http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/ The health of our waters is the principal measure of how we live on the land. -- Luna Leopold Copyright 2008 John Orr Sun, 11 May 2008 15:31:29 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss Radio UserLand v8.2.1 jworr@opermail.com jworr@opermail.com rssUpdates 23 0 22 3 1 21 14 12 60 http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/11.html#a11375 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/flora/moongarder051108.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/flora/moongarder051108.jpg" width="85" height="64" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named moongarder051108.jpg"></a> <p>Happy Mothers Day to all you mothers out there. You know who you are. Our task today is to get Mrs. Gulch to slow down a bit, enjoy the day, take a walk or ride around the neighborhood. <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/redbudeverett.jpg">Redbuds</a> are in their <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/redbudvance.jpg">prime</a> around town and <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/redtulips.jpg">tulips</a> are popping up everywhere. Click on the thumb for a <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/flora/moongarder051108.jpg">virtual bouquet</a> from Mrs. Gulch's <i>Moon Garden</i>.</p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/11.html#a11375 Sun, 11 May 2008 14:21:25 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/11.html#a11374 <p><a href="http://cortezjournal.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/08/news080508_7.htm">From</a> <i>The Cortez Journal</i>: "The House voted 58-6 Tuesday for a proposed constitutional amendment backed by Rep. Ellen Roberts, R-Durango. The Senate followed with a 26-9 vote, meaning the question will go to voters in the November election. The measure, <a href="http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2008A/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/934AF90620731434872574050017B536?Open&file=SCR003_rr2.pdf">Senate Concurrent Resolution 3</a> [pdf], would raise the number of signatures that a citizens group needs to collect to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to about 93,000. Groups would have to collect 8 percent of their signatures from each of Colorado's seven Congressional districts. Roberts and other proponents reached a truce Monday with environmental groups that had been fighting the measure. It calls for petitioners to get 8 percent of their signatures in each of the state's seven Congressional districts -- down from 10 percent per district in the original bill. Environmentalists complained that only wealthy groups could have met the 10 percent requirement. Under the compromise, campaigns would have to gather about 7,500 signatures in each district."</p> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2008Election/">Denver November 2008 Election</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/11.html#a11374 Sun, 11 May 2008 14:00:57 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/11.html#a11373 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/yamparivereofmaybell.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/yamparivereofmaybell.jpg" width="85" height="64" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named yamparivereofmaybell.jpg"></a> <p><a href="http://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/2008/may/10/high_water_recedes/">From</a> <i>The Steamboat Pilot & Today</i>: "Floodwaters are receding and a flood advisory has expired in North Routt County...At a U.S. Geological Survey measuring station near Milner, the Elk River measured Friday at 174 percent of its historical average for May 9. The river was flowing at 3,150 cubic feet per second Friday, shy of the 3,580 cfs May 9 record set in 1920, according to the USGS Web site. That flow rate is a significant drop from Thursday's peak, when the river was flowing at 4,510 cfs shortly after 3 p.m., breaking the 3,250 cfs record set May 8, 1916."</p> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/11.html#a11373 Sun, 11 May 2008 13:54:24 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/11.html#a11372 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/waterfromtap.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/waterfromtap.jpg" width="64" height="101" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named waterfromtap.jpg"></a> <p>Here's a look at the <a href="http://www.fortmorgantimes.com/articles/2008/05/09/news/local_news/wiggins%20water_1.txt">Wiggins master plan</a>. for water, a work in progress, from <i>The Fort Morgan Times</i>. They write:</p> <blockquote>This one consists of a chance to buy 10 shares of Weldon Valley Ditch Co. water along with the farm they are attached to and another farm the town could use for wells. A water attorney is looking into whether or not these purchases would meet the needs of Wiggins and if they are economically feasible. In the meantime, the council is pursuing a contract with the farm owners that would give the town 120 days to research the plan, but would cost nothing if the council decides not to close on the deal, council members have said in the past. Those at the Legion Hall meeting were skeptical. "We need a lot more study on this stuff," said Leroy Repp, one of the speakers, and one of the candidates in the recent election who did not win a council seat. Jan Mayhan, who resigned her seat on the council after the election, has said in the past she would like to see some written details on more than one option, not just hear discussion about them. So far, the costs involved in anything but the Weldon Valley water have been undocumented, she said at the meeting. Along with others, she fears facing $200 to $300 water bills if things do not go right, she said. She wondered if all the details have been worked out. For instance, the infrastructure needed to bring the Weldon Valley water from the north could be cost-prohibitive. Not only would a line have to cross Interstate 76 and other roads, it would have to cross farmland, Mayhan said...</p> <p>Another problem is what a water court will do with the Weldon Valley water plan, Blauer said. If it is a year-to-year lease purchase as suggested, he asked if the water court would have to decide its legitimacy every year. One of the issues brought up at the meeting was a section of the Taxpayers Bill of Rights which says any multi-year financial obligation must go to a vote of the people. This means the issue must go to a vote, the panel said. However, many cities, towns and counties have done legal purchases by buying land or property under year-to-year lease-purchase plans. Each year, the governing body has to make the decision to pay a lease, instead of a one-time purchase. In this case, Wiggins would earn a certain amount of the water rights each year, and all of them if the contract is completed, some on the council have said...</p> <p>Frank Roehrich, who also resigned from the council after the election, talked about treating the water Wiggins has instead of buying more. He has informally talked with a Minnesota filtration company that says it could put a system on the current sewer plant for about $800,000 to clean up the nitrates in the water. That is much cheaper than buying water rights, he said. This is not a new idea. It has been brought up at the council before, but a problem with filtration or reverse osmosis is the loss of water in the process. Up to 50 percent of the water can be lost, several people have said over the past year. Roehrich denied those figures, saying water that might be wasted could be recycled and reclaimed by using a holding pond. The advantage of this plan would be that Wiggins would stay in control of its water and not answerable to the state water court, he said.</blockquote> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/11.html#a11372 Sun, 11 May 2008 13:50:04 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/11.html#a11371 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/greatlakes.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/greatlakes.jpg" width="86" height="64" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named greatlakes.jpg"></a> <p>There is a lot of sentiment from states around the Great Lakes to keep other states in the nation from raiding them as a source of fresh water. Despite the astronomical costs involved for energy, construction and permitting, some still think that we those of us west of the 100th meridian have our eyes on the lakes as a source for more growth. Here's an <a href="http://www.waterandwastewater.com/blog/archives/2008/05/great_lakes_not.shtml">update<a> on efforts to keep the Great Lakes Not for sale," embodied in a new book, <a href="http://www.tatteredcover.com/NASApp/store/Search;jsessionid=abcaxAXs-Wj7tdg6KHyNr?s=results&initiate=yes&ks=q&qsselect=KQ&title=&author=&qstext=Great+Lakes+for+Sale%3A+From+Whitecaps+to+Bottlecaps&x=8&y=7">Great Lakes for Sale: From Whitecaps to Bottlecaps</a>. From the review on <i>The Water and Wastewater Blog</i>:</p> <p>"In 'Great Lakes for Sale: From Whitecaps to Bottlecaps,' Dave Dempsey makes a case for a regional effort to make sure these waters are not for sale to or controlled by interests outside the region. While a system holding 18 percent of the world's -- 95 percent of the US -- fresh surface water supply may never be pumped dry, Dempsey worries its water level could be tragically lowered by those who would export to thirsty neighbors, domestic and foreign."</p> <p>Coyote Gulch wonders if they'd be willing to pipe some water down here to process oil shale? It would be a way for them to share in Colorado's pain. Colorado and the Great Lakes states, sister national sacrifice zones.</p> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/11.html#a11371 Sun, 11 May 2008 13:38:50 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/11.html#a11369 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/fountaincreekwatershed.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/fountaincreekwatershed.jpg" width="64" height="126" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named fountaincreekwatershed.jpg"></a> <p>Members of the Fountain Creek Foundation <a href="http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2008/05/11/news/local/doc4826904bd6ca7369914246.txt">toured</a> the site of a proposed Environmental Stewardship Center on Saturday, according to <i>The Pueblo Chieftain</i>. From the article:</p> <blockquote>The Fountain Creek Foundation, formed earlier this year, is trying to raise $4.75 million to develop an Environmental Stewardship Center on Fountain Creek north of the Pinon Bridge over Fountain Creek. "We believe this facility will inspire us all to focus on contributing to the good of all, both for present and future generations," said David Struthers, president of the foundation. Struthers is a Denver lawyer who grew up in Pueblo and in his early career worked in Colorado Springs. Struthers was joined by two other board members, Dr. Richard Lawrence of Pueblo and Rachael Wallace of La Junta, at Saturday's event, which was held to formally announce the formation of the foundation. A public celebration, featuring food and live entertainment, is being planned for July...</p> <p>The foundation was formed and the land donated because of the Fountain Creek Corridor Master Plan project jointly developed by the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District and Colorado Springs Utilities. The two-year, $600,000 project will produce a master plan for Fountain Creek, which is close to completion, and a pair of demonstration projects. The Environmental Stewardship Center will be the first of the projects, said Kevin Shanks, a landscape architect hired as a consultant for the master plan project. The center is anticipated to have several observation towers, from which wildlife and their habitat can be viewed, walking trails, bike paths and other outdoor attractions. It also will serve as a way to provide education about the ecosystems on the creek function and how they are affected by people, and there will be a companion Web site to provide information on the Internet.</blockquote> <p>More Coyote Gulch coverage <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hq=inurl%3A0101170&hl=en&suggon=0&sitesearch=radio.weblogs.com%2F&q=fountain+creek+management&btnG=Search">here</a>.</p> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/11.html#a11369 Sun, 11 May 2008 13:18:55 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11366 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/roaringfork.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/roaringfork.jpg" width="99" height="64" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named roaringfork.jpg"></a> <p><a href="http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20080508/NEWS/25894071">From</a> <i>The Aspen Times</i>: "Colorado's state climatologist will be one of the featured speakers at an annual meeting next week that focuses on issues in the Roaring Fork River watershed. The State of the River meeting will be held Tuesday, May 13, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Eagle County Building in El Jebel. State climatologist Nolan Doeskin will discuss local and statewide climate issues and their potential impacts on water supplies.</p> <p>The meeting will also feature a presentation by Xcel Energy on its Shoshone Hydro Plant in Glenwood Canyon. Fish biologist Bill Miller will share results from his assessment of the impact of a flash flood last summer on Seven Castles Creek. The creek pumped tons of sediment into the Fryingpan River after a heavy downpour last August. Miller was hired to assess the effects on the habitat for trout and bugs.</p> <p>The meeting is free and open to the public. The event is sponsored by the Colorado River District, the Roaring Fork Conservancy and the Ruedi Water and Power Authority. For more information contact Jim Pokrandt of the Colorado River District at 945-8522 x 236 or e-mail <a href="mailto:edinfo@crwcd.org">edinfo@crwcd.org</a>."</p> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11366 Sat, 10 May 2008 14:54:21 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11365 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/mtelbertforebayreservoir.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/mtelbertforebayreservoir.jpg" width="98" height="64" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named mtelbertforebayreservoir.jpg"></a> <p><a href="http://www.leadvillechronicle.com/home.php?content=article&article=2478&PHPSESSID=cc216691618a1ef9fd50ab9866b6547b">From</a> <i>The Leadville Chronicle</i>: "Lake County Commissioners and representatives from the United States Forest Service would like comments on their proposed improvements at the [<a href="http://www.secwcd.com/elbert.htm">Mount Elbert Forebay Dam and Reservoir</a>] within the next 30 days. The two entities are proposing to install a vault toilet, a parking area and what Lake County Commissioner Ken Olsen calls 'an unobtrusive boat ramp' at the reservoir."</p> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11365 Sat, 10 May 2008 14:46:36 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11364 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/watersprinkler.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/watersprinkler.jpg" width="64" height="107" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named watersprinkler.jpg"></a> <p>Boulder is relying on <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/ci_9200031">voluntary</a> water restrictions this summer, according to <i>The Denver Post</i>. From the article:</p> <blockquote>Boulder's bold move to go without mandatory water restrictions this summer is a result of its conscientious customer base, this winter's abundant snowpack and senior water rights portfolio, according to the city and a Boulder-based environmental policy center. The city expects its Boulder and Barker reservoirs to reach up to 96 percent full after the spring snowmelt. The reservoirs risk spilling over in early June, the city said. Boulder has had looser restrictions than its metro neighbors. The city has avoided drought conditions since 2003, when the city enacted a drought response plan that's kept its supply healthy with strict rules...</p> <p>Boulder is asking residents to do many of the same things Denver, Aurora and others are requiring: limit watering to three days a week, no watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and don't waster water. Boulder also will inspect residents' sprinklers for free to help detect leaks, and offer free advice on homeowners' other landscaping and watering issues. Without rules, Boulder still ranks just behind Denver, Aurora and Colorado Springs in reducing water use since before the last drought began in 2002, said Taryn Hutchins-Cabibi, a water analyst for Western Resource Advocates, a Boulder-based environmental law and policy city.</blockquote> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11364 Sat, 10 May 2008 14:35:08 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11363 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/science/fireworksmcnaughtlightning.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/science/fireworksmcnaughtlightning.jpg" width="100" height="39" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named fireworksmcnaughtlightning.jpg"></a> <p>The Nation Center for Atmospheric Research has a shiny new computer from IBM to help with <a href="http://www.dailytech.com/NCAR+Climate+WaterCooled+Supercomputer+Aims+to+Save+Lives/article11738.htm">climate analysis</a>, according to <i>DailyTech</i>. From the article:</p> <blockquote>It's a well known fact that developing realistic models to simulate climate change scenarios is a challenge, arduous, and cerebral task that currently is done rather poorly. Many models feature glaring flaws, and most models lag behind true prediction, trying to be able to repeat previous weather patterns as proof of concept that there future predictions will hold true. And most have trouble even doing that. Half of the equation is coming up with a better understanding of the math and physics driving the problem. The other half of the equation to improve the struggling weather modeling community is allocating more computing resources. Weather models take massive amounts of number crunching to generate semi-accurate results. The <a href="http://www.ncar.ucar.edu/">National Center for Atmospheric Research</a> (NCAR) is working to shore up the latter count with the addition of a massive new IBM supercomputer to its Boulder, CO research center. The center is arguably the nation's largest hotbed for climate and weather research. The new supercomputer, a Power 575 Hydro- Cluster, will not only allow it to improve its analysis, but also to conserve energy, thanks to an energy efficient design by IBM...</p> <p>Part of the use of the cluster will center on climate change. Researchers hope to analyze effects that warming (or cooling) might have on the environment, such as future patterns of precipitation, droughts, changes in growing seasons, and warming's influence on hurricanes. The system will also analyze severe weather in the present. Researchers hope to use the system's power to develop more accurate weather forecasting models. These models will in turn help to forewarn citizens of impending severe weather. With tornado deaths in the U.S. jumping from 67 to 81 between 2006 and 2007, and with 75 U.S. tornado casualties already this year, these models can literally be life-saving...</p> <p>One of the computer's first main tasks will be a heady and likely controversial one. The system will be tasked with developing climate simulations for use in the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN organization monitoring global warming and other climate change phenomena. The organization shared the Nobel Prize in 2007...</p> <p>NCAR is under the administration of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). The National Science Foundation (NSF) primarily sponsors the center's research. Other funding comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Defense (DOD), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).</blockquote> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/climatechange/">Climate Change News</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11363 Sat, 10 May 2008 14:24:56 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11362 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/southplattecanoe.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/southplattecanoe.jpg" width="85" height="64" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named southplattecanoe.jpg"></a> <p><a href="http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Stories/News/General-News/Story~468152.aspx">From</a> <i>YourHub.com</i>: "Arapahoe County and a coalition of 19 cities, towns and local organizations working to beautify and enhance the connectivity of the South Platte River, were honored April 30 by the Denver Regional Council of Governments for their efforts to work together to improve the river corridor. The South Platte Working Group received DRCOG's Metro Vision Gold Award - the agency's highest honor in the Collaboration category - which recognizes public and private sector partnerships and service to the Denver Metro area."</p> <p>More from the article:</p> <blockquote>The South Platte Working Group was convened by Arapahoe County in September 2006 as a collaborative, consensus-based, regional approach to protecting the South Platte River corridor. At that time, Arapahoe County believed that local governments could achieve much more along the corridor by working together rather than by working alone. In addition to Arapahoe County, the cooperating partners that make up the Working Group include: Trust for Public Land, South Suburban Parks and Recreation District, Great Outdoors Colorado, the cities of Englewood, Sheridan, Littleton, Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills Village and Centennial; the towns of Columbine Valley and Bow Mar, Arapahoe County Open Space and Trails Advisory Board, South Metro Land Conservancy, South Suburban Park Foundation, Colorado Water Conservation Board, Trout Unlimited, Urban Drainage and Flood Control District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...</p> <p>The first major project completed by the Working Group was the 2007 acquisition of a 2.6 acre wetlands open space parcel called the Oxbow Property, which is adjacent to the South Platte River. This project will protect water quality, wildlife habitat and scenic views. In December 2007, Great Outdoors Colorado awarded a $5.25 million grant - its second largest grant awarded in the State last year - to Arapahoe County and members of the South Platte Working Group for the South Platte Greenway Legacy project, which extends from Englewood to the Arapahoe Countyline south of Littleton. When combined with more than $20 million committed by the South Platte Working Group, this pool of money will enhance the South Platte River corridor as a recreational and habitat amenity by purchasing land from willing landowners to set aside for open space. Funds also will be used to construct recreational improvements, including nature education areas and trails.</blockquote> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11362 Sat, 10 May 2008 14:12:36 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11361 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/kayaker.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/kayaker.jpg" width="65" height="64" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named kayaker.jpg"></a> <p><a href="http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20080509/SPORTS/731943100">From</a> <i>The Vail Daily</i>: "Much like it did last year, Vail Resorts will donate water from its allotment upstream in the Homestake Reservoir for the Teva Games Steep Creek Championship. Vail Resorts will call for the release of water to produce 100 cubic feet per second (CFS) so it reaches the venue site of Homestake Creek between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. on June 5."</p> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11361 Sat, 10 May 2008 14:07:11 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11360 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/ruedidam.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/ruedidam.jpg" width="97" height="64" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named ruedidam.jpg"></a> <p>Here's some <a href="http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20080508/NEWS/534161631">runoff news</a> from <i>The Aspen Times</i>. From the article:</p> <blockquote>Ruedi Reservoir has been drained to about half of its capacity as the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation makes room for a high level of spring runoff. The reclamation bureau has cranked up water releases from the Ruedi dam throughout the late winter and spring. The release into the Fryingpan River is currently about 330 cubic feet per second, according to agency spokeswoman Kara Lamb. The water level in the reservoir is at about 55,000 acre feet...Ruedi holds 110,600 acre feet, although the federal agency figures the practical capacity is closer to 102,000 acre feet. Contrary to some suspicions, this isn't the historic low level. Lamb said the reservoir level dropped to about 46,100 acre feet in March and April of 2003. But the differences are immense, she noted. Back then, the water level was depleted because the inflow was so low during the draught of 2002. Now, the agency is purposely lowering the level to make way for the above average runoff. Snowpack is measured in three places in the upper Fryingpan Valley by another federal agency. The readings at those sites ranged from 9 percent to 93 percent above average yesterday.</blockquote> <p>More <a href="http://www.crestedbuttenews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=518&Itemid=40">runoff news</a> from <i>The Crested Butte News</i>. They write:</p> <blockquote>After filling completely last summer for the first time since 2002, Blue Mesa reservoir is currently sitting at half-full, as water officials prepare for large amounts of spring runoff. At the same time, citizens of Delta have voiced concerns about flooding, as they await peak flows from the North Fork of the Gunnison River to combine with releases from Blue Mesa. The Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District (UGRWCD) discussed the reservoir situation during a regular meeting on Monday, April 28. UGRWCD manager Frank Kugel said Blue Mesa was dropping at a fast rate. At press time, the reservoir was 49 percent full, according to information provided by the United States Bureau of Reclamation.</p> <p> UGRWCD attorney John McClow said strong flows were expected through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison throughout the spring, as Bureau of Reclamation water managers amp up water releases from Blue Mesa Reservoir, and other reservoirs in the Wayne Aspinall unit, to match an increasing amount of spring runoff. Aspinall also includes the Morrow Point and Crystal reservoirs. All three of the reservoirs were authorized in 1956 by the Colorado River Storage Project Act. The dams for each reservoir also generate hydroelectric power that is sold by the Western Area Power Administration, a division of the Department of Energy...</p> <p>McClow said earlier in the day the bureau increased the release rate for the Crystal Reservoir, the final dam in the Aspinall series. "They're running at the capacity of the tubes and power plants," McClow said of the hydroelectric dam. "They are planning to spill Crystal, at least twice," he said...But the large releases into the Black Canyon of the Gunnison are causing flooding concerns in Delta, where the North Fork River and Gunnison River meet. McClow said public officials in Delta were concerned that the flows coming out of Blue Mesa might combine with above-average flows on the North Fork during peak runoff, which can occur between May and June, depending on the temperature...</p> <p>Kugel said the runoff wasn't occurring as predicted, but local snow packs were decreasing steadily. At press time, the snow pack in the Gunnison Basin was holding 130 percent of the average water content. Kugel said, "Three weeks ago we were above the 1984 level[~]now we're below the 1994 level. It's a significant drop-off." Kugel said the declining snow conditions should alleviate local high-water concerns...</p> <p>The UGRWCD is also keeping a close eye on the Meridian Lake Reservoir, which the district owns as a supply of augmentation water. Augmentation water can be bought by other water users who run out of water or who are affected by a "call""[~]a situation where one water user has priority over another. Kugel visited the reservoir a few days before the meeting, noting it was 94 percent full. However, he said, the measuring meter was several feet under snow and he would be monitoring the reservoir for an expected spill.</blockquote> <p>More <a href="http://www.leadvilleherald.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=3677">coverage</a> from <i>The Leadville Chronicle</i>. They write:</p> <blockquote>Colorado's statewide snowpack dipped to 115 percent of average on May 1, which is the lowest statewide percentage reported since back on Jan. 1 when snowpack totals were 110 percent of average. This month's decrease in snowpack percentage marks the second consecutive month where statewide snowpack percentages have decreased. The highest statewide percentage was recorded on March 1 at 135 percent of average. Even with the decreasing snowpack percentages, Colorado's water supply outlook remains in excellent condition across the state. The lower-elevation snow melt has produced above-average stream flows in many basins during April. Meanwhile, runoff forecasts for the remainder of the spring and summer months continue to call for near-average to well-above-average volumes. The highest volumes, as a percent of average, remain across southern Colorado, where mid-winter storms brought impressive snowpack totals.</blockquote> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11360 Sat, 10 May 2008 13:49:32 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11358 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/science/studentslesherjhsamples.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/science/studentslesherjhsamples.jpg" width="64" height="94" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named studentslesherjhsamples.jpg"></a> <p><a href="http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2008/05/09/news/local/doc4823f031337e7644964819.txt">From</a> <i>The Pueblo Chieftain</i>: "It was just like being in school for 1,700 fourth- and fifth-graders at Thursday's Discover Water in Pueblo water festival at Colorado State University-Pueblo. Well, except that the classroom might have included a boat, fire or a collection of trash found in waterways. Oh, your "teacher" might have been a park ranger, mad scientist or water wizard. And, if you weren't careful, you might have gotten soaked by high school kids demonstrating how to swing irrigation siphons into place...The annual event is sponsored by Bureau of Reclamation, the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Pueblo Board of Water Works, St. Charles Mesa Water District, Pueblo West Metropolitan District and CSU-Pueblo." Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11358 Sat, 10 May 2008 13:48:34 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11355 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/flora/centgreatplainsakron.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/flora/centgreatplainsakron.jpg" width="64" height="68" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named centgreatplainsakron.jpg"></a> <p><a href="http://www.thecherrycreeknews.com/content/view/3063/2/">The Cherry Creek News</a> "Research from Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, and Kansas State University shows corn growers can safely delay the first irrigation without having a negative impact on yield. A nine-year field study was conducted in northwestern Kansas to evaluate the effects of delaying the first irrigation on corn grain yield and its physiological components. Results from the Pioneer-commissioned study at K-State Northwest Research and Extension Center in Colby, Kan., confirmed the corn vegetative stage prior to tasseling is the least sensitive to water stress."</p> <p>Meanwhile, here's an article about <a href="http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080510/NEWS01/805100353/1002/CUSTOMERSERVICE02">strip tillage</a> from <i>The Fort Collins Coloradoan</i>. From the article:</p> <blockquote>Being "green" matters to farmers in more ways than one. They like seeing the color of a healthy crop, having cash in their bank accounts and taking care of the planet, especially in these conservation-minded times. So it was with great interest that a few dozen Larimer County farmers gathered Friday morning to learn about a tilling technique marketed as a way to produce higher crop yields while saving money by cutting the consumption of fuel, water and fertilizer...</p> <p>Conventional tilling involves plowing the entire planting area and running over it several times with a tractor pulling various attachments to break up and soften soil. Strip tilling entails using a single tractor attachment that disturbs only the narrow areas where seeds will be planted. Strip-till machines furrow 10 to 12 inches into the soil and shape channels that eases the efficiency of getting water and fertilizer to the seeds. Seaworth said he used strip tilling on his fields for the first time this season and saved about 55 percent in fuel costs. The technique combined with high-tech equipment, such as a global positioning system, allows for the precise application of fertilizer. Seaworth said he expects to cut his fertilizer expenses by a third. Fertilizer runs about $700 a ton. Tilling robs the soil of moisture, he said. The strip technique reduces that loss, leaving enough moisture for a crop to get started without irrigation. "If you have to irrigate (a crop) up, you use a lot of water, and it's really expensive," he said.</p> <p>The presentation was sponsored by the Seaworths, the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Larimer County branch of Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, local soil conservation districts, as well as manufacturers of farm equipment.</blockquote> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11355 Sat, 10 May 2008 13:46:40 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11353 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/coloradorivergranby.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/coloradorivergranby.jpg" width="100" height="63" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named coloradorivergranby.jpg"></a> <p>Here's a <a href="http://www.skyhidailynews.com/article/20080508/NEWS/630773938">recap</a> of this weeks "State of the River" conference hosted by the Colorado River District in Granby, from <i>The Sky-Hi Daily News</i>. From the article:</p> <blockquote>At the State of the River meeting hosted by the Colorado River District in Granby on Tuesday, Denver Water Manager Chips Barry commented the water supplier is working to "mitigate the past" as it takes care of the future. The statement comes as Denver Water seeks to develop 18,000 acre-feet per year of new water to Denver users by developing a Moffat collection system. That means an added 10,000 to 11,000 acre-feet of water annually could be diverted from Grand County during wet seasons.</p> <p>The Denver Water system already operates 16 reservoirs, 690,000 acre-feet of storage, four transmountain diversions, five canals, and three treatment plants to deliver drinking water to 1.2 million customers. Due to growth, it's predicted Denver Water's supply versus demand will hit a 34,000 acre-feet shortfall by 2030, according to information presented by Travis Bray of the Moffat project. At present, the draft environmental impact statement for the Moffat project is being finalized and will be under agency review through July. The Army Corps of Engineers is scheduled to release the draft at the end of September for public review with a final EIS and record of decision by mid-2009.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Grand County is pumping up negotiations with Denver Water commissioners as the county's Stream Management Plan seeks to provide hard science to the city water supplier and the Northern Water Conservancy District on the Front Range. The stream management plan, it's believed, will show how and why West Slope rivers should be protected in spite of future firming projects. And in what seems to be a first, Denver Water is hinting at rectifying any problems initial diversions have caused to the Fraser River, at least in the eyes of Grand County Commissioner and Colorado River District board member James Newberry. He says he is optimistic that new members on the Denver Water Board seem to be in-tune with possible environmental issues on the West Slope, going so far as to call it an "environmentally friendly Denver Water Board" that is disinclined to "destroy one area of the state to benefit another." Denver Water and Grand County have agreed to a contracted facilitator for negotiations that are under way. Both sides have established what the other wants, Newberry said, and are ready to pound out agreements in six to eight more meetings.</blockquote> <p>Thansk to <a href="http://ctunewsblog.wordpress.com/2008/05/09/denver-water-board-extends-olive-branch-to-west-slope/">Colorado Trout Unlimited</a> for the link.</p> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/10.html#a11353 Sat, 10 May 2008 13:45:15 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/09.html#a11351 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/fountaincreekwatershed.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/fountaincreekwatershed.jpg" width="64" height="126" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named fountaincreekwatershed.jpg"></a> <p>Here's a <a href="http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2008/05/09/news/local/doc4823ef0bb0d00952789411.txt">recap</a> of a recent briefing on Fountain Creek to the Pueblo County Commissioners, from <i>The Pueblo Chieftain</i>. From the article:</p> <blockquote>The Pueblo County Board of Commissioners on Thursday received a brief update on the Fountain Creek Corridor Master Plan. The commissioners heard from Jay Winner, general manager for the Lower Arkansas Water Conservancy District, and Colorado Springs Utilities' Carol Baker on the progress of the master plan, which could provide solutions to the creek's propensity to meander, flood and disperse sediment downstream. Baker said there are five goals to the plan. The first is to improve the watershed's health and reduce erosion and sedimentation. Baker showed the commissioners a photograph of a healthy portion of the creek that includes a wide floodplain to allow the creek to meander and plenty of trees and brush to slow the flow of water when the creek floods. She also showed a slide of an unhealthy portion of the creek, where its flow is blocked on one side by a wall, which speeds the water and forces it into new channels, causing more erosion. One possible solution to that portion of the river is to build oxbows, or small dams, to handle flooding, create a more meandering pattern to the creek and slow the water, Winner said. The other goals of the plan are creating riparian and wetland systems, providing productive agricultural lands, building a trail system with educational opportunities and gaining public and private support for the eventual solutions.</blockquote> <p>More Coyote Gulch coverage <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hq=inurl%3A0101170&hl=en&suggon=0&sitesearch=radio.weblogs.com%2F&q=fountain+creek+management&btnG=Search">here</a>.</p> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/09.html#a11351 Fri, 09 May 2008 12:25:28 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/09.html#a11350 <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=1829677"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/science/ldmtcollapse.jpg" width="88" height="64" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named ldmtcollapse.jpg"></a> <p>Here's an <a href="http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=91394">update</a> on the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel from <i>9News.com</i>. From the article:</p> <blockquote>Two Colorado lawmakers made another push to get the Bureau of Reclamation to find a permanent fix to the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel (LMDT) problem. U.S. Rep Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado) and Rep. Mark Udall (D-Colorado) want to force the Bureau of Reclamation to implement a permanent fix to alleviate the possibility of a catastrophic blowout at the LMDT. The Bureau of Reclamation said it wants to wait for study results, expected in June, before they decide on a permanent solution to blowout concerns...</p> <p>Peter Soeth, spokesman for the Bureau of Reclamation, told 9Wants to Know on Thursday, that any legislative move requesting or forcing the Bureau of Reclamation to take immediate action is premature. "The risk assessment is not delaying any actions. The risk assessment will identify, if any, conditions that may need action. Once we know what those conditions are, if any, we can then proceed with looking at the most effective long-term solution," said Soeth. But Udall said he worries the Bureau of Reclamation may choose not to act. "We are going to continue to push [for action,] if they are going to stall now, maybe they are going to stall further," said Udall. Soeth has noted previously that the EPA is already pumping trapped water from the Leadville Mountain at the Gaw shaft. The EPA also plans to drill a new vertical well into the LMDT and begin pumping water from a second location by mid-June. The EPA agreed to pump trapped water out of the tunnel to alleviate building pressure that some worry could cause a blowout at the tunnel's opening.</blockquote> <p>More <a href="http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2008/05/09/news/local/doc4823f12fa03a4414518476.txt">coverage</a> from <i>The Pueblo Chieftain</i>. They write:</p> <blockquote>Like tag-team wrestlers, Colorado Reps. Mark Udall and Doug Lamborn took turns working over the federal Bureau of Reclamation on Thursday for opposing legislation to force that agency to take responsibility for fixing the collapsed Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel. Lamborn, the Republican whose 5th Congressional District includes Leadville, said his bill would settle the question of which federal agency must take charge of fixing the blocked mine tunnel and controlling the contaminated water that has threatened to leak into the Arkansas River. "I don't see how the Bureau can claim it has title to the mine tunnel but not take responsibility for clearing the blockage," Lamborn said in a telephone press conference with Udall, the 2nd District Democrat who is also running for the Senate...</p> <p>Udall was particularly critical that Reclamation officials said they needed to wait until June to complete a study of the tunnel's conditions and whether interim steps, such as drilling a second channel, were relieving the environmental danger. Robert Quint, the bureau's director of operations, testified that a relief well is being drilled under the direction of the Environmental Protection Agency. "Once the EPA relief well is completed in June and water can be pumped from (the tunnel), any immediate risk should be alleviated and more information about the needs for ensuring the safety of the tunnel and long-term options can be assessed," Quint said...</p> <p>Of course, Congress usually moves slowly, too, and it is more likely Reclamation will get to complete its tunnel study this June, undisturbed by the Lamborn-Udall legislation. Asked how they intended to get their bill through the House and Senate in the next 30 days, Udall said, "Any way we can. We believe there is bipartisan support for this measure and we will attach it to the first bill going through the House that we can."</blockquote> <p>More Coyote Gulch coverage <a href="http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=leadville+mining+district&btnG=Search&sitesearch=radio.weblogs.com%2F&hq=inurl%3A0101170">here</a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hq=inurl%3A0101170&hl=en&suggon=0&sitesearch=radio.weblogs.com%2F&q=leadville+mine+drainage+tunnel&btnG=Search">here</a>.</p> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/09.html#a11350 Fri, 09 May 2008 12:19:31 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/09.html#a11349 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/coloradorivereaglecounty.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/coloradorivereaglecounty.jpg" width="64" height="99" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named coloradorivereaglecounty.jpg"></a> <p>Here's some <a href="http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20080508/NEWS/6953266/0/FRONTPAGE">runoff news</a> from <i>The Summit Daily News</i>. They write:</p> <blockquote>The Colorado River Basin is in good shape this year. Runoff will fill all reservoirs in the upper basin in the next few months. Green Mountain Reservoir should fill by mid-July and hold steady through the summer recreation months, said the Bureau of Reclamation's Ron Thomasson, outlining summer water operations during Wednesday's state of the river meeting in Frisco. Dillon Reservoir will also fill. In fact, Denver Water is facing a potential problem of very high inflows during peak runoff. Combined, the Blue River, the Snake River and Tenmile Creek could pour as much as 3,000 cubic feet per second into the reservoir during peak runoff, although odds are the peak flows will stay a bit lower than that, at around 2,200 cfs, according to resource engineer Bob Steger. Even at that rate, Denver Water will be challenged to maintain a balance between maintaining water for boating levels in Dillon Reservoir, meeting downstream demand and trying to limit flooding downstream of the reservoir, Steger said. To make room for the runoff, Denver Water started dropping the level of the reservoir earlier than usual. The Roberts Tunnel, which diverts water from the West Slope to the South Platte drainage, was just turned on a few days ago, and Denver Water is currently letting about 500 cfs flow out of the reservoir and into the Lower Blue.</blockquote> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/09.html#a11349 Fri, 09 May 2008 12:06:12 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/09.html#a11348 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/fauna/whoopingcranes.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/fauna/whoopingcranes.jpg" width="69" height="64" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named whoopingcranes.jpg"></a> <p><a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/may/08/bushs-signature-gives-go-ahead-for-platte-plan/">From</a> <i>The Rocky Mountain News</i>: "President Bush gave final approval for a Platte River recovery plan on Thursday when he signed a massive natural resources bill into law [<a href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-2739">S. 2739: Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008</a>]. The recovery plan, backed by Sens. Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar, of Colorado, and their counterparts from Nebraska, is meant to protect endangered or threatened species while allowing continued water use and development along the river. It sets aside $157 mdillion as the federal share of implementing the agreement, first signed by the governors of Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming with the Interior Department in 2006."</p> <p>More <a href="http://www.theindependent.com/news/x1623077523/Platte-recovery-plan-signed-into-law">coverage</a> from <i>The Grand Island Independent</i>. From the article:</p> <blockquote>Following a decade old struggle to address Platte River problems with endangered and threatened species, President Bush on Thursday signed into law legislation to implement the federal share of the Platte River recovery implementation plan. The plan is part of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, which was sponsored by Nebraska U.S. Sens. Ben Nelson and Chuck Hagel...</p> <p>The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to proceed with the program and includes $157 million to carry it out. The cost will be shared 50/50 by the states and federal government. Through the program the states will provide benefits for the endangered and threatened species as well as land, water, and scientific monitoring and research to evaluate benefits of the program. Now that the bill has been signed into law, Ron Bishop, manager of the Central Platte Natural Resources District, said the next step is to "start building projects...That will open them up to start acquiring the land and water that they need," Bishop said. Two of the big goals of the recovery plan are to increase flows in the Platte River and create new habitat to benefit the four endangered and threatened species the program is designed to protect. The species are the endangered interior least tern, whooping crane, pallid sturgeon and the threatened piping plover...</p> <p>The plan proposes to acquire 10,000 acres of new habitat. The proposed area is between Lexington and Chapman, which is within the Central Platte NRD. Bishop said once that land is acquired, the project will still pay property taxes on the land to lessen the impact on local governments and school districts. The plan also proposes to acquire between 130,000 to 150,000 acre feet of water. Bishop said they have already lined up 80,000 acre feet of water, which will be needed to accomplish the goal of increasing river flows to benefit the threatened and endangered species.</blockquote> <p>More Coyote Gulch coverage <a href="http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=platte+river+recovery+plan&btnG=Search&sitesearch=radio.weblogs.com%2F&hq=inurl%3A0101170">here</a>.</p> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/09.html#a11348 Fri, 09 May 2008 12:01:00 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/09.html#a11347 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/derrick.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/derrick.jpg" width="64" height="67" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named derrick.jpg"></a> <p><a href="http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/may/09/bush-approves-water-recovery-bill/">From</a> <i>The Boulder Daily Camera</i>: "Federal legislation [<a href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-1116">s. 1116</a>] to explore putting groundwater pumped out during oil and gas production to use was signed into law Thursday. The bill signed by President Bush directs the Interior Department to assess the feasibility of recovering and cleaning up the millions of gallons of water that are reinjected into the ground or disposed of during oil and gas development. The water's fate has become contentious as natural gas development has increased in the Rockies. Large volumes of water are pumped out during coal-bed methane production. Pumping groundwater relieves the pressure that traps the gas in the coal seams. 'Every day, 2 million gallons of produced water are wasted in this nation, unfit for any use,' said Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Denver, one of the bill's sponsors. New Mexico Sens. Jeff Bingaman, a Democrat, and Pete Domenici, a Republican, and Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., were the other sponsors."</p> <p>More Coyote Gulch coverage <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hq=inurl%3A0101170&hl=en&suggon=0&sitesearch=radio.weblogs.com%2F&q=s+1116&btnG=Search">here</a>.</p> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/09.html#a11347 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:57:06 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/09.html#a11346 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/nisp2.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/nisp2.jpg" width="64" height="76" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named nisp2.jpg"></a> <p><i>The Greeley Tribune</i> editorial board is <a href="http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20080509/TRIBEDIT/310758176">in favor of building Glade Reservoir</a> and the Northern Integrated Supply Project. They write:</p> <blockquote>...in the West, water is more valuable than gold -- and particularly, stored water. Without it, major metro areas like Phoenix and Los Angeles wouldn't be able to exist like they do today, and closer to home, much of the Eastern Slope of Colorado wouldn't be able to accommodate the population and agricultural practices vital to the region's economy. It just doesn't rain enough, and regularly enough, from year to year for us to live and farm without a water reserve (even with groundwater aquifers, the allocation of which is another story altogether). And that brings us to Glade Reservoir, a massive, $426 million proposal that, if built, would provide 40,000 acre-feet of water each year, enough for 80,000 families. This is no small undertaking...</p> <p>Such a project isn't without consequences -- at times the river's flow could slow to a trickle through Fort Collins and farther downstream -- and thus isn't without critics. The fight to get the Glade Reservoir built may create as much ill will as with the doomed Two Forks Dam proposed on the South Platte River in the 1980s. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on April 30 issued the draft environmental impact statement for the Northern Integrated Supply Project, which includes Glade and another reservoir, Galeton, east of Ault. The 700-page draft is a required step in the process, and it did nothing to sway either proponents or opponents of the project, which wasn't unexpected. Critics of the project have called it a Band-Aid, because the 40,000 acre-feet the Glade Reservoir would supply is just the bare minimum of water we'll need in the future. If that's the case, what will our future be like without it?</p> <p>Conservation alone is not enough. And it strikes us as disingenuous for critics -- many of whom reside Fort Collins and are fairly new to the state -- to look down their noses downstream and tell Colorado natives and other third- and fourth-generation farmers they need to change their lifestyles and conserve more. Farmers are the ultimate conservationists -- their survival depends on it. Stricter water-use policies are worth considering, but low-flow toilets and xeriscaped yards won't help irrigate corn fields or provide water for the growing population, which is expected to be more than 500,000 in Weld County come 2035. Much of the region's prosperity can be credited to the visionaries in the 1930s who pushed for and built the Colorado-Big Thompson water project, which brings water from the Western Slope to the Front Range. It's time -- past time, actually -- for us to do something to provide water for future generations. It just doesn't make sense for us to watch so much "gold," particularly in years like this when the mountain snowpack is so great, flow downstream to Nebraska and beyond, when instead we could hang on to some of it for a non-rainy day.</blockquote> <p>More Coyote Gulch coverage <a href="http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=northern+integrated+supply+project&btnG=Search&sitesearch=radio.weblogs.com%2F&hq=inurl%3A0101170">here</a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hq=inurl%3A0101170&hl=en&suggon=0&sitesearch=radio.weblogs.com%2F&q=glade+reservoir&btnG=Search">here</a>.</p> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/09.html#a11346 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:47:25 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/08.html#a11345 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/family/nscroquetgame108.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/family/nscroquetgame108.jpg" width="70" height="64" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named nscroquetgame108.jpg"></a> <p>From email from <i>The North Side Croquet Club</i>: "Big winner last night was John...Also winning their games were Dave S, Shane, Kevin and Doug. Jess and Eric got Wicket kills.</p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/08.html#a11345 Fri, 09 May 2008 00:43:33 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/08.html#a11344 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/science/hurricane.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/science/hurricane.jpg" width="80" height="64" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named hurricane.jpg"></a> <p><a href="http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1933">USGS:</a> "USGS is providing Landsat satellite imagery to aid rescue and recovery efforts in Myanmar in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis's landfall on May 3. International emergency response teams are using the Landsat images to assess the extent of flood damage caused by the cyclone in the affected region. The first maps of the area derived from the Landsat satellite were provided to waiting agencies within hours of the initial request. The USGS provides Landsat imagery to other participating agencies under an agreement known as the International Charter Space and Major Disasters (Space Charter)."</p> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/climatechange/">Climate Change News</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/08.html#a11344 Thu, 08 May 2008 23:49:14 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/08.html#a11342 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/blueriver.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/water/blueriver.jpg" width="85" height="64" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named blueriver.jpg"></a> <p><a href="http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20080506/NEWS/762903929">From</a> <i>The Summit Daily News</i>: "Anglers, rafters, landowners and wildlife biologists will form a nonprofit group to help develop a management plan for the lower Blue River, but commercial raft operators feel left out of the process. The 15-mile reach downstream of Green Mountain Reservoir is considered to be a relatively pristine stretch of water, although flows are mostly dependent on releases from the reservoir. Overcrowding and competition between different user groups, along with trespassing and conflicts about access, are affecting natural resources and the user experience, according to County Commissioner Tom Long. At the latest in a series of meetings aimed at developing a management plan, the major stakeholders agreed to formalize their involvement with formation of a nonprofit."</p> <p>More from the article:</p> <blockquote>Early talks have included ideas like permits and overall caps on river use. Once it's formed, the nonprofit group will "hang some meat on the bones of the plan," Long said. As envisioned, the group's role would be advisory to the Bureau of Land management and the U.S. Forest Service. Those agencies wouldn't be obligated to accept the recommendations, Long said. A nonprofit organization could also be set up to accept donations and disburse the funds to provide needed signage and perhaps even pay for a patrol officer, Long said. "Doing nothing is not an option. There will be a plan," Long said. "This is the only way locals really get to have a say in local management," he added. Working toward a management plan along the Lower Blue hasn't been without controversy. At a late winter meeting in Silverthorne, some local residents said the entire effort is skewed toward protecting private landowner interests at the expense of public access. That section of the Blue River was also recently identified as possibly qualifying for the federal Wild and Scenic River program. Long said the push toward local management is on a separate track, but the potential for wild and scenic designation certainly looms as a factor in the discussions.</blockquote> <p>Here's the link to the <a href="http://www.co.summit.co.us/Documents4Review/lower_blue.html"> Draft Lower Blue River Cooperative Management Plan</a>.</p> Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradowater/">Colorado Water</a> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/coloradoWater/2008/05/08.html#a11342 Thu, 08 May 2008 13:05:18 GMT