Summit County moving to step up regulation of cyanide heap-leaching

Last year the Colorado Supreme Court upheld the industry challenge to Summit County’s ban on the use of cyanide heap-leaching. The Summit County Commissioners are now looking to tighten regulation of the process while removing the ban from the books. Here’s a report from Bob Berwyn writing for the Summit Daily News. From the article:

As argued before the Colorado Supreme Court, the case centered on the limits of local authority over mining. Summit County claimed local governments have the right to block activities that could potentially threaten local water quality and fisheries. The Colorado Mining Association argued that state laws adequately address environmental concerns. Allowing counties establish local bans on certain types of mining would result in patchwork of regulation that could hamper the economically significant activity in the state.

Now, the county will strike the ban from its regulations, per the court ruling, but will look at other ways to maintain local control. “The commissioners asked us to look at this and make some changes to our codes,” said county planning director Jim Curnutte.

One area planners will explore are stricter performance standards for mining. Such standards would require mining companies to beef up the plans for emergency operations, including the clean-up of any potential spill, Curnutte explained. The changes would make it easier for local planning boards to review proposed projects and to issue stringent conditional use permits…

Curnutte said the county would also look at applying its so-called 1041 powers to review and regulate mining operations. Local 1041 powers stem from a 1974 state law enabling local governments to “designate certain geographic areas and specified activities as matters of state interest.” Those powers have sometimes been used to exert authority over projects like pipelines. According to Curnutte, Summit County may look at designating specific mining or mineral zones that would subsequently be subject to local 1041 permitting authority.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

Invasive mussels: Stagecoach reservoir and Steamboat Lake

From the Steamboat Pilot & Today (Margaret Hair):

Certified inspectors will be on hand at Steamboat Lake boat ramps during weekends this summer, as well as at the Dutch Hill marina boat ramp during the week. The inspections are scheduled to start by Memorial Day weekend but could begin any time after the marina’s May 15 opening date, Schuler said.

Boat checks at Stagecoach will begin at 8 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, starting as early as this Friday, said Kathleen Fischer, senior park ranger at Stagecoach. Both parks are considered low-risk and are mussel-free…

Park rangers are stressing the need to show up at ramps with a clean, dry boat, Fischer said. Steamboat Lake and Stagecoach will allow boaters to enter the water if no inspectors are present. Anyone who wants a boat inspection at Stagecoach outside of scheduled hours can contact the park office, Fischer said.

Colorado River adaptive management program update

From the New York Times (April Reese):

After 13 years of experimentation, a collaborative program aimed at reversing some of the ecological damage wrought by Glen Canyon Dam in the Grand Canyon’s stretch of the Colorado River has failed to live up to its congressional mandate, critics within the program say. And even as the science on the river’s health points in the direction of flow changes that would mimic natural conditions, members of the 25-member Adaptive Management Work Group remain entrenched along old battle lines that pit power producers and Colorado River Basin states against environmental groups and wildlife agencies concerned about the river’s ecological decline. The result is a policy stalemate that has effectively kept Glen Canyon Dam operating under the same conditions as in 1992, when Congress passed the Grand Canyon Protection Act, calling on the Interior Department and stakeholders to figure out ways to “protect, mitigate adverse impacts to, and improve” conditions within Grand Canyon National Park’s river corridor.

Southern Delivery System: Upper Williams Creek recreation potential

Colorado Springs Utilities proposed Southern Delivery System includes plans for a terminal reservoir at a site northeast of Colorado Springs known as the Upper Williams Creek Reservoir. Here’s a look at potential recreational opportunities associated with the reservoir, from R. Scott Rappold writing for the Colorado Springs Gazette. From the article:

Upper Williams Creek Reservoir will be the largest, in surface area, owned by Colorado Springs. Boaters, anglers, swimmers, hikers and picnickers may all be able to use it, in a region that has always been challenged for aquatic recreation. But don’t go buy a speed boat and water skis yet. It will be at least a decade before the reservoir is full, and Colorado Springs Utilities officials have not determined how recreation will be managed, since there are concerns about the impacts motor boating could have on a lake whose primary function is to store drinking water. “We do want to offer some form of boating, but we’ve got to have some internal discussion and agreement on what kind of boating that is,” said Keith Riley, SDS project planning and permitting manager…

Upper Williams Creek Reservoir will be one-seventh the size of Pueblo Reservoir, one-fourth the size of Elevenmile Reservoir, 120 acres smaller than Cherry Creek Reservoir outside of Denver and more than 10 times the size of Prospect Lake in Memorial Park…

…some research has linked gas-powered boats to water-quality problems, including petroleum in the water. Recreational boats also provide the main transportation for invasive zebra mussels, which were found at Pueblo Reservoir last year – and last month hitch-hiking on three boats before they were put in the reservoir. The mussels, which had before not been detected in Colorado, can clog water pipes and drive out native species in a lake. Utilities officials also haven’t decided if they will allow swimming, which can lead to problems of dirt and human waste in water. “We do want to maximize the recreational opportunities at the reservoir site, but we’ve got to balance that with safety and protection of the water supply,” Riley said.

Fishing will be allowed. As a shallow lake, about 120 feet at its deepest, it will be a warm-water fishery, to be stocked by the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Riley said, probably with bass, walleye, perch and blue gill. There are also plans for picnic facilities, hiking trails and a playground.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Newlin Gulch and the Clean Water Restoration Act

The Bush administration weakened protections for streams and wetlands with rules issued by the EPA. Several attempts at restoring jurisdiction failed during the last few years. Here’s a report about Newlin Gulch which empties into Rueter-Hess Reservoir from Make Jaffe writing for the Denver Post. From the article:

More than 76,000 miles of Colorado streams — 73 percent of the state’s waterways — are, like the Newlin Gulch creek, at risk of losing federal wetlands and pollution protections. The reason: U.S. Supreme Court decisions and Bush administration interpretations of those rulings that limit the scope of the Clean Water Act…

Also at risk are water pollution safeguards because a quarter of the sewage treatment and industrial outfall pipes are on Colorado waterways that don’t meet the “waters of the United States” definition, a Trout Unlimited study found. Nationwide, 20 million acres of wetlands and 2 million miles of waterways could be affected, according to federal estimates…

Which waterways get Clean Water Act protection was redefined by the U.S. Supreme Court in two rulings. The first, in 2001, found that some isolated intrastate ponds weren’t protected by the act because the law refers to “navigable waters” and the ponds were not. The justices equated “water of the United States” with navigability. The second, in 2006, limited wetlands protections to only “relatively permanent waters” connected to navigable waterways. The Bush administration followed up both cases with guidance to the Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency that used the decisions to remove many wetlands and streams from the regulation. The guidance also said decisions on what water is protected would be made on a case-by-case basis…

Which waterways get Clean Water Act protection was redefined by the U.S. Supreme Court in two rulings. The first, in 2001, found that some isolated intrastate ponds weren’t protected by the act because the law refers to “navigable waters” and the ponds were not. The justices equated “water of the United States” with navigability. The second, in 2006, limited wetlands protections to only “relatively permanent waters” connected to navigable waterways. The Bush administration followed up both cases with guidance to the Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency that used the decisions to remove many wetlands and streams from the regulation. The guidance also said decisions on what water is protected would be made on a case-by-case basis.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Yampa River Festival May 23 and 24

From the Steamboat Pilot & Today (Joel Reichenberger):

[Pete Van De Carr] said a strong test for damage the economy might bring will come with the Yampa River Festival, set for May 23 and 24. The festival will be largely unchanged from its format a year ago, he said. The only main addition is a riverboarding segment. The event again will be capped by the Paddling Life Pro Invitational, set for Memorial Day, May 25. “It’s going good,” Van De Carr said about the event’s organization. “It will definitely be fun again this year. This time we’re kind of going back to our bluegrass roots. We always used to have bluegrass bands play, but got away from it. Now we’re going back, and it should be a lot of fun.”

Arkansas Valley Conduit: Financing elusive

Here’s an update on the process to raise capital to fund the Arkansas Valley Conduit, from David Vickers writing for the La Junta Tribune Democrat. From the article:

Bent County Commissioner Bill Long from Las Animas, who chairs the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District and both the SECWCD’s Arkansas Valley Conduit Committee and the area’s conduit advisory committee, said Thursday that $25 million remains in the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s loan program for the conduit. When the General Assembly faced a budget shortfall of more than $700 million to balance its budget for the coming year, it tapped the CWCB’s loan program for extra funds, including $35 million intended to help finance the conduit project…

A meeting scheduled on April 21 in La Junta was abruptly cancelled when Long and Jim Broderick, the conservancy district’s general manager, were called to Washington, D.C., to speak to congressional representatives about potential federal funding through the Obama Administration’s stimulus package. “That was the real reason we cancelled the meeting,” Long said. “We had to be in Washington that day.” It coincided, however, with the announcement that state legislators would be tapping into the CWCB’s loan program to help balance the budget. Long said the meeting cancellation and the news from the statehouse left some people with the impression that state funding for the project had dried up. “The $25 million is still there and there’s a commitment to replace the balance ($35 million),” Long said…

In the coming week, Long said he expects to meet with members of the SECWCD board of directors who also serve on the district’s conduit committee. His goals for the meeting will be two-fold: to discuss myriad possibilities for federal funding and to re-start the processes needed to access the remaining $25 million in the CWCB loan program. “One thing we have to do before we gain access to the $25 million from the CWCB is put together a memorandum of understanding or an intergovernmental agreement that binds us together in the project and makes sure we know how we will repay the loan,” Long said. Long said the conservation district has been reluctant to ask any of the water users to sign documents until the district can quantify the amount of water each entity will receive from the conduit and the costs per capita they will be charged to pay for its construction. “The Arkansas Valley Conduit Committee itself has spent a year determining how the water east of Pueblo will be divided,” Long said. “The committee has submitted a request to the Southeastern District, which is in the early stages of reviewing it, but that request would pretty much set up the project.” Many of the entities expecting to receive water from the conduit have already begun collecting fees on a per capita basis.

Gaining access to a $25 million loan would give the conduit committee a big jump toward financing the costs for engineering the pipeline and conducting environmental studies that federal agencies will demand before permits will be issued to construct it…

The Southeastern District and Lower Arkansas Water Conservancy District have continued to help pay for costs associated with the project, including detailed feasibility reports and cost analyses. The Lower Arkansas District committed $50,000 this year and similar amounts in previous years. The SECWCD also secured a State and Tribal Assistance Grant for $600,000, which when matched with about $500,000 from the conservancy districts will give the conduit committee enough to continue work like finalizing the route for the conduit.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Flaming Gorge Pipeline: Corps of Engineers announce more scoping sessions

From the Associated Press via Fort Collins Now:

The Army Corps of Engineers has scheduled two more public meetings in Colorado on a businessman’s plan to pipe water from southwest Wyoming to Colorado’s populous Front Range. The meetings June 10 in Craig and June 11 in Grand Junction will take public comments on what an environmental study of the proposal should address. Six similar meetings were held last month in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. The period to comment on the scope of the environmental study of the project has been extended to July 27.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Grand County: Measures to combat invasive mussels

From the Sky-Hi Daily News (Tonya Bina):

For the “Great Lakes” region of Grand County, the Hilltop boat ramp near the canal that connects Shadow Mountain Reservoir to Grand Lake will be closed to all trailered watercraft for the entire 2009 season. And at Willow Creek reservoir, where low-wake boating used to be accepted, motorized boats and any boats that are trailered will not be allowed. Only hand-launched non-motorized crafts will be allowed on Willow Creek.

Lake Granby, Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain Reservoir and Willow Creek Reservoir are all lakes where mussel larvae have been detected; thus mandatory boat inspections will be required upon leaving these lakes. Boats being launched that do not bear evidence of a certified boat inspection elsewhere will also be inspected. At public boat ramps — Sunset Point, Stillwater and Arapaho Bay on Lake Granby; Grand Lake public boat ramp near Grand Lake’s east inlet; and the Green Ridge boat ramp on Shadow Mountain Reservoir — DOW personnel will be conducting boat inspections of boats from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, starting May 15. Ramps will be open to nighttime use. However, boaters are required to follow the “Clean, Drain and Dry protocol” when inspectors are not present and must have vessels inspected at a state-certified site before launching in any other Colorado lake…

Free inspections and decontamination with hot-water/hot-pressure units will be offered at the lake inspection areas as well as at the DOW office at 346 Grand County Road 362 in Hot Sulphur Springs, he said. Boaters who have successfully passed a state-certified inspection will receive a green seal and receipt. Boaters must have both the seal and receipt in their possession before they may launch at a new location. Hand-launched crafts, including kayaks, rafts, canoes and belly boats, are not considered high risk for spreading aquatic nuisance species and may launch without an inspection, according to the DOW…

For Grand County motorboating lakes where mussels have not been detected, at the Williams Fork Reservoir, the west boat ramp will be closed the entire 2009 season, and all ramps will be closed at night. Overnight beaching of watercraft is prohibited. Wolford Mountain Reservoir, which opened to boat launches on May 1, also has mandatory boat and trailer inspections for mussel contamination from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. Lake officials at Wolford will only accept green seals from Dillon Reservoir. A boat decontamination area is located in the back of the Day Use parking area at the reservoir…

Those with private boat launches in Grand County, all permitted by the U.S. Forest Service, will be required to provide inspections if they plan to continue public boat-launching services. Private watercraft inspections will be free at the Grand Elk Marina boat launch on Lake Granby, according to manager Mike Dixon. The marina will be working with the DOW or independent contractors to provide decontamination services primarily at the end of the season when most people are removing their boats. Launching fees are expected to remain the same, he said. At Beacon Landing, staff members are getting certified to perform inspections, but whether inspections will affect launching fees is yet to be determined. Owners of the Highland Marina could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Cortez: Stimulus dough for treatment plant upgrades

From the Cortez Journal:

The Cortez City Council is scheduled to meet for its regular gathering at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at City Hall, 210 E. Main St., Cortez. Councilors have slated a public hearing regarding a loan application to the Colorado Revolving Fund and the American Recover and Reinvestment Act to be used for a city water treatment plant rehabilitation project.

Runoff news

From the Montrose Daily Press (Katharhynn Heidelberg):

Peak flows of up to 6,000 cubic feet per second can be expected on the Gunnison River within the next 10 days. The water release, made by the Bureau of Reclamation Thursday, is the first since a new flow regime established after litigation over river water in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park…

According to [BuRec Water Management Group Chief Dan Crabtree], the forecast for runoff into Blue Mesa Reservoir is 690,000 acre feet; the Black Canyon water right calls for a 24-hour peak flow of 5,864 cfs. Starting Thursday, side inflows from Crystal Reservoir began increasing each day and are to reach about 6,900 cfs by May 13. Releases will then drop off starting May 15 and level off at 1,900 cfs in the Black Canyon and Gunnison Gorge by May 21. The Crystal release should level off at about 2,800 cfs by that time, and the Gunnison Tunnel is taking 900 cfs. Though the tunnel’s capacity is 1,100 cfs, high flows from the Uncompahgre River mean the there’s no need to take full capacity through the tunnel, Crabtree said. Crystal Reservoir’s expected side inflows should maintain at a level that minimizes bypasses from Morrow Point, and the Morrow Point Reservoir will be adjusted as necessary. The Gunnison’s North Fork reached a peak Friday, of 4,500 cfs near Hotchkiss, which was earlier than was expected, Crabtree said.

Grand County: State of the River

From email from the Colorado River District (Martha Moore):

Presentations on anticipated stream flows, reservoir operations, boat inspections, water for endangered fish, and projected long-term county water supply and demands will be the main subjects at the annual Grand County “State of the River” meeting 6:30 p.m., Thursday, May 14th at Mountain Parks Electric Community Room, 321 W. Agate Ave. (Hwy 40), Granby.

The public meeting is sponsored by the Colorado River District and Grand County.

Come hear from the people investing in the security of our precious water resources.

For more information, please call Martha Moore at (970) 945-8522, ext. 226, or e-mail edinfo@crwcd.org. To learn more about the Colorado River District please visit http://www.ColoradoRiverDistrict.org.

Map to Mountain Parks Electric: http://www.crwcd.org/page_320

Energy policy — geothermal: Colorado Geothermal Working Group seminar

Here’s a recap of a recent seminar on geothermal potential up in Chaffee County, from Ron Sering reporting for The Mountain Mail. From the article:

The seminar gathered public and private entities from throughout the state – including a variety of local officials and leaders to learn about issues and prospects for abundant area geothermal resources. Joani Matranga, western regional representative for the Governor’s Energy Office, outlined broad goals for the group. “We want to identify our geothermal resources for economic development and expand direct use of heat energy,” she said. The group also wants to start the first electricity production in Colorado.

Geothermal energy is roughly divided into three applications: geoexchange, which uses the natural temperature increase beneath the surface of the earth, direct use and electric power generation.

Geoexchange takes advantage of warm subsurface temperature with ground source heat pumps that pipe liquid through the ground and back to the surface to heat buildings in winter. The same temperature differentials permit cooling in the summer.

“Direct use,” John , professor emeritus of civil engineering at the Oregon Institute of Technology, said, “is providing heat, or cooling directly to buildings, greenhouses, aquaculture ponds, and industrial processes.” Colorado has at least 40 types of direct use geothermal applications. Locally, these include several hot spring spas and the Colorado Gator Farm aquaculture operation in the San Luis Valley…

Geothermal electricity production takes advantage of a new generation of technology to produce electricity using hot water cooler than 300 degrees, officials said. Past application required steam resources, which are fewer than hot water. The water is piped out of a geothermal well and through a reservoir of fluid that boils at a temperature lower than water. Resulting steam drives turbines to produce electricity. The water is subsequently reinjected to the aquifer. A cold water source cools the binary fluid for reuse and the cycle begins again. Although not without potential water resource issues, the process is considered a nonconsumptive use of water resources.

Although some western states such as Utah regard geothermal as a mineral resource, Colorado governs it under water law. Key to permitting geothermal ground water in Colorado is to prove the resource is “nontributary” – it has limited or no connection with surface streams.

Here’s an article about the recent test drilling up in Chaffee County, from Ron Sering writing for The Mountain Mail. From the article:

Mount Princeton Geothermal has gained permission for first exploration of geothermal resources in the area since the 1970s. The process is similar to drilling a water well, except the goal is to measure heat. “These holes,” [Fred Henderson III, of Mount Princeton Geothermal, LLC] said, “are nonconsumptive and will be used to measure the temperature change by depth to determine heat flow in each well. We measure the temperature gradient every three feet.” The project is the first of its kind in decades. “The goal with these six holes is to complete the western side of the high heat flow anomaly drilled by AMAX Exploration Co. from 1973-75,” Henderson said.

A drill site on a plateau south of the Mount Princeton chalk cliffs, resembles a water well. ASAP Drilling of Buena Vista planned to penetrate 600 feet. “Test holes will be capped,” Henderson said, “but left open for later temperature measurements to serve as monitoring holes to detect changes as we proceed with our program.” “We will set up a monitoring network,” Henderson said, “to understand how much we are adding to or changing the water table.”

Thermal gradient testing is the second part of a four-phase program by Henderson and Mount Princeton Geothermal. Additional wells are planned during May and possibly June. “We have to learn about the resource,” said Joani Matranga of the Governor’s Energy Office, “and what we can do with it.”

The next phase will be deep slim hole drilling and pump tests, scheduled this year. “That is critical for a whole bunch of reasons,” Henderson said. “One is to prove we won’t be interfering with anyone’s water table. There are a lot of people’s homes up there – second cabins – and they don’t want us to harm their water. It’s critical for us to do it right.” The goal is to begin production and injection drilling to begin developing a geothermal electrical generation facility next year. “We don’t yet know where the plant would go, because we don’t know where the hot water is,” Henderson said…

The Mount Princeton group must pass a number of other permitting and regulatory tests, including assurances the water resources used are nonconsumptive and, in the case of geothermal ground water, nontributary to more senior water rights. “We don’t want to be connected to the water table. We want it to be nontributary. We will check this by well testing,” Henderson said.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Snowpack news: No watering restrictions for Boulder this summer

From the Boulder Daily Camera (Ryan Morgan):

The city of Boulder won’t put watering restrictions in place this summer, thanks to abundant late-spring showers that have built up the mountain snowpack that supplies the city with water.

As recently as March, snowpack levels were “significantly” below average. But measurements taken on May 1 show that April’s showers built up the snowpack to between 94 percent and 119 percent of average levels. The rain and snow have also helped keep water levels in the city’s reservoirs high.

Changes to onsite wastewater regulations

Morgan County is pushing the Northeast Colorado Board of Health for revision and clarification of the regulations for maintenance and repair of existing septic systems on parcels with existing wells. Here’s a report from the Sterling Journal Advocate. From the article:

A public hearing regarding proposed changes to onsite wastewater regulations was held during the Northeast Colorado Board of Health’s Wednesday, April 29, meeting. The proposed changes include an exception provision regarding the stipulation that for each dwelling, a property owner must have a minimum of two and one-half acres available to repair or replace an existing septic system if there is a well also located on the property.

The matter was first brought up by Morgan County Commissioner Jon Becker, after his county experienced several conflicts with the regulations. Becker cited examples of old homesteads that have been parceled off where two houses may now reside on two and one-half acres or less. Becker asked the board back in February to consider rewording the current regulations to include a variance process that would bypass the two and one-half acreage requirement, but still adhere to state setback requirements for wells, ground water, soil types, property lines and buildings for the septic structures.

Despite verbal concerns from the state regarding the exception, board members unanimously approved the new wording and voted to send the new policy in its present form to the state health department for approval. The proposed changes cannot be approved without consent from the state health department.

Hayden: Town trustees okay new water tower design

From the Steamboat Pilot & Today (Blythe Terrell):

At its meeting Thursday, the Hayden Town Board of Trustees told Russ Martin that the project was worth the risk that it won’t get funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Design for the project could cost $75,000, and Hayden already has spent one-third of that.

The water storage tank, which probably would be built near Yampa Valley Regional Airport, is expected to cost $2.5 million. The town could get as much as $2 million in stimulus money. If the town wants to keep moving, it must move now, Martin said. “They literally have to have a 60 percent design by May 27, and they will have to have a 100 percent, final design by the end of June,” Martin said. “This is the game they’re putting us in, and if we want to do it, this is what we’ve got to do.”

If the town gets $2 million for the $2.5 million project, that could mean water rate increases, Martin said. It’s too soon to know how much those hikes would be, he said.

Green Mountain Reservoir: Regulations to combat invasive mussels

Here’s an update on the USFS’s boating regulations at Green Mountain Reservoir aimed at preventing the introduction of invasive mussels at the lake, from Bob Berwyn writing for the Summit Daily News. From the article:

Effective immediately, the lake bed and low-water beaches will be closed to all vehicles. Boat launching will be subject to checkpoint inspections to comply with new state regulations. “Access must be narrowed down to limited locations to inspect and treat, if necessary, boats before entering the lake,” said Jan Cutts, District Ranger on the Dillon Ranger District…

Normally, fishermen would be preparing for beach launches and setting up trailer camps at the beaches along the south end of the reservoir. This year they’ll have to wait until the Heeney Marina opens on May 15. The marina will be the only authorized checkpoint at the start of the season…

In a release, Forest Service officials said, “Effective immediately, vehicle access to the lakebed will be closed. Vehicle access will be available above the high-water line once traffic controls are in place. No trailered watercraft will be allowed on the reservoir until watercraft inspection and disinfection stations can be established. It is hoped that the WID facilities and staffing will be operating by Memorial Day weekend.” Additional information can be obtained by contacting the Dillon Ranger District office at (970) 468-5400.

Here are the CDOW links:

http://wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/Profiles/InvasiveSpecies/WatercraftCleaning.htm

http://wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/Profiles/InvasiveSpecies/ZebraandQuaggaMussels.htm

Pagosa Springs: Tab for new treatment plant $1 million over expectations

From the Pagosa Sun (Jim McQuiggin):

Unfortunately, for the town and sanitation district customers, bids for the construction of the wastewater treatment plant came in higher than expected. “At least a million dollars over what we’d hoped,” said Pagosa Springs Town Manager David Mitchem. After raising customer rates almost 67 percent last year (from $22.50 to $37.50 a month) in order to fund the new plant, the town of Pagosa Springs finds itself in the unfortunate position of needing fewer effluents and more affluence. Indeed, unwilling to further boost rates — perhaps due to the prospect of a citizenry strapped for cash but loaded with tar and feathers — the town is scrambling to find outside sources to help offset the unexpected expense of the project.

“There’s some different funding options out there,” said sanitation department supervisor Phil Starks. “If we get loans, we’d have to raise our rates, again, which the mayor is dead-set against. So we’re really looking at grant options.” In fact, the initial rate hike was a condition for accepting a $1.5 million loan from the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority (CWRPDA), taken out to pay for construction of the plant. In order to secure the loan, the sanitation district agreed to substantial customer rate increases as set forth by the CWRPDA. Additionally, the CWRPDA mandated an increase in tap fees, from $3,750 per Equivalent Residential Tap (ERT) to $4,400 per ERT — an increase of 17.3 percent.

Colorado State University-Pueblo: Annual Children’s Water Festival

Here’s a recap of the recent festival from Chris Woodka writing for the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:

A flood toppled several buildings into a stream Thursday. A screaming mob was sprayed down and scattered by a firehose. Pollution was destroying aquatic life at a dizzying rate. Was it just another day along Fountain Creek? No, it was the annual Children’s Water Festival at Colorado State University-Pueblo, a whole day of learning disguised as fun for about 1,800 fourth-graders throughout Pueblo County.

Crowley County sues Ordway over sale of Twin Lakes water

From the Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

The county says Ordway is bound by a 1980 agreement to provide water to a county water system that provides a wholesale raw water supply to several districts in the county that serve more than 5,000 people, including two prisons. “For nearly three decades, the county water system has supplied an abundant, safe and affordable water supply for the residents of Crowley and Ordway and the rural customers of the 96 Pipeline Co. and Crowley County Water Association,” Commissioner Matt Heimerich said at a news conference last month. “The cement that has held this system together has been the 1980 water system.” The county filed the lawsuit on behalf of the other partners in the lawsuit following a letter from Ordway Mayor Randal Haynes on March 30 that indicated Ordway wants to pursue long-term leases with some of its water and apply for Fryingpan-Arkansas water on its own, rather than jointly with the other partners, as outlined in the 1980 agreement…

Heimerich countered that Ordway’s interests are intertwined with the county’s, and in fact the county system is the only way it’s Fry-Ark water can be delivered. The 1980 agreement is a legal, binding contract hammered out between communities at a time when most of the county’s agricultural water was being sold off to Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Aurora and Pueblo West. What’s left has to provide for the people who remain in the county, he said. “The county wants to make sure the system can produce water,” Heimerich said.

Aurora long-term storage contract with Reclamation

From the Pueblo Chieftain (Robert Boczkiewicz):

Arkansas Valley landowners who oppose a plan for exporting water from the valley contend a key claim in a lawsuit opposing the plan will remain regardless of a judge’s pending decision. The landowners group, Arkansas Valley Native LLC, makes that contention in a new filing in U.S. District Court…

As part of the agreement [Between Reclamation and the Lower Arkansas Water Conservancy District], the Lower Arkansas district asked Brimmer to allow it to drop from the lawsuit its claim that the contract violates the 1958 law…

The landowners group’s new filing tells the judge that regardless of whether he allows the district to drop the claim, the same claim will remain in the landowners’ part of the lawsuit. They joined the lawsuit on the same side as the district, but the two plaintiffs now have opposing positions as the result of the district and Aurora agreeing to settle the city’s part of the lawsuit…

They own water rights, not part of the Fry-Ark Project, in the valley. Those landowners allege in their part of the lawsuit they and the public will be injured if the judge does not nullify the contract. The group wants the judge to hold in abeyance the Lower Arkansas district’s request to drop the issue of the 1958 law “until and unless” Brimmer grants a pending request to put the case on hold for two years. The district, Aurora and Reclamation, as part of the settlement agreement, jointly made the recent request to put the case on hold while the district and Aurora try to get Congress to change the law. The Arkansas Valley Native group opposes delaying court action. “This case needs resolution,” the group told the judge. “The court should deny the stay and resolve whether the contract violates the Fry-Ark Act and/or the Water Supply Act of 1958.”

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Woodland Park: Supply treatment

Here’s a background piece about Larry Watters the chief water operator for the City of Woodland Park, from Kate Kettler writing for the Pikes Peak Courier Gold Rush.

Watering restrictions

From KRDO.com:

Cherokee Metropolitan District is already under a water restriction that allows homeowners to water their lawn only on assigned days for two days per week…

Near Colorado Springs, Donala Water and Sanitation District, near the Air Force Academy, has scheduled water restrictions beginning May 25th until September 7th. NEWSCHANNEL 13 has also learned that the Triview Metropolitan District also will impose water restrictions beginning May 15th until September 30th.

Salida: Sewer rates to rise

From The Mountain Mail:

The $39 quarterly charge will increase $2 per month to $45; the base fee for water use will increase from 85 cents to $1 per 1,000 gallons used. Additional living units will pay about 75 percent of the normal residential rate, or about $33.75 per quarter, up from the current $10 charge. Commercial and industrial customers will pay more, based upon the size of their water service line. Sewer only customers will pay more too based upon their residency. By approving the ordinance Tuesday, council members set in motion an annual 5 percent increase.

Uncompahgre Water Users: Workshops on water quality

From the Telluride Watch:

The Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership is hosting the second of a series of six workshops on water quality in the Uncompahgre River by examining the impact of urban pollution in the watershed. “Land Uses in the Watershed: Urban Development” is scheduled for Thursday, May 14, 5:45-8:15 p.m., at DMEA in Montrose. According to Sarah Sauter, workshop organizer from the Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership, the session will give participants a look at the impacts of urban growth on the Uncompahgre River and the steps local governments are taking to alleviate water quality impairments. The agenda includes a presentation by Cynthia Peterson, of AWARE Colorado, on innovative stormwater management techniques, and a panel discussion with representatives from local governments…

or more information about the “Land Uses in the Watershed: Urban Development” Forum, contact Sarah Sauter at sarah@coloradowater.org or 303/408-1312.

Benefits of beavers

From the Telluride Watch:

Those beautiful sub-alpine ponds and meadows enjoyed on hikes and drives are likely to be the result of the tireless work of generations upon generations of beaver, second only to humans in their ability to alter the landscape. As we come to appreciate the contribution that beaver have made to the health and beauty of our world, we are learning to work with them to improve our watersheds and preserve biodiversity.

An enthusiastic advocate for this species and its benefits, Sherri Tippie, will be the featured speaker at the next Living With Wildlife presentation sponsored by the San Juan Corridors Coalition, Thursday, May 14, 7 p.m., at the Ridgway Community Center.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

Nestlé Waters Chaffee County Project: More county commissioner’s hearings

Here’s a recap of this week’s meeting of the Chaffee County Board of Commissioners regarding Nestlé Waters North America’s Chaffee County Project, from Joe Stone writing for The Mountain Mail):

The fifth marathon hearing regarding permit requests from Nestlé Waters recessed at 11 p.m. Tuesday with participants setting 1 p.m. May 21 for continuation in a location to be determined…

After future hearings are officially closed, commissioners will have 60 days to reach a decision regarding issuance of the Nestlé permits…

Consultants for Nestlé and Chaffee County attended the meeting and addressed eight areas of concern regarding the special land use and 1041 permit applications: economic impacts, groundwater impacts, water rights, wetland impacts, traffic concerns, air quality impacts, visual impacts and planning document consistencies. Analysis provided Tuesday by THK Associates of Aurora clarified economic impacts of the project, indicating several benefits to the county, including $2.3 million in total wages for project labor and $4.8 million for materials. The only items contracted outside the county would be specialized work, such as directional drilling to route a pipeline under the Arkansas River. It would add $2.4 million in assessed property value, generating more than $18,000 in property taxes for 2010 and more than $500,000 during the next 30 years. THK analysis projected annual tax payments of more than $8,000 for Chaffee County Fire Protection District, $5,000 for Northern Chaffee County Library District, $2,500 for Salida Hospital District and about $1,000 for Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District. In addition to a $500,000 community endowment, Nestlé committed to an annual giving program and reimbursement of extraordinary county expenditures not covered by tax payments.

Representing Nestlé, Steve Sims, former senior water counsel for the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, clarified questions associated with Nestlé’ proposed lease of Aurora water for augmentation. Sims stressed the Aurora water would come from the Colorado River Basin and would be augmented upstream from the Nestlé project site. A plan proposed by Salida and Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District would have relied upon augmenting water downstream from the site, creating in-stream flow issues and other concerns. Sims reported, “Aurora’s water portfolio includes 52,000 acre-feet and will increase to 100,000 acre-feet in 2010 when their Prairie Waters project comes online.” Given the small percentage of Aurora water leased by Nestlé, Sims said drought-year worries are unfounded and emphasized the plan would be strictly controlled by Colorado Water Court. Sims noted Chaffee County agricultural rights are senior to the Aurora rights and could not be affected by the augmentation plan.

Martina Wilkinson explained the Nestlé traffic study in detail indicating uphill truck traffic isn’t associated with wrecks between Johnson Village and Trout Creek Pass summit. In fact, she said, wildlife and excessive downhill speed create most crashes in the corridor.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Invasive mussels: Lake Pueblo report

From the Colorado Springs Gazette:

Officials at Lake Pueblo State Park, a popular destination for Colorado Springs boat owners, say inspections for zebra mussels have found three boats carrying the invasive creatures during the past month…

One of the boats flagged at Lake Pueblo, a cabin cruiser that had been on the Mississippi River for two years, had more than 100 mussels attached to its bottom, officials said. All three boats were decontaminated and allowed to enter the lake. Inspections turned up zebra mussels on two boats at the reservoir last year, said Colorado State Parks spokeswoman Deb Frazier.

More coverage from the Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

The three boats were each decontaminated, using water heated to about 140 degrees, and dried out thoroughly prior to entering the lake. Lake Pueblo has a permanent decontamination station. Inspectors said one of the boats had over 100 adult mussels attached to the bottom. The vessel, from Missouri, was a cabin cruiser and had been on the Mississippi River for two years. Another boat, a houseboat from New York, had two dead mussels on the lower surface. The third was from Lake Pleasant in Arizona. Samples of the mussels from each of the three boats have been sent for testing to determine whether they are zebra or quagga mussels.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Interior Partners in Conservation Awards

From the Boulder Daily Camera:

A Boulder conservationist received a Partners in Conservation Award from the U.S. Department of the Interior on Tuesday for helping develop guidelines to deal with Colorado River water shortage.

Michael Cohen, a senior research associate at the Pacific Institute’s Boulder office, helped the Bureau of Reclamation craft rules to deal with potential water disputes. Several other conservation organizations — including the Defenders of Wildlife, the Environmental Defense Fund, the National Wildlife Federation, the Sonoran Institute and the Sierra Club — helped the bureau develop “Conservation Before Shortage.”

From email from the Colorado Water Conservation Board (Ted Kowalski):

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today recognized the Colorado Water Conservation Board for the state’s efforts in helping to develop a strategy for dealing with long-term drought in the Colorado River Basin.

Salazar awarded Colorado, along with the six other Colorado Basin states and other partners in the talks, with a “Partners in Conservation Award” for finalizing an agreement known as the Colorado River Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and Coordinated Operations for Lakes Powell and Mead.

The Colorado River provides water for 30 million people in seven states and two countries. It is often called the most regulated and litigated river in the United States.

The guidelines were developed during a period of severe drought, declining reservoir levels and continued growth in demand for water. The agreement, also known as the Interim Guidelines, has been hailed as the most significant change in river management since the Colorado River Compact was signed in 1922.

“We all recognize the benefits of collaboration over litigation,” said Jennifer Gimbel, Director of the CWCB. “But saying it is one thing and doing it is another – especially when it comes to water. We’re pleased that the entire Colorado River basin has begun to focus their attention on river augmentation and increased water efficiency.”

Randy Seaholm, Chief of the Water Supply Protection Section, accepted the award on behalf of the Ritter administration at a ceremony in Washington D.C.

The Department of the Interior’s Cooperative Conservation Award program recognizes conservation achievements resulting from the cooperation and participation of individual landowners, citizen groups, private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and federal, state, local, and/or tribal governments.

These Guidelines, and the associated Record of Decision (“ROD”), represent the culmination of talks between the seven basin states and the Interior Department on how to manage the lower Colorado River during times of shortage, and how to coordinate the operations between the two largest reservoirs on the Colorado River. The agreement will be in effect until 2026.

“This award demonstrates the benefits of cooperation between the seven basin states, our federal partners, and other interested parties,” Seaholm said. “I am pleased that Secretary Salazar recognizes how important these Guidelines are, and I hope that we are able to continue to work together as we implement these Guidelines, and as we pursue other mutually beneficial projects.”

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

Colorado Wyoming Coalition: Frank Jaeger pitches alternative Flaming Gorge Pipeline in Green River

The coalition of Colorado and Wyoming water providers hoping to build an alternative to the Million Conservation Resources Group pipeline from Flaming Gorge recently sent Parker Water and Sanitation’s Frank Jaeger up to Wyoming to pitch their ideas to the Green River Advisory Group. Here’s a report from Jack H. Smith writing for the Green River Star. From the article:

At the conclusion of the Green River Basin Advisory meeting Thursday, Frank Jaeger of the Parker, Colo., Water and Sewer District approached both members of the group and general public, with preliminary discussion about a water diversion project. “We are trying to open a door to say we want to talk to you,” Jaeger said. “We want to hear your concerns.” Jaeger said he has looked at Million’s proposal and could not believe or understand what he had proposed.

While Jaeger did say he wanted to open the door to discuss the issue with local residents, he was emphatic that he is “not looking at taking Wyoming’s water.” Instead, he is trying to get Colorado’s allotted water from the Colorado River Compact. He added unlike the Million project, this is being proposed by public entities.

Sweetwater County Commissioner Paula Wonnacott attended the meeting, and discussed the issue at the commission’s meeting Tuesday. Wonnacott said these people came after Aaron Million to make them look “like the good guys.” She said the county has more to worry about than Million, with the consortium of groups from Colorado and counties in eastern Wyoming. “This fight is only beginning and it’s going to be a long fight,” Wonnacott said…

A workshop has been scheduled for county and municipal water users next Tuesday at 6 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Green River City Council chambers. “It’s important for all the water users in the area to come to this workshop,” Wonnacott said. “There are lots of people out there who want our water.”

Million’s pipeline plans have garnered attention from across the pond. Here’s an article from Charles Laurence writing for the The First Post. From the article:

Aaron Million is planning to pipe billions of gallons of river water from wild Wyoming to the suburban sprawl of Colorado, which makes him the man firing the first shot in the water wars expected from global climate change. He does not see it that way. Million believes that he is an environmentalist with a vision for quenching the thirst of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, where developers have covered thousands of acres of dry plains from Denver to Colorado Springs with houses, shopping malls and mega-churches. He thinks that he can do this without damage to the Green River basin in the mountains of Wyoming, a state defined as mostly desert.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Republican River Basin: Nebraska and Kansas reject Colorado’s proposed compliance pipeline

Nebraska and Kansas didn’t go for the idea of a pipeline dumping water at the Nebraska border as being the same as an equal amount of water in the river. Here’s a report from Tony Rayl writing for the Yuma Pioneer via the Holyoke Enterprise. From the article:

Kansas and Nebraska formally rejected Colorado’s plans for a compact compliance pipeline, Tuesday morning, but it appears there is hope the states are getting closer to resolving their various issues. That is due to the fact that, instead of Colorado immediately calling for arbitration after Tuesday’s vote, State Engineer Dick Wolfe called for a continuation of the special meeting to a yet-determined date in two to three weeks. Kansas and Nebraska each agreed to the continuation. Tuesday’s telephone gathering was an official meeting of the Republican River Compact Administration (RRCA). Wolfe is Colorado’s commissioner on the RRCA. His counterparts in Kansas and Nebraska, David Barfield and Brian Dunningan, respectively, are the other commissioners…

In the end, it came down to the three state engineers. Dunningan of Nebraska said the state supports Colorado’s efforts to receive approval. However, Nebraska still has issues with protecting the surface water users along the Haigler Canal, and limiting the volume of water delivered by the pipeline as Nebraska then is responsible for sending on the water to Kansas, and there will be evaporation in the process. Barfield recognized Colorado’s “significant” efforts to get into compliance. However, significant concerns remain for Kansas, particularly in regards to sub-basin compliance along the South Fork of the Republican River. “For this reason, Kansas will be voting ‘No’,” Barfield said. He added, though, that Kansas believes the states can continue to find a resolution for the pipeline plan…

Wolfe said Colorado recognizes there are issues still not resolved, but Colorado was ready to entertain a motion to approve the pipeline. Barfield approved the motion, then he and Dunningan voted against, while Wolfe voted in favor. Wolfe then requested the meeting be continued for two to three weeks, with the states continuing negotiations in the interim. Kansas and Nebraska agreed to the continuation. The specific date will be announced at a later date, after the parties involved can coordinate when all three will be available.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Centennial: Water conservation plan gets CWCB approval in February

From YouHub.com:

“It’s really important to monitor and evaluate what’s working and effective at saving water,” said Jon Klassen, water conservation coordinator for Centennial Water, which serves the residents of Highlands Ranch.

The plan outlines a process for monitoring the success of current and and future water-saving measures, he said. Starting in December 2007 through February 2008, the conservation plan was available for public review and input. In April 2008, the plan was first submitted to the Colorado Water Conservation Board for approval. The CWCB did not approve the plan and suggested modifications. The plan was re-submitted and approved in February. A bill passed in 2004 requires that water providers submit new or revised water conservation plans to the state of Colorado. Providers must have an approved plan on file before receiving loans from the CWCB or the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority.

To read Centennial Water’s plan, go to http://www.highlandsranch.org and click on Water and Sanitation.

Gore Creek: Restoration project wins award

From the Vail Daily:

A Colorado Department of Transportation project that cleaned sediment and sand from the Black Gore Creek area on the west side of Vail Pass along I-70 in Vail, Colorado has received three recent honors.

The 2009 CDOT Environmental Process Award was received Feb. 24 in Denver. The next accolade, presented in Avon on March 20, was the Max Rollefson Award of Merit from the Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.

The third award, also presented in Avon on March 20, included a water fountain and a plaque of appreciation from the Black Gore Creek Steering Committee, comprised of local governmental representatives, nonprofit organizations, and regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

The project, conducted in the fall of 2008 in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, cleaned out and reconstructed the “catchment basin” originally constructed in the 1970s when I-70 was built over Vail Pass. The reconstruction improved the condition of the “Basin of Last Resort,” as the catchment basin is known. About 2,400 truckloads of sediment were removed from the area. Project staff began noting fish in the water soon after flows were restored.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

Snowpack (runoff) news

From the Telluride Daily Planet (Reilly Capps):

The government’s National Resources Conservation Service put out the winter wrap up Tuesday. Mike Gillespie is the snow survey supervisor for the NRCS. “Statewide, it was a fairly good year, allowing us to at least reach an average snowpack by mid-April, when it really counts,” said Gillespie. That means, above all, that farmers should have no problems irrigating their fields this summer. More than 90 percent of the state’s water is used for agriculture…

After a snowy December that skiers loved and snowplow drivers loathed, the southwestern part of the state, including the San Juan, Animas, Dolores and San Miguel river basins, had four consecutive below-average snow months, Gillespie said. Big storms hit as the Telluride ski area closed, and the snowpack nudged up to 93 percent of average in early April. But it couldn’t quite get to average…

The snowpack [in the San Juans) had since fallen to 58 percent of average yesterday.

From the Boulder Daily Camera:

The South Platte River Basin, which covers Boulder County and surrounding areas, was the only major basin still reporting 100 percent of average on May 1. That could also mean big runs in local waters such as Boulder Creek, Clear Creek and the St. Vrain River.

From the Durango Herald:

As of Friday, the Animas, San Juan, Dolores and San Miguel river basins recorded only 60 percent of their average 30-year snowpack…

The other seven major river basins recorded from 79 to 101 percent of their average snow accumulation. “Snowpack accumulations reached their maximum seasonal totals during April and exceeded the average seasonal maximum in all of the state’s major river basins with the exception of one,” the release said. As a result of wet storms, the peak snowpack statewide, reached April 19, was 109 percent of average, the NRCS release said.

Reservoirs in Southwest Colorado held 110 percent of average storage Friday, the agency release said. Only two river basins, the Gunnison and the Yampa/ White, recorded higher reservoir storage averages, 130 and 111 percent, respectively.

Gunnison River: New flow regime in Black Canyon takes effect

Last year irrigators, conservationists, bureaucrats, sportsmen and others reached a landmark agreement on flows in the Gunnison River through Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Here’s a release from Colorado Trout Unlimited and Western Resource Advocates about the program’s first year:

May 7, 2009

Contact:
Drew Peternell, Trout Unlimited, (303) 440-2917, x. 102
Bart Miller, Western Resource Advocates, (303) 444-1188, x. 219

In Black Canyon, a New Era of Water Management Begins

The rebirth of a Colorado river begins this month, as water officials start to put the landmark 2008 Black Canyon of the Gunnison settlement into effect.

On May 7, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) operators made the first release in a new flow regime that is expected to help restore the Gunnison River canyon ecosystem and return it to a more natural state.

“After years of hard work by Trout Unlimited and other conservation groups, this is the payoff,” said Drew Peternell, director of Trout Unlimited’s Colorado Water Project. “With these renewed flows, the Gunnison River through the Black Canyon will experience a rebirth, and its priceless natural resources will be safeguarded for generations to come.”

After 30 years of uncertainty and nearly a decade of contentious legal wrangling, a Colorado court earlier this year approved a final settlement that set up enhanced flows to protect the natural resources of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, including its world-famous trout fishery.

Under the Bush administration, the National Park Service had attempted to abandon some of its water right in the Park. But a team of conservation groups, including Trout Unlimited and Western Resource Advocates, challenged the decision in federal court and won—and the historic 2006 ruling for the first time established the U.S. government’s responsibility to maintain the park’s water right and natural resources.

Two years later, the state water court approved an historic settlement that guarantees the river a year-round minimal base flow of 300 cubic feet per second and higher annual peak flows and shoulder flows, the size of which would be tied to natural water availability each spring. These variable flows will help restore the balance of the river’s habitat and ecosystem.

This spring, the settlement will be implemented for the first time. In the coming week, water releases from the Aspinall Unit will increase each day until reaching a peak flow of about 6,000 cfs in the Black Canyon on May 13, after which the releases will begin to drop until leveling off at approximately 1,900 cfs in the Black Canyon and Gunnison Gorge on May 21, according to BOR officials.

Among other benefits, the higher flows will help flush out sediment deposits that have caused whirling disease and other problems for trout, clear out encroaching vegetation and woody debris, and help maintain the river channel.

“2009 is an important milestone,” said Bart Miller, attorney for Western Resource Advocates. “It marks the year when flows in the Gunnison strike a new balance. The new flow regime shows what dedicated stakeholders can do when they put their heads together—meet important ecological needs as well many other water uses in the basin.”

In coming months, TU and other groups will monitor the new flow regime for compliance with the settlement. And they will watch closely as a renowned Colorado river gets a new lease on life.

The conservation groups involved in the effort were Trout Unlimited, Western Resource Advocates, Environmental Defense Fund, High Country Citizens’ Alliance, National Parks Conservation Association, The Wilderness Society, Western Colorado Congress, and Western Slope Environmental Resource Council. In addition to in-house attorneys at Trout Unlimited and Western Resource Advocates, the law firm of Hogan and Hartson provided pro bono legal service to the conservation team.

More coverage from the Denver Post (Mark Jaffe):

Releases will increase over the next few days until the Gunnison River in the canyon rises to six times its current flow — aiming to simulate natural spring runoff and help restore the park’s river ecosystem…

The state was wary of the park getting a federal water right because virtually all water rights in Colorado are granted by the state, Peternell said. Hydropower and agriculture interests both looked to guard their use of Gunnison River water, and there was resistance to sending so much water down the river rather than storing it, Peternell said. An agreement balancing all the interests was finally struck Jan. 31, 2008, and filed as a decree in Colorado water court.

On Thursday, the first water from that accord flowed out of the Aspinall Unit. “We are ramping up gradually, in part for safety reasons. We want to give people in the canyon ample time to get out before the high water,” said Dan Crabtree, the bureau’s water-resources group chief. The river’s level at the park’s entrance is projected to rise from 3.5 feet to 8.5 feet. Since the unit — a series of three dams and reservoirs — was begun in 1963, average peak flows through the Black Canyon have dropped to roughly 1,700 cubic feet per second from more than 4,500 cfs, according to an Aspinall environmental assessment. Before 1937, the average peak flow was more than 6,000 cfs. By next Thursday, with additional releases from Crystal Reservoir, the flow will rise for 24 hours to nearly 6,000 cfs from 1,000 cfs.

More from email from Reclamation (Dan Crabtree):

Reclamation has developed an operation plan for the upcoming weeks which will allow the Black Canyon Water Right to be met and satisfy other project purposes as well. The May 1st forecast for the April through July runoff into Blue Mesa Reservoir is 690,000 ac-ft. Consequently, the Black Canyon Water Right calls for a 24 hr peak flow of almost 6,000 cfs (5,864 cfs according to the decree). Next week, side-inflows into Crystal Reservoir are expected to maintain a level at which releases from Morrow Point by-passes can be minimized and Morrow Point Spillways will not be required to meet the 6,000 cfs peak. By-pass releases from Morrow Point Reservoir will be adjusted as necessary so that, when combined with side-inflows, the water right will be satisfied. The Gunnison Tunnel is expected to divert approximately 900 cfs during this period. The Colorado Basin River Forecast Center tells us there is a 50% chance the North Fork of the Gunnison will also peak next week so we will be monitoring high water conditions below its confluence with the Gunnison.

Beginning Thursday, May 7th, releases from Crystal Reservoir will increase each day until reaching approximately 6,900 cfs (6,000 cfs in the Black Canyon) by the evening of Wednesday May 13th. Releases will begin to ramp down starting the morning of Friday, May 15th and will level off at 2,800 cfs (1,900 cfs in the Black Canyon and Gunnison Gorge) on the afternoon of Thursday, May 21st. As always, this operation may be modified at any time in response to current or future hydrologic conditions, and safety or mechanical issues.

Click here to get to the meeting minutes from the April Aspinall Unit operations meeting.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Coyote Gulch outage

I’m heading up to climb Eagle Mountain (the high point in Minnesota) with Mrs. Gulch and Hellchild. It’s been raining all night in Tofte so we’ll see how it works out.

See you tomorrow.

Boxelder Basin Stormwater Authority: Some within district boundaries water to opt out of fees

From the North Forty News (Cherry Sokoloski):

The group of about 30 property owners, calling themselves the Boxelder Coalition, include residents of the Waverly and Wellington areas, as well as some who live east of Interstate 25. “We’re not anti-growth or anti-development,” said spokesman Larry Newman, “but we think the whole project has been pushed to favor developers.”

The Boxelder Authority was formed last year by Wellington, Larimer County and Fort Collins to construct stormwater facilities in the Boxelder Basin. The basin is large, extending from southern Wyoming to south of Timnath. When complete, the project will change the Boxelder Creek’s 100-year floodplain so that 642 properties are no longer included. Newman said the group has four major complaints. They claim that all properties west of County Road 11 should be out of the fee area, contending that floodwaters west of there would be contained by Reservoir 8. They also question why the fee area’s northern boundary is County Road 70, instead of extending all the way to the state line. In addition, Newman said, the authority partners should have allowed property owners to vote on the plan, instead of imposing fees without a vote. And finally, the group believes that property owners and developers along I-25 are the main beneficiaries of the Boxelder stormwater plan.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Ruedi and Horsetooth reservoirs update

Update From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):

You probably noticed in my message last night regarding our Annual Ruedi Operations public meeting, the day and date did not match up. My apologies. I’ll try again: Our Annual Ruedi Operations public meeting will be Thursday, May 21, in the Basalt Town Hall. It will start at 7 p.m. I hope to see you then!

From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):

Tomorrow, we will be reducing the release from Ruedi Dam to the Fryingpan River by 50 cfs. This will put around 172 cfs in the ‘Pan by the afternoon. Also, we are getting ready for our annual Ruedi Operations Public Meeting. We will hold it on Thursday, May 22 at the Basalt Town Hall. The meeting will start at 7 p.m.

From email from Reclamtion (Kara Lamb):

…we are continuing to send about 480 cfs to Horsetooth Reservoir. That will continue for a while. Today, the reservoir is at a water elevation of 5412 and climbing steadily.

West Denver Trout Unlimited: Golden Mile stream restoration project

Here’s a release from Colorado Trout Unlimited:

West Denver Trout Unlimited will dedicate its Golden Mile stream restoration project on Friday, May 15, at 11:00 a.m. The ceremony will be held along Clear Creek, a short walk upstream of Golden’s Lions Park, on W. 10th street. Keynote speaker will be Dr. Tom Remington, Director of the Colorado Division of Wildlife. He will be accompanied by Brad Coors, Chair of the Colorado Wildlife Commission. Also speaking will be representatives from the Jefferson County Commission, Mayor of the City of Golden, and various other persons involved with the project.

The restoration project, a seven year effort completed in March, involved stream-bed reconstruction and other restoration of about 2200 linear feet of stream, beginning just above the City’s kayak course, and extending to the Jefferson County Open Space Park foot bridge 3300 feet upstream…

West Denver Trout Unlimited: Contact: Miles D. Williams, WDTU Director, Clear Creek Initiatives, mwilliam71@msn.com. 303 980-1322

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

San Luis Valley: Trial for first groundwater sub-district moved to September 28

From the Pueblo Chieftain (Matt Hildner):

District Judge O. John Kuenhold scrapped an Aug. 3 trial date Tuesday so that objectors in the case would have sufficient time to analyze forthcoming changes to the proposed management plan and the court could give sufficient public notice. Attorneys for 16 objectors in the case also had argued that more time was needed to evaluate the Rio Grande Decision Support System, a computer model which the court ordered should serve as the basis for calculating the depletions caused by groundwater pumping.

The new time frame puts the squeeze on the plan’s supporters. Should the court approve the plan, the plan’s backers would have to get the subdistrict’s tax information to Alamosa, Rio Grande and Saguache county assessors by Dec. 1. Failure to do so would mean the subdistrict would be without local tax revenue in 2010. The subdistrict, which would take in nearly 3,000 irrigation wells and 174,000 acres of irrigated farmland, hopes to use a combination of local assessments and federal conservation funding to pay farmers to fallow up to 40,000 acres and thereby reduce groundwater pumping.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District: One applicant so far for board vacancy

From the Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

Tom Rusler, a board member of the Bessemer Irrigating Ditch Co., filed his application about one week after [John] Singletary resigned…

The official notice of the vacancy was published Sunday in The Pueblo Chieftain. The appointment will be for the remainder of Singletary’s term, which ends Jan. 1, 2010. Applicants must have lived in Pueblo County for at least one year, own property and be knowledgable in water matters. Deadline for applications is June 2. Applications should be sent to Chief District Judge Dennis Maes…

The district was formed in 2002 by voters in five counties to protect water in the Lower Arkansas Valley.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

Fountain Creek: New board to get its feet wet overseeing gravel pit operation

The shiny new Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District is looking at an application by LaFarge to run a gravel mining operation along the creek. Here’s a report from Chris Woodka writing for the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:

Up until now, the La Farge request would have been handled solely by El Paso County, but the new district has land-use authority within the 100-year flood plain of Fountain Creek between Fountain and Pueblo. That means at least part of the gravel pit decision will be up to the district. The district will have a nine-member board, made up of four representatives each from El Paso and Pueblo counties and a final member selected from a citizens’ advisory group. A “supermajority” of seven votes is needed to make any decisions. The governing board was set up earlier this year as a stop-gap measure between a Vision Task Force, which suggested the new district, and the district, which was signed into law by Gov. Bill Ritter last week. The La Farge proposal was, in fact, one of the major concerns of the Vision Task Force in the past. Two years ago, the group heard about the proposal, along with two wastewater treatment plants and a gas-fired power plant, and wondered whether the projects on the ground were outpacing the group’s ability to shape Fountain Creek…

The La Farge proposal is upsetting to neighbors who object to the noise and dust that could be generated by up to 780 trucks per day at the new gravel pit. “It’s across the creek from our conservation easement, and we’ve written several letters to El Paso County Planning Commission,” said Ferris Frost, whose family ranches and farms along the creek. Besides those land-use issues, she worries about the impact on water quality and the flow of Fountain Creek from the proposed operation. The asphalt and batch plant would create a new “hard point” along the creek that could send waters from the near flood across the farm’s fields. Landowners along Fountain Creek know all too well the propensity of the creek to eat away farmland…

Two committees of the governing board will meet Thursday on the La Farge proposal. A technical advisory committee, which is building on the work done for an Army Corps of Engineers study, and a citizens advisory group, which is continuing the Vision Task Force effort, will have separate meetings to discuss it. The governing board is expected to transition into the appointed board after July 1, but legally the two are separate entities, [Pueblo County Commissioner Jeff Chostner] explained.

The district has no money, and the governing board is living on resources donated by the two counties or cities within the county. The district, which includes all of El Paso and Pueblo counties, has the power to charge fees and levy taxes with a vote of the people. So far, there is only one source of funding in sight, however. If the Southern Delivery System comes through Pueblo County, and after it is built, the district would receive $50 million over a five-year period. The money is part of conditions applied by Pueblo County commissioners required for a 1041 land-use permit granted to SDS last month.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Kremmling: Moving street budget to supply infrastructure

From the Sky-Hi Daily News (Drew Munro):

“The good news is we got some money” for the town’s water-line replacement project, Mayor Tom Clark said. “The bad news is, we only got half of it.” At the behest of Town Manager Ted Soltis, trustees directed staff to examine making the most the $750,000 Colorado Department of Local Affairs grant money by using it and the town’s $250,000 in matching funds to complete all of this year’s water line replacement project. The catch: Streets dug up in the process will remain unpaved for a year. Project costs generally are split evenly between replacing the lines and repaving the streets…

Nearly 20,000 feet of water lines still need to be replaced, with about 10,000 slated for this year. The projects are prioritized based on where the worst leaks are. Trustee Jason Bock said it’s critically important to replace the lines in the 2009 project, particularly on the south side of town, because the leaky system does not provide adequate flow for fire protection. Trustee Grant Burger III also pointed out that the town’s water treatment plant is running at about 120 percent of capacity to compensate for leaks in the system. In the long run, Soltis said that means the plant will have to replaced sooner unless demands on it can be reduced. Town officials in the past have estimated the antiquated steel pipe system is leaking about 50 percent of the treated water into the ground, which is down from an estimated 67 percent since last year’s projects were completed.

Colorado River: State of the river meeting May 13 in Frisco

From the Summit Daily News:

The annual meeting is held to give water users and other interested citizens some insight into how local, regional and state water supplies are managed. In addition to [Nolan] Doesken’s keynote talk, the Bureau of Reclamation will discuss operations at Green Mountain Reservoir, including details on when the reservoir is expected to fill. Denver Water will talk about Dillon Reservoir and Roberts Tunnel operations, and water commissioner Scott Hummer will outline the prospects for local run-off and irrigation. Officials will also give updates on wild and scenic river talks and water quality in Peru Creek and the Snake River Basin.

For more information, call Jim Pokrandt at (970) 945-8522, ext. 236, or e-mail edinfo@crwcd.org. To learn more about the Colorado River District, celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2007, visit http://www.ColoradoRiverDistrict.org.

Snowpack (runoff) news

From the Aspen Daily News:

Snow levels in the mountains above the Roaring Fork Valley are holding their own, hovering just shy of average while the snowpack across the state isn’t fairing quite as well, according to data collected May 1…

Measurements by the Natural Resources Conservation Service found snowpack in the Colorado River watershed, which includes the Roaring Fork Valley, to be 99 percent of normal on May 1. That’s better than the statewide figures, which were 90 percent of average, and the second-highest of any basin in the state. Many basins were well below average, particularly in southwestern Colorado, which missed most of the early April storms that blanketed the rest of Colorado. Gauges on Tuesday found snow on Independence Pass at 100 percent of average. The season peaked at 117 percent of average in April in the Colorado River drainage, the highest percentage of anywhere in Colorado. Maximum snowpack totals were reached on April 19 across most of the state, about a week later than usual…

In the Colorado drainage, though, the runoff on May 1 was just 81 percent of last year’s torrent. Statewide, the runoff was just 78 percent of last year, when a cool spring spared the Roaring Fork Valley from heavy flooding caused by an unusually high snowpack…

The healthy snowpack bodes well for water for the summer. Reservoirs are at near average levels across much of the state, including the Colorado basin, which is at 99 percent of average.

From the Associated Press via the Vail Daily:

Snowpack on Vail Mountain remains above average for this time of year, the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District said. There were 25.2 inches of “snow-water equivalent” on Vail Mountain as of Tuesday, the district said. That compares to a historical average since 1979 of about 23.5 inches for this time of year.

Recycled effluent used for recharge

Recycling effluent as a potable water source is gaining momentum here in Colorado. Aurora has its Prairie Waters Project. Here’s an article about the Cherokee Metropolitan District’s plans to use effluent for aquifer recharge, from the Associated Press via CBS4Denver.com:

By 2008, farmers, ranchers, cities and homeowners drilled more wells in El Paso County than anywhere else in the state — 19,919, about two-thirds of which are residential wells, according to the Colorado Division of Water Resources. State water engineer Dick Wolfe said studies show the aquifers have been depleted by up to 50 feet in places…

Cherokee Metropolitan District is looking at recharging supplies. It is building 11 storage basins south of Ellicott to hold treated wastewater as it filters into the shallow alluvium aquifer. As it percolates through the soil and blends with virgin groundwater, the treated water will be purified and again pumped, chlorinated and delivered to 8,000 homes and 450 businesses, said Cherokee Metro District manager Kip Petersen. “It doesn’t replace new water,” he said, “but it allows us to extend our use.” A wastewater treatment plant that is under construction is expected to go into service next year. Most required permits from the Colorado Public Health and Environment Department have been issued, said Water Quality Division spokesman Steve Gunderson. Customers often say, “I’m going to be drinking what?” But Petersen said the engineering is already is at work in California and Phoenix.

Wolford Mountain Reservoir: Open with inspections for invasive mussels

From the Sky-Hi Daily News:

With Wolford Mountain Reservoir boat ramp opening on May 1, boat owners are finding a new procedure at the launch area: Mandatory boat and trailer inspections for mussel contamination. The Colorado River District, owner of the reservoir on Muddy Creek, instituted the inspections to prevent the reservoir from being contaminated by invasive quagga and zebra mussels…

“Every boat entering the area will be inspected prior to launch,” said reservoir operator Kem Davidson, who works with campground concessionaire Jeff Miller, both of Kremmling. Boat owners will find an inspection area near the ramp. If boats are deemed “clean, drained and dry,” they will be allowed in the water. When owners pull out their boat, they will be given a motor tag specifically for Wolford Reservoir. As long as the tag remains intact, Wolford officials explained, the boater can relaunch at Wolford, bypassing inspection. If a boat is judged contaminated, meaning that it is dirty or that water drains from the motor when lowered, it will need to be decontaminated with a power washer prior to launch. The decontamination area is in the back of the Day Use parking area at the reservoir. The pressure washing facilities are up and running so no boat will be turned away, Davidson said.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

Southern Delivery System: Pueblo County or Fremont County route?

Colorado Springs Utilities is in the process of deciding the best route for their proposed Southern Delivery System. They have that luxury since both Pueblo County and Fremont County have approved permits for the project. Here’s a report from Chris Woodka writing for the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:

Gary Walker, whose ranch land north of Pueblo West would be crossed by 7 miles of pipeline if SDS goes through Pueblo County, said he is in limbo while Colorado Springs Utilities decides whether to build SDS through his land or further west in Fremont County. “I know no more today than I did after the first meeting I attended before Christmas,” Walker said. “There have been a lot of promises to mitigate, but nothing in writing.”[…]

His major concerns are with rare plant species, still being catalogued by the Nature Conservancy, and the possibility that a break of the proposed 5-foot wide water pipeline could wash out sensitive areas of the ranch. He also worries that the potential of SDS to draw down levels at Lake Pueblo could harm the county’s recreation economy. “Does anyone know where the check valves will be? They’re putting a 5-foot firehose through there that could wash out 20 feet of soil if it breaks,” Walker said. It’s hard for Walker to get information because Colorado Springs has not begun negotiations with him on acquiring an easement through the property…

SDS Project Director John Fredell said specific negotiations aren’t expected to begin until Colorado Springs determines the route. While the Fremont County option is more expensive to build and operate, the Pueblo County route came with more than $125 million in additional regulatory costs, mainly for mandatory sanitary sewer system upgrades and Fountain Creek projects. The county conditions are written to protect landowners who will be affected by the project, and Walker is the largest. Fredell said Colorado Springs has had some preliminary meetings with Walker and his lawyer, John Naylor, and said the city is prepared to address all of Walker’s concerns…

The Colorado Natural Heritage Project, an agency chosen by Walker, will assess the rare plants on the property, and revegetation plots to determine the best way to revegetate that will be set up, Fredell said. The city will also go over construction schedules and the timing of the work on the ranch to avoid the types of problems Walker has dealt with when the Fountain Valley Conduit was constructed under the supervision of the Bureau of Reclamation…

Walker said he is puzzled about why the commissioners did not demand that SDS take water from below the confluence at Fountain Creek and the Arkansas River. He said he believes the Fremont County option has always been a ruse to pressure Pueblo County into approving the Pueblo Dam option. Given Pueblo West concerns about the Pueblo flow program, which were first expressed at a March public hearing, he is not sure why commissioners proceeded immediately with conditions, rather than table them. “Why would Pueblo County want SDS at the dam, if not for the benefit to Pueblo West? I’ve wracked my brain over this, and it seems like Pueblo County threw Pueblo West under the bus,” Walker said…

For now, Walker can only stand on the sidelines and watch as Colorado Springs Utilities decides the fate of a project that will change the face of his 25,000-acre ranch for future growth, mainly in El Paso County. “What’s amazing to me is that Pueblo County signed off on its 1041 permit without knowing where SDS is going,” Walker said. “Everything that’s being done is profit-motivated, but there’s no incentive for us (Pueblo County) to do this, whether you agree or disagree with the growth.”

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Runoff news

From the Steamboat Pilot & Today:

“I’d say right now we’re looking at normal runoff. But that can change with a severe weather event,” Struble said. “If you got a thunderstorm that rolled in and stayed over a drainage for a long time or put down a lot of water over a half-hour time, you could have some flooding. But if it’s a gentle storm, there’s no danger.”

The National Weather Service forecast calls for rain beginning today and continuing through Tuesday night. Struble’s office released a preparedness guide for Routt County residents, including the proper way to build a sandbag levee and an action plan for the county in case of a flood. The guide is posted on the Web at http://www.co.routt.co.us/emergency…

“The old-timers will tell you to look at the ski mountain and look at Storm Peak, and when you start to see the dirt, that’s when the peak (runoff) is. For 15 years, I’ve basically been watching that, and it’s pretty true,” she said. Hoj said there are two brown spots that appear before the others on Storm Peak, and when the two patches of bare earth combine into one large patch, that’s the time to be aware of the dangers of the highest water…

Snowfall this year has been above normal, and 53 inches of snow remain on Rabbit Ears Pass with a water equivalent of 28.4 inches, according to Snotel monitors.

Woodland Park: Council okays rate increase for Teller County Water and Sanitation District 1

From the Pikes Peak Courier View (Norma Engelberg):

One resolution was a rate increase for water provided to Teller County Water and Sanitation District 1, a special district located north of Woodland Park in the county. Sixty percent of the district is surrounded by city. With the district’s small tank offline for contamination prevention upgrades after contamination was found last year, Woodland Park utilities has an agreement to provide water on an emergency basis, such as when a fire causes a need for increased water flow. “Even when the tank goes back online this summer, the district still might not have enough water for certain emergencies,” said Woodland Park utilities director Jim Schultz. An earlier agreement set the water rate at the 1996 prices — $6.50 per thousand gallons. The new resolution makes the rate current — $9.75 per thousand gallons — and allows it to rise or fall as city water rates change.

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