Coyote Gulch

Fountain Creek management

Fri, 09 May 2008 12:25:28 GMT

Here's a recap of a recent briefing on Fountain Creek to the Pueblo County Commissioners, from The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:

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.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

Category: Colorado Water

Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel update

Fri, 09 May 2008 12:19:31 GMT

Here's an update on the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel from 9News.com. From the article:

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...

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.

More coverage from The Pueblo Chieftain. They write:

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...

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...

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."

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Category: Colorado Water

Runoff

Fri, 09 May 2008 12:06:12 GMT

Here's some runoff news from The Summit Daily News. They write:

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.

Category: Colorado Water

Platte River Recovery Program funding

Fri, 09 May 2008 12:01:00 GMT

From The Rocky Mountain News: "President Bush gave final approval for a Platte River recovery plan on Thursday when he signed a massive natural resources bill into law [S. 2739: Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008]. 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."

More coverage from The Grand Island Independent. From the article:

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...

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...

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.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

Category: Colorado Water

S. 1116, More Water, More Energy, and Less Waste Act of 2007

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:57:06 GMT

From The Boulder Daily Camera: "Federal legislation [s. 1116] 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."

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

Category: Colorado Water

Northern Integrated Supply Project

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:47:25 GMT

The Greeley Tribune editorial board is in favor of building Glade Reservoir and the Northern Integrated Supply Project. They write:

...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...

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?

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.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Category: Colorado Water

North Side Croquet Club Game 1

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:43:33 GMT

From email from The North Side Croquet Club: "Big winner last night was John...Also winning their games were Dave S, Shane, Kevin and Doug. Jess and Eric got Wicket kills.

Nargis ravages Myanmar

Thu, 08 May 2008 23:49:14 GMT

USGS: "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)."

Category: Climate Change News

? for President?

Thu, 08 May 2008 23:47:14 GMT

Politco has a nifty Superdelegate chart. Thanks to Political Wire for the link.

And from Politics West: "Three Dem superdelegates in Colorado's congressional delegation remain uncommitted after the latest primaries in N.C. and Indiana. Rep. John Salazar, Sen. Ken Salazar and Rep. Mark Udall have said they want to wait until after the final primary on June 3 to name their picks, according to Denver Post reporter Anne Mulkern."

Don Surber: "In the end, the next president will not be judged by the color of his skin or the Loony Tunes he has met over the years. He will be chosen by the content of his character."

Category: 2008 Presidential Election

Draft Lower Blue River Cooperative Management Plan

Thu, 08 May 2008 13:05:18 GMT

From The Summit Daily News: "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."

Energy policy: Geothermal

Thu, 08 May 2008 12:51:29 GMT

Mt. Princeton Geothermal LLC briefed Chaffee County residents on potential plans to tap geothermal energy to produce electricity on Monday, according to The Mountain Mail. From the article:

About 80 people, including residents and investment bankers, attended a presentation Monday about generating electric power in Chaffee County using geothermal energy. Mt. Princeton Geothermal LLC personnel want to use new technology to access abundant geothermal resources in the area...

The process pumps naturally heated water to the surface where it is used to heat fluid that in turn drives a turbine generating electricity. The spring water is returned to the ground. "The size and scope of the facility depends on the reservoir of hot water we find," [Fred Henderson III, local property owner and chief scientist for the company] said. "We are thinking a 10 megawatt facility is a reasonable objective."[...]

Henderson continued, "This is a nonconsumptive resource. We can go to extreme depth to get water with little or no impact to existing water." Mount Princeton Hot Springs, a partner in the venture, is considering installation of one of the generating units for its use. As a first step, Colorado School of Mines students will conduct geophysical surveys. "This is completely non-invasive research," Henderson said. "They will produce useful data for water studies of the area." The group, based at Deer Valley Ranch, will be in the Buena Vista area beginning May 11, and will remain about two weeks. Questions and inquiries may be addressed to Henderson at hendcos@msn.com.

Category: Climate Change News

Lower Arkansas Valley Super Ditch Company

Thu, 08 May 2008 12:32:50 GMT

Say hello to the Lower Arkansas Valley Super Ditch Company. An agreement forming the company was signed Wednesday reports The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:

Shareholders from six Arkansas Valley ditches joined forces Wednesday to market a portion of their water through the Lower Arkansas Valley Super Ditch Co. About 40 water rights owners - some of whom own thousands of acres of farmland - signed on to the new venture, incorporated with the secretary of state's office and selected officers Wednesday at the offices of the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District, which has pushed the Super Ditch for nearly two years. The Super Ditch will negotiate water leases - one time sales of water that do not change water rights ownership - between shareholders in the company and water users.

[A] steering committee...traveled to Palo Verde Irrigation District in Blythe, Calif., last year to look at the possibilities of forming a water marketing cooperative. Palo Verde has a long-term deal with the Metropolitan Water District, leasing water gained by leaving a portion of the farm ground fallow. The same concept will be applied in the Arkansas Valley under the Super Ditch, which will be able to pool water from a large selection of water rights in the Catlin, Fort Lyon, High Line, Holbrook, Otero and Oxford canals. The Super Ditch will not own or control any water, but serve to negotiate leases between water rights owners and users. Bessemer, which sent members to steering committee meetings, did not have anyone on hand to sign up, so was removed from the articles of incorporation. The High Line Canal board of directors, who signed on to a long-term lease agreement with Aurora last month, have not endorsed the project, but several shareholders from the canal signed up Wednesday. The Super Ditch bylaws require that individual ditch boards approve all leases. In some cases, that means bylaws will have to be changed...

The Lower Ark district, which has spent $600,000 in legal, engineering and economic studies has offered its staff to remain in place to serve the Super Ditch. The district has also received a $150,000 grant through the Arkansas Basin Roundtable to study certain aspects of the project and has applied for a $450,000 grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board to look at alternative water leasing programs. "The Lower Ark district is the only reason we got this done," said Dale Mauch, a Lamar farmer on the Fort Lyon Canal. "We had to have someone bring us together. The Fort Lyon was started in 1860 and has fought with every other ditch company ever since." While not the first cooperative venture among ditch companies - the Arkansas Valley Ditch Association binds together to protect water rights in court and the winter water storage program was created through the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District - it is one of the most ambitious. Studies envisioned between 14,000 and 45,000 acre-feet of water per year available for leasing, depending on water conditions, generating between $10 million and $15 million annually for farmers. One of the goals of the program is to get a better price for the water, rather than leasing at terms dictated by cities. "It's a chance to keep the valley whole by adding another crop," said Frank Milenski, who farms between Rocky Ford and Swink. "You look at what the High Line did with the lease to Aurora, and it really helped some of those guys. The whole goal is being able to keep the water in the valley."[...]

The diversity of the initial members of the Super Ditch is striking. For instance on the Fort Lyon Canal, Mark Harding, president of Pure Cycle, and members of the Independent Shareholders Group joined shareholders who fought an attempt by High Plains to buy control of the canal just five years ago. Pure Cycle, a Thornton corporation, bought High Plains's interests on the Fort Lyon...

How soon can water be leased? Right now, no one can be sure. Questions include how winter water fits into the program and what conditions would have to be met for an administrative plan to be put in place until a water court change application can be filed and a decree reached. There must also be end users for the water, and while some preliminary agreements have been signed, there is nothing final. There is also the matter of how water will be delivered, either through exchanges or new pipelines. "I don't think anything is happening yet, and it may be 15-20 years," said Donny Hansen, Holbrook Canal president. "We're going to be in this for the long haul. People always say the cities are going to eventually get the water, but somehow we needed to find a way for them to negotiate with the ones who own the water."

Eight board members were chosen Wednesday to lead the newly formed Lower Arkansas Valley Super Ditch Co. One member from each of the six canals included in the company was chosen, as well as two at-large members. The board will meet for the first time next week.

Catlin: John Schweizer, Rocky Ford; Fort Lyon: Dale Mauch, Lamar; High Line: Joel Lundquist, Rocky Ford; Holbrook: Donny Hansen, La Junta; Otero: Lee Schweizer, La Junta; Oxford: Ray Smith, Fowler; At-large: Frank Milenski, Rocky Ford; At-large: Burt Heckman, McClave

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

Category: Colorado Water

Wastewater news

Thu, 08 May 2008 12:17:18 GMT

From The Mountain Mail: "Sewer tap costs in Salida will double for single family residences and basic commercial structures if city council members approve a proposed fee hike on second reading. During their meeting Monday, council members approved the proposal on first reading and set May 19 for a public hearing. If passed on second reading, rates will increase at the end of June. Sewer tap cost is based upon the size of the incoming water line. Taps cost $2,000 for single family residences and will increase to $4,000. Water line sizes for residential taps are 3/4-inch and 5/8-inch. Basic commercial rate for a 3/4-inch line will go from $3,000 to $6,000. Connections for 1-inch and 1 1/2 inch lines will double to $13,000 and $23,200, respectively. People outside city limits who want to connect to the Salida sewer system will pay 1.5 percent of the established rate. Rates will subsequently increase 5 percent per year starting Jan. 1."

Category: Colorado Water

Water bills from 2008 legislative session

Thu, 08 May 2008 12:13:25 GMT

Here's a recap of this session's legislation from CBS4Denver.com. From the article:

- A bill requiring developers to prove there is a sufficient water supply before building subdivisions with 50 or more houses (House Bill 1141).

- Two bills aimed at increasing water flows in Colorado rivers and streams to help fish flourish and boost kayaking, rafting and fishing. One (House Bill 1280) would protect the water rights of people who agree to leave extra water they don't need in the river. The other (House Bill 1346) gives $1 million to the Colorado Water Conservation Board to buy or lease rights to water in order to keep it in a river.

- A bill that would prohibit bringing aquatic nuisance species, like zebra mussels, into Colorado and allow authorities to inspect vehicles, boats and trailers for them if they have a "reasonable belief" such a species is present (Senate Bill 226). The mussels are now confined to Lake Pueblo State Park but it could cost millions of dollars to control them if they spread.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here, here, here and here.

Category: Colorado Water

Supply news

Thu, 08 May 2008 11:57:40 GMT

The Central Colorado Water Conservancy District is increasing their quota over last year, according to The Greeley Tribune. From the article:

The signing of a three-year water lease with the city of Thornton will allow irrigation wells in the South Platte River basin to pump more water this year. The deal means Central Colorado Water Conservancy District has been able to increase the quota that 1,000 irrigation wells will be able to deliver to farmers this summer.

The quota for wells in the district's groundwater management subdistrict has been increased to 35 percent, up from 18 percent after the district's board agreed to rent 5,000 acre-feet of water annually from the city of Thornton. The water comes from the Water Supply and Storage Co. of Fort Collins and is delivered through the Poudre River and ultimately to the South Platte River east of Greeley. Thornton owns about 50 percent of Water Supply and Storage, which supplies irrigation water to Larimer and Weld counties. The north Denver suburb bought that water along with several farms in Larimer and northern Weld counties about 20 years ago...

The groundwater management subdistrict of Central was formed in 1973 with its principle mission to keep 1,000 irrigation wells in operation from Brighton east toward Wiggins along the South Platte River. Those wells, without the addition of surface water, could irrigate about 39,000 acres at a 100 percent quota. Using surface water only, those farmers could irrigate about 18,000 acres, or about a third of the total land within the subdistrict, according to Central officials. The 35 percent quote means more acres will be planted and irrigated this spring and summer. A significant part of the lease agreement is that Central will be able to include that water in future projections, said Randy Ray, Central's operations manager. Because of that, the district was able to increase its quota for the wells. Ray said that while there are no immediate signs that the 35 percent increase might further be increased further, there may be other water supplies and extended wet periods going into the spring months that could change that.

From The Cañon City Daily Record:

No one could agree about what to do with the water tap fees during Monday night's Florence City Council meeting. "If it isn't completely broke, don't fix it," said City Manager Tom Piltingsrud. The council will put the issue of inside and outside water taps on the agenda for the next water committee then vote on it at the next council meeting. "The proposal was tabled until such time the other entities had a chance to read it," councilman Paul Villagrana said. "By addendum, the fees would have to be added to the agreement." The issue came up when Kevin Bradley requested the outside tap fee be lowered at the last council meeting. "I proposed an $8,000 water fee to the entities just to get discussion," Piltingsrud said. "The consensus of Coal Creek, Williamsburg and Rockvale is they wanted to raise the tap fees by $400 from $5,600 to $6,000 because the entities are more likely to sell inside taps than they are to sell outside taps." Outside tap fees is the other issue discussed. "Some entities said they would like to see it left where it is," Piltingsrud said. "The argument for the entities is nonexistent because they do not have outside tap fees." The agreement specifies that 51 percent of the outside water tap fees would go into the Regional Water Plant Investment Fund, he said. Rockvale insisted Florence needs to "capture more money for the fund" in case of emergencies, Piltingsrud said. The next Regional Water Committee meeting is at 6:30 p.m. May 26 to discuss what to do.

From The Sky-Hi Daily News:

Faced with the cost of several large water projects in the next few years, the Kremmling Board of Trustees is trying to economize where it can...
...Town Manager Ted Soltis pointed out that the town is trying to economize in anticipation of the estimated $5 million that will be needed over the next few years to handle its water-system problems. He said the board had already cut down on the number and size of its grants to various county organizations during budget discussions late last year. "I strongly recommend that we accumulate funds for these water projects," Soltis said...

Also during Monday's meeting, Public Works Director Doug Moses reported on the pre-bid meeting held last Friday, May 2, for this year's main transmission water line replacement project. He said there was a "good turnout" with 14 contractors attending. The bids will be opened May 16. The town's main transmission water line project is being funded in part with a Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) grant of $478,500. It is a 50-percent matching grant with the town paying for the other half of the project. The project will replace the main water transmission line from the town's water plant, located more than two miles west of Kremmling, to the town's western edge. As part of the project, the water line must be placed across both DeBerard Ditch and Muddy Creek. The project also includes a 125-foot bore under U.S. Highway 40. Kremmling's main transmission water line, which supplies all of the town's water, has been badly leaking and sections of it have failed in recent years due to the heavy corrosion of its steel pipes. The line was installed in the early 1970s. This year's project is the first stage of the needed repairs to the town's water system. Town officials estimate that 24,000 feet of steel water pipe, which is 30 percent of Kremmling's in-town water system, has corroded to the point that it must be replaced in the next few years. Those steel pipes were installed in the late 1940s and early '50s.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

From The Telluride Watch: "The water level in the Ridgway Reservoir just keeps getting lower and lower, as water managers draw down the water in order to make room for spring runoff... On Monday, May 5, water in the reservoir was at an elevation of 6,838 above sea level, or 33 feet from full. Mike Berry of Tri-County Water Conservancy District, the agency in charge of managing water levels in the reservoir, said that current levels leave about 30,000 acre feet of storage available to accommodate runoff, out of a total storage capacity of 84,410 acre feet. Flows from the dam are holding steady at 500 cubic feet per second. Releases from the Ridgway Reservoir go to provide irrigation in the region. Water levels in the lake and below, on the Uncompahgre River, must be managed with an eye to dam safety, minimum stream flows and downstream water rights."

Category: Colorado Water

Wilderness designation for Rocky Mountain National Park?

Thu, 08 May 2008 11:49:10 GMT

With the $9 million settlement over the Grand Ditch wilderness designation for Rocky Mountain National Park is closer, according to The Fort Collins Coloradoan. From the article:

A decades-long effort to formally designate Rocky Mountain National Park as a wilderness area took a major step forward Wednesday. The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee unanimously approved legislation granting wilderness status to the park and portions of adjacent national forest. The measure will go on for consideration by the full Senate, a move the park's superintendent called significant. "This is as far as it has gotten in 34 years," said Vaughn Baker, superintendent of Rocky Mountain National Park...

The legislation would designate 249,339 acres in the park as wilderness. It would not affect efforts to control bark beetles or fight fires within park boundaries. The designation also would not affect water rights connected to the Colorado-Big Thompson Project or the Grand River Ditch, which carry water from the Western Slope to the Front Range.

Operation of the ditch and the liability of its owner - the Fort Collins-based Water Supply and Storage Co. - was a sticking point for the legislation. The Department of Interior and the National Park Service opposed language that would have limited the company's liability for damage caused by ditch operations to cases of negligence. The revised bill removes the wilderness designation from a 200-foot setback along the ditch, but applies stricter liability requirements, said Cody Wertz, a spokesman for Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo. "It treats the ditch the same as operators within other national parks," he said. The Senate version of the bill, which was introduced a year ago, is sponsored by Salazar and Sen. Wayne Allard, a Loveland Republican. Hearings have been held on the House version of the bill but it has yet to advance. Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, whose district includes Larimer County, is a cosponsor of the bill. The state's congressional delegation will continue working with the Park Service to get the legislation passed, said Joe Brettell, spokesman for Musgrave's office.

More coverage from The Greeley Tribune. From the article:

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee unanimously approved the bill on Wednesday in what Sean Conway, chief of staff for Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., said was merely a move to keep the bill from dying in committee. Conway said that Allard and Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., allowed the bill to move past committee with the stipulation that no further action would be taken without an agreement over the Grand River Ditch -- a hotly contested issue in the designation process thus far. "I think what happened today was more necessitated out of keeping the legislative process alive as opposed to resolving the issues that still surround designating Rocky Mountain National Park a wilderness area," said Conway in telephone interview.

At issue is an operations and maintenance agreement between Water Supply and Storage Company, which operates the ditch, and an "Act of God" provision that would protect the company when it is not at fault for an incident that damages the park. Such a provision would have kept Water Storage and Supply Company from having to pay $9 million to help restore the park after an incident that Conway said was not the company's fault. Conway said that if another such incident occurred without an "Act of God" provision in place to protect the company, the company could be forced to move out of the ditch. The company diverts water from the Colorado River to east of the Continental Divide, thus supplying Larimer and Weld Counties with about 20,000 acres-feet of water a year, which is used to irrigate about 40,000 acres of land. Conway said the region could risk losing such a valuable resource, especially at a time when the region faces a drought and wells continue to close in Weld County. "The grand ditch provides an irreplaceable supply of water to our communities and our farmers and although there is unanimity within the Colorado congressional delegation that Rocky Mountain National Park should be protected as a wilderness area, we must do it in the right way," Conway said.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Category: Colorado Water

? for President?

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:15:59 GMT

Dave Winer: "There's no doubt now, Obama is going to be the Democratic nominee, and very likely the next President. I doubt if McCain has the sense of entitlement that HRC had but he's going to run on experience, and we don't want experience, we want intelligence, honesty and change."

Category: 2008 Presidential Election

Ruedi operations public meeting

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:11:52 GMT

From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb): "Just a reminder that we will be holding our annual Ruedi operations public meeting this coming Monday, May 12, at the Basalt Town Hall starting at 7 p.m. The text of the press release announcing the meeting is at the bottom of this message.

"Also, it was brought to my attention today that the Forest Service boat ramp is currently out of service up at Ruedi Reservoir. I know some of you might be concerned about this so I wanted to add some more explanation on our operations: As you know, we've been moving water out of the reservoir to make room for what we anticipate will be a large run-off. The snowpack up the Fryingpan basin is impressive. Today, though, we're starting to see some changes. It looks like that upper elevation snow is starting to melt. The flow into Ruedi has started to come up a bit and the reservoir has essentially stopped dropping, even though we haven't changed our release. That means, if this trend continues, we'll be decreasing our releases pretty soon and start filling the reservoir again."

Category: Colorado Water

Nargis ravages Myanmar

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:10:09 GMT

NASA: "The first cyclone of the 2008 season in the northern Indian Ocean was a devastating one for Burma. According to reports from Accuweather.com, Cyclone Nargis made landfall with sustained winds of 130 mph and gusts of 150-160 mph, which is the equivalent of a strong Category 3 or minimal Category 4 hurricane. News reports stated that several thousand people have been killed, and thousands more were missing as of May 5."

Click through to see their photos of the destruction.

Category: Climate Change News

Northern Integrated Supply Project

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:07:03 GMT

From The Fort Morgan Times: "Water rates are likely to increase for many Morgan County residents as both the city of Fort Morgan and the Morgan County Quality Water District plan for the financial toll of new water supplies. The city and Quality Water are both participants in the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP), which involves the creation of two reservoirs, one northwest of Fort Collins and a smaller one east of Ault. Fort Morgan plans to invest an estimated $36 million in the project over the next 12 years, and members of the city's Water Advisory Board on Thursday discussed the critical need to secure the future water supply as well as the importance of planning to handle the cost."

Snowpack news

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:03:56 GMT

Here's some snowpack news from The Mountain Mail. They write:

Latest snow surveys conducted by the Natural Resources Conservation Service indicate the Colorado snowpack reached its maximum season accumulation during April. As a whole, the second half of April was considerably drier than normal, which halted significant additional accumulations. Sunday, snowpack in the Arkansas River basin was at 131 percent of average - highest in the state. A measuring site near Independence Pass showed 166 percent of average snowpack. At Fremont Pass it was 123 percent of average with 47 inches of snow remaining and a water content of about 21 inches. At Porphyry Creek on the west side of Monarch Pass, snowpack was 126 percent of average with a depth of 56 inches. In Monarch Park, snow measured 54 inches with a water content of 22 inches. At the St. Elmo measuring site, snow was 49 inches deep containing about 17 inches of water. "Snow levels are similar, but we have almost twice as much water on the ground this year compared to last depending on the survey site," Bill Gardiner, district conservationist with the conservation service Salida office, said.

More snowpack news from The Grand Junction Free Press. From the article:

Despite the runoff to date, the amount of snowpack has remained above the average of the past 30 years, according to figures released Monday by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. As of Monday, the snow water equivalent, or the amount of water in the snow, in the Upper Colorado River Basin measured 128 percent of average, while the Gunnison River Basin's total snow water equivalent was at 130 percent of average, according to the NRCS. The snow water equivalent of the Upper Rio Grande Basin registered at 110 percent of average. The San Miguel, Dolores, Animas and San Juan river basins totaled 109 percent of average, and the Arkansas River Basin was at 129 percent of average Monday. The driest basin in the state measured slightly less than average snow water equivalent. The South Platte River Basin held 106 percent of average. The Laramie and North Platte river basins had 113 percent of average.

Category: Colorado Water

Hagen Springs update

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:02:46 GMT

Here's the second part of The Mountain Mail series on Nestlé's plans for the Hagen Springs. From the article:

When Bruce Lauerman, the natural resources manager for Nestlé Waters North America, became aware of the springs, conversations were underway regarding the best way to protect them. The development deal subsequently fell through and Nestlé bought the property as a buffer protecting the springs from future harm. Hagen said he recognizes why some people would be fearful of a large corporation buying the springs. However, he said Lauerman and the company have been honest and straight forward.

If the 16 acre deal between Nestlé and Hagen goes through, company officials want to drill several wells near the two springs. Collected water would be piped to a 7 acre loading area west of the Arkansas River between U.S 285 and the railroad tracks, Lauerman said. Nestlé seeks to construct a secure site with paved access to two storage tanks and a building of less than 1,000 square feet, Lauerman said. He said specific site design can be flexible, but will be determined by county regulations and would take precautions protecting views. Crossing the Arkansas River could be done in either of two ways - boring under the river or suspending pipe from an existing Union Pacific Railroad trestle, Lauerman said. The 7-acre loading site is a portion of 112 acres purchased from the McMurry Land and Cattle Co. There is no frontage to U.S. 285 and Lauerman said the company is seeking options or an easement agreement for access. A Colorado Department of Transportation study would be required for access to the site to determine if acceleration and deceleration lanes are necessary. If access to the 7-acre site isn't granted or developed and Nestlé uses CRs 300 and 301 to reach a loading site, county officials said they would require upgrades to those roads and intersections...

Nestlé will be required to go through two separate Chaffee County approval processes. Because the property is zoned rural and the company plans an industrial operation, a special use permit must be issued, Don Reimer, county planning director, said. In addition, the project will trigger an application under 1041 regulations. Those regulations were established by the state in 1974 and later adopted by the county in 1991. The 1041 regulations allow the county to adopt special rules for projects, allows for public input and may require mitigation for any impacts of the project. Any water project in the county involving more than 30 acre feet triggers the 1041 review, Reimer said. The special use permit and the 1041 review will be heard by the nine-member Chaffee County Planning Commission. To issue the special use permit, planners will use a list of 15 criteria reviewing potential negative impact to neighbors. Reimer said he didn't know if Nestlé would combine the two applications or seek separate approval. Public hearings will be held, Reimer said, but until an application is filed, the specific process is unknown. Lauerman said the applications are currently being prepared and he expected a pre-application meeting with county officials sometime this month.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

Category: Colorado Water

Stormwater news

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:01:57 GMT

Here's some background on Colorado Springs' Stormwater Utility from The Colorado Springs Gazette. From the article:

Overstuffed chairs, refrigerators and even a hot tub have found their final resting place in the city's 20 creeks and drainage channels. The junk not only contaminates waterways, it also can get swept away during heavy rains, catch on bridges and cause flooding. For years, the city occasionally plucked out the biggest items but didn't have staffing to clear debris on a regular basis. But since the city started collecting Stormwater Enterprise fees last year from property owners based on impervious surface, crews have scoured channels almost monthly. "Once the Stormwater Enterprise went into effect, we got right on it," said Mike Gigg, stormwater maintenance supervisor...

"The only way we're going to change it is to educate people," Gigg said, noting more stormwater money could go toward flood-control projects if less is spent on cleaning creeks and tributaries. McCausland said few people have been cited for illegal dumping, an offense that carries a penalty of 90 days in jail or a fine of up to $500. But she urged anyone who sees illegal dumping in city creeks and channels to note the license plate number and call police at 444-7000.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

Category: Colorado Water

North Carolina and Indiana primaries

Wed, 07 May 2008 23:51:40 GMT

Political Wire has a bunch of links to the experts that know what Hillary Clinton next steps should be.

The Moderate Voice is running a long post on the winners and losers in the Indiana and North Carolina primaries.

Category: 2008 Presidential Election

Race and politics

Wed, 07 May 2008 23:45:29 GMT

Andrew Sullivan: "Black conservatives and Obama."

Andrew Sullivan "Here's what now seems obvious: African-American voters killed the Clinton candidacy. It is a fitting end to the Clintons' campaign and an almost Shakespearean coda to their career."

Category: 2008 Presidential Election