Day: July 4, 2013

Drought news: US Drought edges up a bit #COdrought

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From KOAA (Kirsten Bennet):

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 38 Colorado counties suffering from severe losses due to drought as natural disaster areas. The designations mean that farmers and ranchers in these counties are eligible for additional Farm Service Agency assistance. Fourteen counties were declared primary natural disaster areas, while 24 counties were designated as contiguous disaster counties…

Producers in the following counties are eligible for assistance: Adams, Alamosa, Arapahaoe, Archuleta, Boulder, Broomfield, Chaffee, Clear Creek, Conejos, Costilla, Custer, Delta, Denver, Douglas, Eagle, Fremont, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Jackson, Jefferson, Larimer, Mesa, Mineral, Moffatt, Montrose, Ouray, Park, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Routt, Saguache, San Miguel, and Teller.

Here’s the release from Governor Hickenloope’s office:

Gov. John Hickenlooper was notified today by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack that 14 counties qualify for federal disaster relief because of drought conditions. Fourteen counties were declared primary natural disaster areas due to a recent drought and an additional 24 were declared as contiguous disaster counties.

The primary counties are Alamosa, Conejos, Delta, Garfield, Gunnison, Jackson, Jefferson, Mesa, Moffat, Montrose, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Routt and Saguache. The contiguous counties are Adams, Arapahoe, Archuleta, Boulder, Broomfield, Chaffee, Clear Creek, Costilla, Custer, Denver, Douglas, Eagle, Fremont, Gilpin, Grand, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Larimer, Mineral, Ouray, Park, Pitkin, San Miguel and Teller.

The federal disaster relief includes Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for emergency loan assistance. FSA will consider each emergency loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of production losses, security available and repayment ability.

Local FSA offices can provide farmers with more information.

From Reuters (Christine Stebbins):

Drought conditions expanded in the contiguous United States over the past week given persistent heat and dryness in the southern Plains, while the eastern half of the country is out of drought amid steady rains, according to a weekly drought report. The U.S. Drought Monitor, issued by state and federal experts on Wednesday, said drought areas in the “moderate to exceptional” categories grew to 44.06 percent, from 43.84 a week ago. “This is the third straight week of the drought expanding,” Matthew Rosencrans, with the U.S. Climate Prediction Center and author of the drought monitor, told Reuters. “The biggest expansion was in northeast Texas but the drought also expanded into southeast Texas and Oklahoma.”[…]

Of the big U.S. crop states, Nebraska – the fourth largest corn state and a leading producer of cattle, sorghum and wheat – is the driest with 88.41 percent in moderate to exceptional drought. That compares to 88.36 percent a week ago and 64.63 percent a year ago.

From the US Drought Monitor:

The U.S. Drought Monitor map for the seven days ending Sept. 18 showed little change from the preceding week, although the total area of the country in moderate or worse drought crept up to yet another record high in the 12-year U.S. Drought Monitor data.

Statistics released with the map showed that 54.25 percent of the country was in moderate drought or worse, the largest percentage so far recorded at that level, up slightly from 53.70 percent the week before. The map showed 34.35 percent in severe drought or worse, down from 34.97 percent a week earlier; 17.35 percent in extreme drought or worse, compared with 17.63 percent the week before; and 4.98 percent in exceptional drought, compared with 5.20 percent the preceding week.

Moderate drought expanded in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas. Although all of Kansas is still in severe drought or worse, the area in exceptional drought decreased to 51.04 percent from 60.61 percent. Oklahoma saw slight intensification, with the area in extreme drought increasing to 95.33 percent from 94.68 percent, and the area in exceptional drought increasing to 42.09 percent from 39.66 percent.

Western Governors elect Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper Chairman at 2013 Annual Meeting

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Here’s the release from the Western Governor’s Association:

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper was elected Chairman of the Western Governors’ Association (WGA) and Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval was elected as Vice-Chairman on the final day (June 30) of the WGA 2013 Annual Meeting in Park City, Utah.

Gov. Hickenlooper, during his remarks, said that the WGA motto for the coming year will be “We Go Altogether.”

The Colorado Governor said he expects during his chairmanship to examine issues central to the West such as water and forest health, as well as broader issues such as health care, immigration and education reform. The governor was elected by Colorado voters in 2010; he previously had served as Mayor of Denver since 2003.

The WGA also announced Gov. Sandoval’s election as Vice-Chairman. “Western states face unique challenges and the WGA provides a forum for Governors to listen and learn from one another,” said Gov. Sandoval.” Gov. Sandoval was elected by Nevada voters in 2010 after previously serving as a U.S. District Judge in Nevada since 2005.

Gov. Hickenlooper assumed the gavel from Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, who served as Chairman for the past year. During his chairmanship, Gov. Herbert focused on “Responsible Energy Development,” with a goal of providing reliable, affordable and cleaner energy for the long term.

‘Even though these two sets of water molecules are separated soon after birth, their fates remain closely tied’ — Hannah Holm

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Here’s an in-depth look at Ruedi Reservoir administration from Hannah Holm writing for the Glenwood Springs Post Independent. Click through and read the whole thing. Here’s an excerpt:

Take, for example, a few water molecules that begin their terrestrial journey as snow in the mountains just East of Aspen. In the spring, they melt and flow into the Frying Pan River, a tributary to the Roaring Fork.

Some of these molecules are captured early and flow east into a tunnel bound for the Arkansas River Valley. Once across the Divide, they may help float a raft or two on their way to a cantaloupe field in Rocky Ford. Other molecules keep flowing west, until they are captured a little ways downstream in Ruedi Reservoir.

Even though these two sets of water molecules are separated soon after birth, their fates remain closely tied.

The molecules in Ruedi Reservoir will stay there, helping provide a pleasant boating and fishing environment, until they are released to flow down to the Roaring Fork and then the Colorado River en route to a Palisade peach orchard that has been relying on water out of the Colorado River since long before any of those tunnels to the Arkansas were drilled.

The ability to store and release water from Ruedi is what permits those other molecules to keep flowing across the Divide, even when water is needed downstream by users with more senior, and therefore higher priority, water rights.

More Fryingpan-Arkansas Project coverage here and here.

Fountain Creek: ‘What’s the point of having this district?’ — Jay Winner

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From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

The Fountain Creek district board is weighted 5-4 in favor of El Paso County, its attorney also represents El Paso County, its manager is a former Colorado Springs City Council member and now El Paso County has claimed some of the land use authority granted to the district by the state Legislature.

“El Paso County has been disingenuous to the other intergovernmental agreement partners on Fountain Creek,” said Jay Winner, general manager of the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District. “It seems to me we are outnumbered. They’ve taken control of 80 percent of the watershed this district was supposed to address. What’s the point of having this district?”

The district was formed in 2009 after nearly three years of meetings of a Vision Task Force sparked by flooding in 1999, and a flurry of lawsuits over spills of raw sewage by Colorado Springs Utilities into Fountain Creek.

But Colorado Springs yanked the rug out from under Pueblo County and the Lower Ark district when it abolished its stormwater enterprise in late 2009, and Winner has become distrustful of anything happening north of the county line.

“What’s going to go away next?” Winner asked.

At a meeting last week, there were a few sharp exchanges between Winner, District Executive Director Larry Small and attorney Cole Emmons, who is on loan from El Paso County.

After the meeting, Winner said the Fountain Creek district board had no notice that El Paso County was claiming some of its authority.

Dennis Hisey, chairman of the El Paso County commission, said Emmons notified Small of the land use changes. Aside from that, he said the district’s board, made up of elected representatives and citizens from both counties, did not discuss the new land-use rules until a retreat last month, after the changes had occurred.

But Hisey believes the board is working together in good faith.

“For Jay to say that we’ve wrested power, that’s a stretch,” Hisey said. “I’m not so sure the district wasn’t asserting more authority than it actually has.”

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

New regulations in El Paso County erode the authority of a district that was formed in 2009 to protect Fountain Creek.

“I believe El Paso County has wrested authority from Pueblo County and the Lower Ark district,” said Jay Winner, general manager of the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District. “Does it put the Fountain Creek district in a position where it has to go through the 1041 process if it wants to do a project?”

El Paso County has adopted regulations under 1974’s HB1041 that gives counties authority over projects of statewide impact. The regulations were used in 2009 by Pueblo County to obtain conditions for the construction of Southern Delivery System.

The Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District was created by the state Legislature in 2009, and given land-use authority over the Fountain Creek flood plain from Fountain to Pueblo.

But in the new 1041 regulations, El Paso County is claiming control over utility projects, including SDS, that are built anywhere in the county, including the Fountain Creek flood plain.

“It changes the district’s authority on the aspect location of utilities,” said Dennis Hisey, chairman of the El Paso County commissioners, who also sits on the Fountain Creek board.

In the past, the Fountain Creek district has made decisions on everything from gas plants to gravel pits to motorcycle parks. It still would have authority on any nonutility projects.

But there could be a gray area on the district’s own projects.

“I’m not sure this discussion is over yet,” Hisey said, adding that he still is in discussion with attorneys for El Paso County. “Speaking as a Fountain Creek board member who has been there from the beginning, it doesn’t seem quite right.”

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

Commissioner Terry Hart doesn’t think Pueblo County is getting steamrolled by El Paso County in its dealings on Fountain Creek.

In particular, he believes there are sufficient safeguards in the legislation that set up the Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District.

“There is a requirement for supermajority (seven of nine members) approval that hasn’t been tested,” said Hart, who represents Pueblo County on the Fountain Creek board. “My No. 1 mission is to make sure Pueblo County is protected.”

That said, he doesn’t think it should come down to a test of wills. Pueblo can gain more by cooperation rather than continued fighting, he said.

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

A new foundation is vying for the attention of the district formed to fix Fountain Creek.

“There’s a tremendous opportunity for people to come back to the creek,” said Gary Barber, representing the Fountain Creek Watershed Greenway Fund.

The foundation would be the second devoted to helping the Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District get private support to implement Fountain Creek improvement projects. So far it has raised about $15,000, Barber said.

The Fountain Creek Foundation, headed by David Struthers of Denver, has been active in community education through activities and video production; identifying projects that would benefit Pueblo’s East Side; and in promoting a wildlife viewing project near Pinon that is included in the Fountain Creek corridor master plan.

The Fountain Creek Watershed Greenway Fund is taking a different approach, connecting the Colorado Springs business community with youth.

“We’re still about the whole watershed,” Barber said. “But we’ve decided it’s time to get people on our end of the watershed engaged.”

Barber, a Colorado Springs realtor and water consultant, chairs the Arkansas Basin Roundtable. He was the first interim executive director of the Fountain Creek district and helped write the legislation that formed the district.

Part of the concept for the district is patterned after the Denver Urban Drainage and Flood Control District’s relationship to the Greenway Foundation, which have worked hand-in-hand to improve the South Platte River and Cherry Creek since the 1965 flood.

After hearing Barber’s presentation Friday, some members of the Fountain Creek board recalled the Fountain Creek Foundation, which has not been in contact with the district recently.

More Fountain Creek coverage here and here.