows, an organization formed about a year ago to represent the interests of more than 500 businesses across the seven river basin states who rely on the Colorado River for economic viability.

According to Protect the Flows, the Colorado River is a $26 billion recreation resource that employs a quarter-million Americans.

More Colorado River Basin coverage here and here.

Clear Creek Watershed Festival September 15

Click here to go to the Clear Creek Watershed Foundation website for all the skinny on the celebration. Here’s an excerpt:

Join us for our fourth annual family-oriented event to learn about the Clear Creek Watershed. Lots of fun & entry is FREE!

• fishing • gold panning • face painting • food • live music

• 30 environmental education PASSPORT STATIONS with engaging activities

More Clear Creek watershed coverage here and here.

Will water limit business investment and growth in the West?

From ColoradoBiz (Bart Taylor):

…as the gap between supply and demand from the Colorado River grows – its forecast by the Bureau to be 4 to 6 million acre-feet by mid-century, roughly one-third its entire annual volume – the long-term implication is inarguable: change is coming to the Southwest U.S. Have water today? You may not in the future – and for some the near-future. We may not be “running out,” but a radically new supply regime could transform our economy – with new water have’s-and-have not’s, new means to regulate ownership and distribution, new projects and infrastructure, and profoundly, new industry that displaces water-intensive business that simply can’t operate in the West…

Water prices are rising. Circle of Blue, a global water information resource, reports an 18 percent rise in 30 major U.S cities since 2010 – and a 7 percent increase last year alone. In south metro-Denver, in the suburbs of Phoenix and Las Vegas, in Albuquerque, they’re certain to rise more for consumers and business.

At the same time businesses are refining they way they assess water-related risk. The value of water – or the lack of it – is increasingly quantified. For businesses looking to expand or relocate here, the prospect of rising water costs and supply shortfalls may add up to trouble for economic developers in the West…

Water delivery and wastewater management in the United States is a decidedly local affair. A dizzying maze of water districts, associations, and civic authorities manage a network of over 55,000 water utilities and about 16,000 wastewater facilities. In Colorado alone, around 300 separate entities deliver water to residents and businesses.

But can the interests of local utilities dovetail with those of regional planners? Northern Water in Fort Collins, Colo., has a bright future, serving thousands of users in northeastern Colorado via a huge system of water assets including the Big Thompson and Windy Gap projects. Less than a hundred miles south, along I-25, the water future of communities like Castle Rock and Parker is far less certain – some would argue in crisis. Is there incentive for Northern to act in Parker’s interest? The governor of the state might say yes; residents of Ft. Collins, not so much. ‘Local control’ may hamper collective planning throughout the Southwest.

More infrastructure coverage here.

Colorado River Basin: Say hello to ’90 by 20′

From email from 90by20.org via the Colorado Watershed Assembly:

Western Resource Advocates and the Colorado Environmental Coalition, in collaboration with other groups across the CO River Basin, have just launched a drought awareness/urban water conservation campaign called “90 by 20.”

Ultimately, the campaign is about connecting this year’s drought to more than just personal inconveniences like watering restrictions – we’re trying to

tee up larger issues of how drought affects river flows, tourism economies, our quality of life in the West, and the like. As a way to deal with future droughts, climate change, and the existing supply/demand imbalance on the CO River, we’re also asking residents to work to reduce their per capita water use to 90 gpcd by 2020 and select utilities in the Denver Metro area, Las Vegas Valley, and Sun Corridor to adopt a goal of the same (combined residential use to 90 gpcd by 2020). We believe a renewed focus on water efficiency will be proven to be more cost-effective, flexible, and beneficial to the Basin than ‘traditional’ approaches to water supply.

There’s a website (of course) that has some good information and a nice policy brief on the importance of the CO River to the Basin as a whole. There’s also a calculator for people to compute their own per capita use – and the ability to tweet it.

More conservation coverage here.

Delta County: 50th anniversary celebration of Paonia Reservoir August 6

Click here for a historical look at the reservoir from Kathy Browning writing for the Delta County Independent. Here’s an excerpt:

To celebrate Paonia Reservoir’s 50th anniversary there will be a day full of interesting activities Monday, Aug. 6, during the Delta County Fair and Rodeo. The event coincides with the 2012 Year of Water in Colorado. Participating agencies include the Gunnison Basin Roundtable, the North Fork Conservancy District, the Colorado River Water Conservancy District and the Fire Mountain Canal and Reservoir Company, the Water Center at Colorado Mesa University and the Bureau of Reclamation.

Join them to “Reflect on the Past and Focus on the Future” of the Paonia Reservoir.

Hop on one of the buses at Heritage Hall at the Delta County Fairgrounds for Tours of the North Fork Aug. 6, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Yvon Gros will welcome visitors to the beautiful Leroux Creek Vineyards on Rogers Mesa. Tour organic farms at The Ela Family Farms and Kropp Brothers. Campbell and Sons, a Midway cattle ranch, will be another stop. Learn where your food comes from and how water use has changed over the years. Another tour will take visitors to the West Elk Mine in Somerset.

More Gunnison River Basin coverage here and here.

Parker Water and Sanitation: ‘To cut from the budget without understanding what they’re doing is short-sighted’ — Mary Spencer

From the Parker Chronicle (Chris Michlewicz):

Mary Spencer, who was elected to the board of directors in 2006, sent a resignation letter to district manager Frank Jaeger June 29 that highlighted her growing frustration with the board…

When reached by phone July 16, Spencer said she became tired of her colleagues blaming past boards for a range of issues. Dissenters and “two sitting board members have made a disastrous decision to destroy not only the district but the reputations of past board members,” the letter said…

During the interview, Spencer also sharply criticized a recent decision to fire the water provider’s longtime lobbyists, whom she says have helped kill legislation that would have cost the district, and therefore ratepayers, millions of dollars. Spencer said the $48,000 that was paid annually to the lobbyists was well worth it. She also bemoaned the recent firing of Floyd Ciruli, a public relations specialist and political analyst who was contracted by the PWSD…

Spencer, whose term was set to expire in May 2014, said the decision to leave was difficult because she still believes in the district’s mission, but it was “not worth the stress” to deal with the fallout from the attempted board recall in 2009 and subsequent conduct that has had a “detrimental” affect on the water district.

More Parker coverage here and here.

‘The supply and the demand scenarios over the next 50 years, they’re not looking good’ — Molly Mugglestone

From the Public News Service (Kathleen Ryan):

The problem, says Molly Mugglestone, a coordinator for Protect the Flows, is that western growth and drought are putting undue demands on the river’s water. “The supply and the demand scenarios over the next 50 years, they’re not looking good. We’re putting strain on the river, and it’s challenged in terms of being able to provide for what we need in the future.”[...]

“Spending taxpayer dollars on massive projects is not necessarily the right way to go. There’s other things that we need to be doing first before we start spending those types of taxpayer dollars on these massive projects.” She says some of those ideas include using drought-tolerant plants in city landscaping, which can save up to 65 percent of municipal irrigation demands – and using pool covers on outdoor facilities, which can save an average of 16,000 gallons per pool each year.

From KREX (Courtney Griffin):

Many fiscal conservatives and conservationists met Wednesday to figure out how to be more efficient, and how to act on ideas as quick as possible. “We support solutions that again that look at conservation and efficiency. Things like better urban conservation, better agricultural efficiency and water banking, and some of those creative ideas that people are coming up with to try and solve those imbalances,” said Molly Mugglestone, Protect the Flows, project coordinator.

From KKCO (Andie Adams):

“It seems like there’s just such an emphasis on increasing supplies, rather than decreasing demand,” said Kate Graham, a public lands organizer for the Colorado Environmental Coalition…

“They’re doing basin study right now at the Department of Interior, so my group, Protect the Flows, has been really active in trying to influence the basin study with some of those things like urban conservation,” said Protect the Flows project coordinator Molly Mugglestone.

The group is gathering signatures on a bi-partisan letter that outlines solutions to the river’s issues that can be implemented on the municipal or individual level. “Our goal is to get 10,000 signatures, and then the letter will go to the Department of Interior, Secretary Salazar, and the governors in the seven Colorado River states,” said Mugglestone. The main point of the letter is efficiency.

“We need to administer the river very carefully and make sure that it’s not over-appropriated,” said Mesa County Commissioner Steve Acquafresca, who spoke at the event.

More Colorado River Basin coverage here and here.

Aspinall Unit operations update: Black Canyon streamflow between 500 and 600 cfs

From email from Reclamation (Erik Knight):

Flows in the Gunnison River at the Whitewater gage continue to fluctuate with the periodic rainfall. Reclamation intends to meet the flow target of 900 cfs at the Whitewater gage through the end of July. The target will drop to 890 cfs starting August 1st. Releases from Crystal Dam will continue to cause flows in the Gunnison River through the Black Canyon to fluctuate between 500 cfs and 600 cfs.

More Aspinall Unit coverage here.

2012 Colorado November election: Proponents of Initiatives 3 and 45 withdraw them from ballot

From the Summit County Citizens Voice (Bob Berwyn):

Organizers said that, as of this week, they were able to collect about 30,000 signatures, with about 86,000 needed for ballot certification. With an Aug. 6 deadline looming, the backers said they didn’t think there was enough time left to gather the needed support.

The state’s entrenched water establishment, and even most environmental organizations, opposed the measures, and exaggerated potential impacts of the public trust doctrine, claiming the changes would threaten Colorado’s antiquated water appropriation scheme.

Backers of the measures claimed that a 100-[day] delay by the Colorado Supreme Court in approving the initiatives cost them precious time needed to gather the signatures. The delay came after the state’s water establishment filed a procedural lawsuit, challenging the sufficiency of the ballot titles. The Supreme Court dragged its feet on a relatively minor naming issue, initially taking the case January 19, but not issuing a ruling until April 16.

“That DELAY of ca.100 days of “decision rendering time” by the Colorado Supreme Court was the fatal element in the defeat of this petition collecting process . . . for, after the Supreme Court ruled, the initiative petition forms then needed to be approved by the Secretary of State’s staff (required by statute) – a process that took another two weeks – and then, the petitions could be printed for circulation,” backer Richard Hamilton wrote in an email announcing the decision to withdraw the initiatives.

More Initiatives 3 and 45 coverage here.

Drought news: Secretary Vilsack opens up CRP acreage for grazing #CODrought

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Peter Roper):

Vilsack is waiving restrictions on the federal Conservation Reserve Program to allow ranchers to graze livestock or cut hay on land otherwise set aside for recovery and enrolled in the federal conservation program. The CRP pays ranchers and farmers to leave land out of production. The secretary issued similar rule changes in the Wetlands Reserve Program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Federal Crop Insurance Program…

As for crop insurance, Vilsack is asking insurers to give farmers a 30-day extension on unpaid insurance premiums and, in return, USDA will give a grace period to insurance companies in collecting those premiums.

The federal department has designated 1,297 counties in 29 states suffering disaster conditions, making all of those farmers and growers eligible for lowinterest emergency loans.

From the Glenwood Springs Post Independent (Kirk Webb):

…it’s OK to fish the Roaring Fork and Colorado rivers, but I encourage anglers to get an early start in the mornings and to be off the water by 3 p.m. to minimize any possible negative impact to the fish. Generally speaking, the rivers are at their coldest at 6 a.m. and are at their warmest at 6 p.m.

When handling trout, take the time to fully revive them prior to release and to keep the fish in the water as much as possible. This also means that I discourage the use of taking the obligatory “grip and grin” fish pictures.

Quiet water on the edges of the main flow is the ideal water type to revive and resuscitate fish to let them “catch their breath” again, ensuring an ethical release. I also try to fish with the heaviest leader and tippet that I can get away with to land fish as quickly as possible, which is a practice that all should do, regardless of water temperatures or time of year.

Don’t overlook the middle and upper Roaring Fork River either, where high water temperatures are not an issue. The cold water of the Fryingpan River empties into the Roaring Fork River in Basalt, which aids in regulating and cooling the warmer waters of the Roaring Fork, acting much like a swamp cooler for the river.