2013 Colorado legislation: Governor Hickenlooper signs SB13-019 (Promote Water Conservation) #COleg

From email from Governor Hickenlooper’s office:

Saturday, May 18, 2013 — Gov. John Hickenlooper signed 13 bills into law today and yesterday…

SB13-019, Promote Water Conservation, Schwartz / Fischer Concerning the promotion of water conservation measures.

More 2013 Colorado legislation coverage here.

Douglas County Water Resource Authority video: Saving Water in Your Yard? It’s So Easy A Kid Can Do It

From email from the Douglas County Water Resource Authority:

As spring snow and rain showers give way to warmer days, your thoughts may be turning to enjoying your yard this summer. If you’re over watering your lawn, you may want to consider taking a few minutes this weekend to install rotary sprinkler nozzles. These nozzles reduce the amount of water applied to your lawn by up to 30% over traditional designs. A simple change-out of nozzles can Save Water, and Save Money. It’s so easy, a kid can do it!

More conservation coverage here.

Englewood rolls out draft water conservation plan #COdrought

From the Englewood Herald (Tom Munds):

The plan will be available for review May 1 on the city’s website at http://www.englewoodgov.org. Starting May 1, comments on the plan can be made through the website, which will be listed under the “In the Spotlight” portion of the home page. Residents also can make comments in person by attending one or both of the meetings of the Englewood Water and Sewer Board that will be held at 5 p.m. May 14 or at 5 p.m. June 11 in the community development conference room. The conference room is on the third floor of the Englewood Civic Center, 1000 Englewood Parkway. The deadline for public comment is July 1.

The main objective of a water conservation plan is to improve water-use efficiency, which, in turn, reduces overall water demands…

The city’s draft plan was created by staff members and conservation consultants hired using a state grant. Those working on the draft also considered input from members of Englewood’s Water and Sewer Board…

“The draft, if approved by the state, will be a 10-year plan,” Abouaish said. “The plan will be reviewed once a year to see if the measures are moving toward the ultimate goal, which is a 10 percent reduction in water use over the 10-year period.”

More conservation coverage here.

Greeley Children’s Water Festival recap: ‘In fifth grade you get to do’ — Armando Valladares

From The Greeley Tribune (Sherrie Peif):

It was clear walking around Island Grove Regional Park on Wednesday that most fourth-graders could survive on a very limited vocabulary. “Whoa,” one boy said as an employee of the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District blew a giant bubble all around him. “Whoa,” another girl yelled out as water fell all around her in the 100-year flood exhibit. “Cool” and “Oh yeah,” could also be heard throughout the Island Grove Events Center, the Exhibition Building and the 4-H Building as more than 1,000 students from 15 schools across Adams, Morgan and Weld counties filled the buildings for the 23rd annual Children’s Water Festival.

The day long event is a collaboration among the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District, the city of Greeley, the West Greeley Conservation District and the city of Evans, along with numerous sponsors. It is designed to teach young children about water conservation and its uses. The “Whoas,” “Oh yeahs” and “Cools” were for good reason; each activity was designed with kids in mind and meant to be hands-on and interactive. “We want to reach kids early to teach them that water is a limited resource and things can be done to take action,” said Kathy Parker, public information/education officer for the CCWCD.

The event consisted of dozens of booths that tested children’s awareness of water use and conservation.

At one booth, students spun a wheel to answer either a water knowledge question or a fun facts question such as at what temperature does water freeze? What saves more water, a shower or a bath? And what is the longest river in the United States? If they answered the question correctly, they won a bracelet.

Another “just for fun” activity, that attracted students more than most, was the bubblelogy booth, where giant bubbles were blown up around the student.

The bubbles were made from water, dish soap and cooking oil. Students stood on bricks in a plastic swimming pool while a large hula hoop type device was dunked in the mixture and stretched around them.

All the kids were given free T-shirts and schools that could not afford the transportation were given money for their busses to make the trip. Schools from as far away as Brush and Fort Morgan were in attendance.

Also helping with the event were students in the fifth-grade leadership class from Dos Rios Elementary School, who taught how to pan for gold and when and why it was done in Colorado history. “It was buried here and ended up in the rivers from when the mountains grew up,” said Kenia Morales, 11.

They all agreed that helping was just as much fun, and more, as participating. “In fourth grade all you got to do was watch,” said Armando Valladares, 10. “In fifth grade you get to do.”

More education coverage here.

Northern Water’s Conservation Gardens Fair May 18

Here’s the announcement from the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District.

More conservation coverage here.

Salida: Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas Wetlands Program and Field Trip, May 14 and 18

From email from the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas:

Wetlands Program and Field Trip

Program – May 14, 2013, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, Salida Community Center

Field Trip – May 18, 2013, 8:30 am to 11:30 am, location close to Salida, details given the night of the program

Join us for a exploration of wetlands. What are wetlands? Why are they so important? Why should we care? And, what types of wetlands are found in Central Colorado? Bill Goosmann will help us answer these questions. Bill has a Master’s of Science and is certified as a Professional Wetland Scientist. He managed the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Colorado Division of Wildlife wetland programs. Bill has also designed and implemented wetland creation, restoration, and mitigation projects.

We will start with a program on May 14th at the Salida Community Center (corner of Third and F Streets), 7:00 pm. The following Saturday (May 18th) we will go out into the field to a wetland site just west of Salida. In addition to Bill, joining us on the field trip will be the Raquel Wertsbaugh, Wildlife Conservation Biologist with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Raquel manages all the non-game programs in the region Also, Land Trust Executive Director, Andrew Mackie will round out the trip leaders. He is an avid birder and wetland ecologist by training.

The field trip will put into practice what we learned during the program. We will also search for and discuss the many species of wildlife that depend upon wetlands.

You must attend the Tuesday program to attend the field trip on Saturday. The program and field trip are free and open to the public. Please email or call the Land Trust to register at info@ltua.org or 719-539-7700.

More conservation coverage here.

‘We should be encouraging density’ — Jim Lochhead

From The Greeley Tribune (Eric Brown):

Reforming laws to provide more flexibility in how water is used and shared in Colorado will be critical in meeting demands as the state’s population rapidly grows, according to agriculture, environmental and municipal water experts who spoke Tuesday in Denver. Colorado Agriculture Commissioner John Salazar, Western Resources Advocates Director Bart Miller and Denver Water CEO and Manager Jim Lochhead said the complexity of Colorado water law and the immense court costs associated with it have deterred some users from sharing the resource and taking other measures that would improve efficiencies. That needs to change, they told an audience at the University of Denver’s Sturm School of Law.

Other aspects of the state’s water law — like its “use it or lose it” language, which discourages conservation, Miller said — must be altered if Colorado is going to maximize its beneficial use of the resource and meet its rapidly growing demands.

According to the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s Statewide Water Supply Initiative Study in 2010, the state could need as much as 630,000 acre feet of water annually (or 205.4 gallons) to meet the demands it will have by 2050.

Along with more flexibility in water laws, the trio of experts said urban areas need to grow within their existing boundaries, instead of sprawling outward, which takes up more arable land and forces municipal water providers to expand water infrastructure. Salazar said group housing can save anywhere from 40-70 percent in water consumption compared to individual homes. “We should be encouraging density,” said Lochhead, explaining that Denver’s current population density is about 4,000 people per square mile — much less than other major U.S. cities, particularly New York City, which has a population density of 27,000 people per square mile.

Across the board, the trio of experts said, Colorado residents, who consume 121 gallons of water per day, need to more closely resemble residents in countries such as Australia, who only consume 36 gallons of water per day.

Cities using less water will be critical in keeping water on the state’s farms and ranches, Salazar said, and also in protecting Colorado’s wildlife and recreation industries, which generate 80,000 jobs in the state and $6.4 billion in spending annually, Miller added.

Of the state’s eight major river basins, the Colorado River is most at risk, they said. According to stats shared by Miller, the Colorado River’s water demands began exceeding its supply in the mid 1990s. Weld County and much of the northern Front Range divert much of their water from the Colorado River basin.

More water law coverage here

Colorado River Named Most Endangered in United States #ColoradoRiver

Here’s a release from Western Resource Advocates (Jason Bane):

The Colorado River is the most endangered river in the United States, according to the 2013 list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® released today by the nonprofit group American Rivers. Western Resource Advocates, a conservation organization that works throughout the entire Colorado River Basin, issued the following comments in response to the new listing:

“We all have our own dreams and visions for the future of the West,” said Bart Miller, Water Program Director at Western Resource Advocates. “But this is one subject where there can be no disagreement: If we don’t protect the Colorado River, we don’t have a future. It’s really that simple – an endangered Colorado River is a danger to us all.”

The Colorado River provides drinking water for more than 36 million people in seven states. The river is also critical to our regional and national food supply, providing irrigation for 4 million acres of farmland.

“We are using water in the West at a rate that is simply unsustainable,” said Drew Beckwith, Water Policy Manager at Western Resource Advocates. “The good news is that we can solve this problem if we act quickly. If we implement aggressive conservation, reuse, and efficiency programs for both municipal and agricultural users, we can protect the Colorado River and its many species, while at the same time exceeding projected water demand through 2060.”

The population in the West is expected to rise by 50% in the next 50 years; at the same time, Colorado River flows are projected to decline by 10% or more. Not only would this decline impact food and water availability, but it would be a huge blow to a growing recreation economy responsible for more than $26 billion in annual revenue for the Colorado River Basin states.

Western Resource Advocates has long advocated that water conservation and reuse should be the backbone of any plan for meeting future water demands in the Colorado River Basin. This is particularly critical in the face of climate change scenarios that experts agree will lead to increased frequency and severity of drought.

More Colorado River Basin coverage here and here.

Douglas County Water Resource Authority video: Replace a toilet — Water Smart Tips #COdrought

From email from the Douglas County Water Resource Authority:

Did you know the biggest water waster in your house can be your toilet!?!

Sometimes all you need to do is replace the leaky flapper, but sometimes it might be a good idea to replace your old toilet with a more water efficient model.

Our new two-minute “replace a toilet” video takes the mystery out of exactly how to do that. Save water, save money. It’s easy!

The Greeley Water Conservation newsletter is hot off the press

Check out our e-newsletter w/info on #COdrought, Mayor’s Water Challenge, Garden-In-A-Box,Drug Take-Back Day & more app.streamsend.com/s/1/pBJK/9T1p3…

— Greeley Water Dept. (@greeleywater) April 9, 2013

Douglas County Water Authority video: Mini-Makeover – Water Smart Tips – 1

CSU to offer low-cost irrigation efficiency audits for farmers #codrought

From the Loveland Reporter-Herald:

A grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to CSU’s Center for Agricultural Energy will pay for reduced-cost irrigation efficiency audits for growers with center pivot systems. Center pivot irrigation is common on Colorado’s Front Range and Eastern Plains. Water is pumped onto fields by impact sprinklers mounted on overhead pipes that roll in sweeping arcs across farmland.

For $250, a fourth of the usual $1,000 cost, university technicians will conduct up to three pumping plant audits to gauge efficiency of farmers’ systems, recommend changes and estimate potential savings.

Information and a brief application can be found at www.ext.colostate.edu/cae/audits.html, or by calling Cary Weiner at 970-491-3784.

More conservation coverage here.

2013 Colorado legislation: SB13-019 moves along to the state house #coleg

From The Aspen Times (Janet Urquhart) via the Glenwood Springs Post Independent:

The drought-fueled measure, put forth by state Sen. Gail Schwartz, a Democrat from Snowmass Village, passed unanimously in the Senate last week and now moves to the House, starting with the Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee. Rep. Randy Fischer, D-Fort Collins, is the sponsor.

While the legislation, Senate Bill 13-19, was amended to gain the necessary support — losing its most ambitious provisions in the process, Schwartz on Thursday called the measure a critical first step and one that will lead to further conversations this summer about water conservation. With Colorado likely facing a second straight summer of severe drought, Schwartz said she hopes to encourage water conservation among agricultural users without punishing them in the process. “We need to modify our thinking and our attitudes about how we use water,” the senator said.

The legislation was originally to apply statewide, but concerns among the state’s seven river basins were varied and ultimately, the bill’s focus was narrowed to the Gunnison, Colorado main stem and Yampa/White River basins…

Under Schwartz’s bill, a water user who enrolls in various conservation programs could reduce their water use in drought years but the reduction would not be considered by a water judge in determining that user’s historic consumptive use. “What we’re trying to say is, ‘If you’re willing to do this, your historical consumptive use is protected,’” Schwartz said.

The conservation programs include those enacted by local water districts. Last year, for example, the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District, which provides water to the eastern half of Eagle County and is a main user of water from Gore Creek and the Eagle River, worked with its customers to conserve water but also convinced other water diverters to do with less, according to spokesperson Diane Johnson. Entities such as golf courses and the town of Avon, which uses raw water to irrigate its parks, got on board, she said. Schwartz’s bill would mean those entities wouldn’t get dinged in a calculation of consumptive use if that voluntarily reduction is repeated, she said.

“Gail’s bill is quite significant,” said Basalt attorney Ken Ransford, secretary for the Colorado Basin Roundtable. The group is one of nine in the state that focuses on water-management issues under the umbrella of the Colorado Water Conservation Board. Ransford has watched Schwartz’s legislation closely. Its passage would mean an important incentive for conservation, he said. “It’s a significant change in the law. It takes away a disincentive to a landowner who wants to enroll their land in a conservation program,” he said…

Gone from the legislation, however, are provisions that would have provided incentives to irrigators to increase the efficiency of their watering systems without jeopardizing their water rights.

More 2013 Colorado legislation coverage here.

The Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust 2012 Annual Report is hot off the press

From email from the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust:

We had a great year in 2012 and wanted to share our Annual Report with our friends and supporters who made it happen. Click here to go directly to the report on our website.

More Rio Grande River Basin coverage here and here.

The cheapest and easiest way to save water and save money is to fix a leak

Thanks to Mark Shively, Douglas County Water Resource Authority (DCWater.org) for the link.

Our #fixaleak Week Workshop is on March 23: greeleygov.com/water/Announce… twitter.com/greeleywater/s…

— Greeley Water Dept. (@greeleywater) March 20, 2013

‘The U.S. only has 18 percent of the world’s farmland in production, but produces 40 percent of the world’s food’ — Dan Barker

This is the second part of a two-part series on a water forum held at Morgan Community College last week, from Dan Barker writing for The Fort Morgan Times. CLick through and read the whole article. Here’s an excerpt:

Agriculture is Colorado’s No. 2 industry. If that is diminished, it will diminish the overall economy, [John Stulp] said to a room full of producers. It was an economic disaster when 92 percent of Crowley County’s water was bought up, he said…

City leaders complain that agriculture takes the lion’s share of water, but they do not look at all the factors, Stulp said. For example, a good deal of that water goes to cities in the form of food. Ag water irrigates nearly 3.5 million acres of fields, which makes up about 5 percent of the land in Colorado, he said…

Rather than just drying up farms, it is important to plan for the future, he said. A Statewide Water Supply Initiative report says that, by 2050, the population could double and the state will need another 700,000 acre feet of water for the new residents. Essentially, the state will not have enough water. That has encouraged leaders to look at both consumptive and non-consumptive needs, the water supply availability and the projects and methods needed to meet future needs, Stulp said. Even with all the currently planned projects — such as the Northern Integrated Supply Project that Fort Morgan is a part of — there would just barely be enough water to meet that new need, he said…

One alternative is rotational fallowing, which would allow growers to lease their water to cities during a few years out of every 10 years, he said. Other alternatives include interruptible supplies, deficit irrigation, water cooperatives, water banks and water conservation easements, Stulp said. “The devil’s always in the details,” Stulp emphasized…

Planning for water needs is not just looking at the state as a whole or one stretch of a river, Stulp said. Different areas have different needs and situations. Planners need input from areas to learn how to best use water resources. Besides agricultural water needs, planners have to look at what is needed for energy production, and how climate change may affect the state, he said. Hickenlooper recently said the state needs a long-term water plan by 2015, and that any plan should start with conservation, Stulp said…

Those who criticize agricultural practices need to understand them first, [Chris Kraft] said. The U.S. only has 18 percent of the world’s farmland in production, but produces 40 percent of the world’s food.

More infrastructure coverage here.

Hannah Holm: ‘Is irrigation efficiency the answer to Western water woes?’

From the Grand Junction Free Press (Hannah Holm):

Drying up farm and ranch land is widely recognized as undesirable, but there’s a common belief that small improvements in irrigation efficiency could yield big benefits to other water users. Could it really? Animated discussions at recent water meetings, including the Gunnison Basin Roundtable, indicate that the answer is complicated.

First of all, many people assume that efficiency must be the same as conservation, which means using less water, which should mean more available for other users and/ or the environment. Right? Well, in the case of agricultural water use, not really.

When water is diverted from a stream and put onto the land, part of that water is taken up by plants, part of it evaporates, and part of it makes its way back to the stream. With flood irrigation, a lot of the water diverted from a stream is simply used to push water to the end of the ditch, after which it makes its way back to the stream. Seepage will also eventually return to a stream, in some cases sustaining late season flows. Increasing efficiency through a sprinkler or drip system may require less diversion of water out of the stream to transport water to the plants, but the plants will consume just as much as before.

To actually “save water” that can then be available to other uses, you have to reduce the amount of water that’s actually consumed, either by plants or through evaporation. That means changing to a less thirsty crop, reducing your acreage, or giving your plants less water than they really want — which is likely to lead to lower crop yields. Apart from measures to reduce evaporation and weed growth, there’s not really any way to reduce actual water use and keep getting the same production as before.

That doesn’t mean that irrigation efficiency improvements have no value. For the stretch of stream between the headgate and return flow, smaller diversions as a result of increased efficiency could mean the difference between a stream with fish and one without, one you can float and one you can’t.

More conservation coverage here.

‘It is extremely difficult to…implement a long-term strategy for short-term transfers of water’ — Don Frick

From the Fischer, Brown, Bartlett & Gunn – the Northern Colorado Law Center blog (Don Frick):

I’ve been seeing a lot of renewed interest in developing strategies for temporary water transfers, strategies, from what I have seen, that I do not expect to be particularly successful. The ideas that I have seen are not particularly new or novel – indeed, there has been no substantive change in the law which would allow temporary transfers where it did not before. At the end of the day, under existing law, and the current water court environment, it is extremely difficult to successfully implement a long-term strategy for short-term transfers of water in Colorado.

More water law coverage here.

Kerber Creek restoration project update: 4,000 feet of stream bank restored

From the Valley Courier (Trevor Klein):

Today, the Kerber Creek Restoration Project unites 16 partners in the effort to restore the Kerber Creek watershed, including the BLM; USFS; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Natural Resources Conservation Service; Trout Unlimited; CDPHE; the Rio Grande Watershed Conservation and Education Initiative; and the Bonanza Stakeholders’ Group, which represents the interests of Kerber Creek watershed private landowners. Since 2008, the Office of Surface Mining’s Western Hardrock Watershed Team/AmeriCorps Volunteer in Service to America Program (OSM/VISTA) has provided a full-time staff member to serve as the project’s watershed coordinator.

This partnership has allowed the project to treat more than 60 acres of mine waste deposits, to restore more than 4,000 feet of stream bank, and to raise more than $2 million in grant funding. The project has also enhanced the aquatic ecosystem of the main stem of Kerber Creek, encouraging the brook trout population that returned as a result of the 1990s cleanup efforts and even attracting brown trout from San Luis Creek, into which Kerber Creek ultimately flows. Furthermore, the partnership has helped to ensure that these improvements remain protected by beginning the process to acquire minimum in-stream flow rights for almost the entire length of Kerber Creek and two of its major tributaries. In recognition of these impressive achievements, the Kerber Creek Restoration Project has received six major awards at the regional, state, and national levels.

These accomplishments could not have been achieved without the help of numerous volunteers, who have contributed more than 13,000 hours to the project over the past six years. Brady and Jane Farrell, heavily involved members of the Bonanza Stakeholders Group, summarized their experience with the project in October, 2011:

“All in all, we believe this project has been a success in every way. We owe a huge debt of thanks to this project, its staff and to the members and volunteers of the various agencies that have worked with us to clean up and improve Kerber Creek… We feel lucky to be part of the Kerber Creek Stakeholders group.”

While the restoration of the Kerber Creek watershed is far from over, the project serves as a reminder of the importance of collaboration, persistence, and patience to the conservation and preservation of Colorado’s water resources. Over the past six years, the Kerber Creek Restoration Project has attempted to narrow the gap between an ecosystem degraded by the environmental effects of human activities and an ecosystem created and sustained by natural processes. Though the methods may differ, the principles remain the same; strong, lasting partnerships, the involvement of all interested stakeholders, and data-driven initiatives are required to ensure that Colorado’s water resources are protected for present and future generations.

More Upper Rio Grande River Basin coverage here and here.

Broomfield: Discussion of irrigation techniques and sprinkler systems Saturday

From the Broomfield Enterprise (Mike McNulty):

The beauty of the Rocky Mountains is undeniable, especially when viewed from the plains. Unfortunately, these beautiful mountains create a rain shadow effect that limits the amount of precipitation the Front Range receives. Last year was a dry year, and despite the recent round of snows, this year could be another. We are already behind in moisture when compared to normal, and there is a possibility that some form of water restriction will be implemented this growing season.

The Colorado Water Institute, an affiliate of Colorado State University, estimates that more than 50 percent of residential water consumption is used for landscape irrigation. With good water conservation practices and efficient use of this precious commodity, homeowners can drastically reduce this percentage while sustaining gardens and turf…

As part of the Gardening Recycling Energy Environment Nature Program Series presented by Broomfield’s Parks and Environmental Services departments, a discussion of irrigation techniques and sprinkler systems will be at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Broomfield Recycling Center, 225 Commerce St. The program is free.

More water conservation tips can be found at ext.colostate.edu/drought/eff_landscape.html.

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More conservation coverage here.

Colorado River Basin: Recent study by the Bureau of Reclamation highlights future supply problems #coriver

Here’s a guest column running in The Denver Post, written by Allen Best, that gives an overview of the current state of the Colorado River. Click through and read the whole article. Here’s an excerpt:

Tow icebergs from Alaska? Pilfer from a tributary of the Yellowstone River in Wyoming? Or, even sneak water from the Snake, boring a 6-mile tunnel from a reservoir near Jackson Hole to the Green River? While it’s sure to make Idaho’s spud farmers cranky, it would help Tucson, Los Angeles and that parched paradigm of calculated risk, Las Vegas.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and everybody else with a megaphone has carefully branded these ideas as improbable or worse. Only slightly more credible is the idea of a pipeline from the Mississippi River. It could originate near Memphis, traverse 1,040 miles and, if reaching Castle Rock, rise 6,000 feet in elevation. Pumping would require a steady 800 megawatts of electricity, or a little more than what the Comanche 3 power plant in Pueblo produces.

In theory, this 600,000-acre feet of muddy Mississippi would replace diversions from the Colorado River headwaters between Grand Lake and Aspen. Those diversions range between 450,000 and 600,000 acre-feet annually. That would leave the creeks and rivers to the whims of gravity and geography, at least until arriving at Las Vegas and other places with growing thirst.
Cheap water? Not exactly: It would cost $2,400 per acre-foot for this Memphis-flavored sludge, assuming the idea isn’t grounded by protests from barge and riverboat operators. (Sometimes they, too, say they need more water.)

More Colorado River Basin coverage here and here.

EPA: Fix a leak week March 18-24 #codrought

From the Environmental Protection Agency Watersense Program:

Did you know that the average American family can waste, on average, more than 11,000 gallons of water every year due to running toilets, dripping faucets, and other household leaks?

Nationwide, more than 1 trillion gallons of water leak from U.S. homes each year. That’s why WaterSense reminds Americans to check their plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems each year during Fix a Leak Week.

WaterSense is teaming up with our partners to promote the fifth annual Fix a Leak Week, March 18-24, 2013.

From New Mexico’s search for bad flappers to leak detection efforts in Texas, West Virginia and across the nation, explore our list of some of the Fix a Leak Week 2012 events.

#FixALeak Week is coming March 18-24! Greeley has a leak-fixing workshop on March 23 at Home Depot in Greeley @ 2 pm. greeleygov.com/water/Announce…

— Greeley Water Dept. (@greeleywater) February 27, 2013

SB13-183 would allow homeowners under HOA agreements to choose xeriscape over turf #coleg

SB 183 promotes the use of xeriscape when homeowners choose that over lawns. This is a great way to save #water during #codroughts #coleg

— ConservationColorado (@ConservationCO) February 26, 2013

Click here to read the bill.

Williams Fork: A Middle Park Land Trust conservation easement protects the 117-acre Blue Ridge Ranch

From the Sky-Hi Daily News:

The Middle Park Land Trust recently accepted its 63rd conservation easement, protecting the 117-acre Blue Ridge Ranch located in the Williams Fork Valley. This conservation easement, like all easements, will protect the property’s scenic and agricultural open space and its quality natural habitat in perpetuity.

Characterized by upland sagebrush, wetlands, riparian habitat, and aspen and conifer forests, Blue Ridge Ranch provides habitat for a variety of wildlife, birds, fish and insects. The easement provides a link between the habitat on the property and that on surrounding public and private lands, as well as connecting adjacent and nearby conservation properties that have already been protected in the Williams Fork Valley…

With the Blue Ridge Ranch Conservation Easement, the land trust now holds 63 easements on 6,954 acres.

More Colorado River Basin coverage here.

Flaming Gorge Task Force: ‘I felt we set the groundwork to move forward’ — Reed Dils

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

Colorado still needs to look at projects to bring in new water supplies despite a state water board’s decision last month to put the Flaming Gorge pipeline task force on ice. The Arkansas Basin Roundtable, the main proponent of the task force, still supports dialogue with other state roundtables on the subject and getting the statewide Interbasin Compact Committee to tackle the issue head­-on.

“It’s time we start looking at issues,” said Jeris Danielson, who represents the roundtable on the IBCC. The IBCC has adopted a “four­legged stool” that includes new supply along with identified projects, conservation and agricultural transfers.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board in January voted to suspend funding for the task force, saying the committee was duplicating work assigned to the IBCC. The group began its work in 2011 to determine issues surrounding two proposals to build water pipelines from southwestern Wyoming to Colorado’s Front Range.

“All of us thought the task force made good progress and had some good discussions on tough issues,” said Alan Hamel, who represents the Arkansas River basin on the CWCB. “Their thoughts will be folded into other work the CWCB is doing to move forward new­supply discussions.”

“I think the most important thing we did was establish a list of attributes for what constitutes a good project,” said Betty Konarski, a member of the task force.

“I felt we set the groundwork to move forward,” said Reed Dils, a task force member and former CWCB representative. “If we’re ever going to see another large project in the state, it will take the cooperation of all the roundtables.”

Roundtable Chairman Gary Barber, who also sat on the task force, said the group identified an immediate gap in agricultural water needs, and a municipal gap by 2020. It made no recommendation on whether or not to build a Flaming Gorge pipeline.

Danielson and Jay Winner, the other basin representative on the IBCC, vowed to press the IBCC to more action at its meeting in March.

More Flaming Gorge Task Force coverage here.