Northern Integrated Supply Project: Property Rights Foundation of the West meeting recap

From The Fort Morgan Times (John Brennan):

“The region looks a lot better in 30 years with this project than without it,” said Eric Wilkinson, general manager of Northern. If NISP is not built, another 60,000 acres of agricultural land would be “dried up,” Wilkinson said. “It would accelerate ‘buy and dry,’” he said, referring to the practice of large cities buying ag land and shutting down wells. “Buy and dry would continue in some cases, but not as much as with NISP.”[…]

Area farmer Gene Kammerzell noted the estimated total cost of about $426 million and the target date of 2025 for completion of NISP, and wondered why Northern was not pursuing ways to reopen wells in the South Platte basin. Alan Berryman, assistant general manage for NCWCD’s engineering division, said many legal constraints exist on the use of wells, and well users would also have to augment what they pump. To match the yield of NISP with ground water, Wilkinson noted, a “firm” supply of 40,000 acre-feet of augmentation water would be needed. And while NISP would use existing canals for much of the moving of water, most alternatives would require an extensive — and expensive — system of pipelines, pumps and other equipment. The quality of groundwater compared to river water is also an issue, Wilkinson said. Well water would need a lot of treatment, he noted, and a percentage of water is lost during the treatment process. “That means you would have to overbuild your project in that regard,” Wilkinson said. Berryman also noted that the cost of NISP is “in line with the cost people are paying for water today.” Werner added that being a participant in NISP “would be an asset — a very valuable asset — that Fort Morgan and Quality Water would own.” As for other alternatives, one audience member noted that a long-ago plan for the Harden Dam could be resurrected, but Wilkinson said on-stream dams are not going to be approved for the foreseeable future. Wilkinson noted that drying up agricultural land for domestic water is being pursued by some Front Range cities because doing so avoids the need for a federal permit, which is what has delayed the NISP project for so long.

More Northern Integrated Supply Project coverage here and here.

Energy policy — geothermal: BLM announces geothermal lease in the upper Arkansas River Valley

From The Mountain Mail (Ron Sering):

The area has been the subject of exploration dating back to the 1970s, and recent research by the Colorado School of Mines summer field camp indicated vast potential in the area. Mt. Princeton Geothermal, LLC, conducted thermal gradient testing this summer in conjunction with the CSM field camp and discovered what is to date the hottest known water source in the state.

The area’s proximity to available power lines increases the practicality of tapping the resource, using a binary method of generating electricity. The hot water is pumped to the surface and cycled through a heat exchanger to heat a special fluid with a boiling point lower than that of water. The resulting steam is used to drive turbines that generate electricity…

The lease sale will take place on November 12.

The Chaffee Citizens for Sustainability are considering four options for Nestlé Waters Chaffee County Project

From The Mountain Mail (Jennifer Denevan):

Jay Hake of Hake, Heart and Lintzenich, who advises the organization, said there are four options. One is do nothing, second is a recall, third is a process review and fourth is going to water court. Hake said the first option would accept the project as proposed after changes and conditions were met. All those changes and conditions came from community input, he noted. A recall doesn’t provide much satisfaction, Hake said, because it wouldn’t change anything or stop Nestlé from pumping water. The last two options could become long, expensive legal battles, Hake said – requesting review of the commissioners’ approval of the 1041 permit or going to water court with Nestlé…

A review request must be filed within 30 days of the resolution signing date. Hake said commissioners will host a special meeting at 10 a.m. Sept. 23 in the courthouse to review the staff-written resolution and may approve it then. Review would raise questions about the process. He said the 1041 has been in effect since 1973. The question to ask, is if officials correctly followed the process, he said.

More Nestlé Waters Chaffee County Project coverage here and here.

Republican River Restoration Partnership, Colorado Association of Conservation Districts and Colorado Agriculture Preservation Association meeting recap

From the McCook Daily Gazette:

The agenda included a tour of the reservoir and upstream lands as well as a facilitated work session. The goal of the meeting was to raise awareness of the issues surrounding Bonny Reservoir including the potential impact it can have on the Republican River Basin Community. The Republican River Restoration Partnership began as a project of Southwest Nebraska RC&D. The RRRP works to positively effect management of the riparian area of the Republican River and its tributaries in Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska. Their goals are to foster cooperation between three states to develop a regional plan for the watershed, to increase economic development throughout the area, increase the quantity and quality of water within the watershed and increase educational opportunities in regard to water quantity and quality.

More Republican River Basin coverage here and here.

Interbasin Compact Committee: Is there enough water available to serve a doubling of Colorado’s population?

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

The biggest problem with water development appears to be staying out of each other’s way. In the past, the state’s system of water rights – a carefully ordered and enforced hierarchy based on historical priority of use – has done little to encourage sharing water rights.

For farmers, the system has planted a “use it or lose it” attitude that works on an emotional level. Irrigators jealously guard their share of the river and have always made it their business to know what the neighbors are up to.

For cities, the system has created a type of hoarding – checked by concepts like “reasonable” or “foreseeable” – in anticipation of the day when existing water resources reach their limit. For some cities, like Pueblo, this has rarely happened. Others, like Colorado Springs, have faced and overcome water shortage crises many times.

Whether it’s buying shares in the Bessemer Ditch (Pueblo) or building the Southern Delivery System (Colorado Springs), cities are always looking for a way to reach the next increment of growth.

“Advanced water strategies are not always 100-percent successful,” said Eric Wilkinson, a Colorado Water Conservation Board member who also heads the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. “Oftentimes, to implement a water project, it is difficult to get through the gauntlet of regulatory agencies.”

Federal, state and even county requirements can reduce the yield of a project, or even kill it.

Additionally, some projects – Denver Water’s undeveloped West Slope rights or oil shale development – have water rights that have not been fully used and which could curtail the plans of others, Wilkinson said…

And speaking of the environment, a statewide plan is only effective when each piece of river it touches can be accounted for, said Melinda Kassen of Trout Unlimited. Kassen said the nine basin roundtables that feed into the IBCC have yet to complete the analysis of nonconsumptive water needs throughout the state. Even then, each project will have to be decided on a case-by-case basis, since recreation interests – rafting vs. fishing, for example – are often at cross-purposes. Some reaches are fine, some need protection and some need restoration, Kassen said. “We need to make sure we use the money available for environmental protection to protect those areas we know will have problems,” Kassen said…

It has become increasingly difficult to build new storage in the state, as witnessed by the the Northern Integrated Supply Project, a controversial plan to build two new reservoirs. While the Glade Reservoir north of Fort Collins would provide up to 170,000 acre-feet of storage, some have questioned its projected impact on stream flows. Municipal conservation is an unreliable building block for future growth, and it’s difficult to measure. The state alternately has looked at using 2000 and 2008 as base years – bracketing a drought that changed how communities approach restrictions. The differences in communities make it hard to account for statewide conservation goals, since one community could be largely residential and another could have an industry that requires large amounts of water. Agricultural conservation could be a false savings, if increased consumptive use reduces return flows to other users.

More IBCC coverage here and here.

New method for measuring evapotranspiration

Bump and update: Here’s the release from the USGS (Ron Beck):

Data from earth-observing Landsat satellites plays a central role in a new, award-winning type of mapping that tracks water use.

Water-use maps help save taxpayer money by increasing the accuracy and effectiveness of public decisions involving water – for instance, in monitoring compliance with legal water rights. The maps are especially important in dry western states where irrigated agriculture accounts for about 85 percent of all water consumption.

Using Landsat imagery supplied by the U.S. Geological Survey in combination with ground-based water data, the Idaho Department of Water Resources and the University of Idaho developed a novel method to create water-use maps that are accurate to the scale of individual fields. The Ash Institute at Harvard University recently cited Idaho’s original design for these maps as an outstanding innovation in American government.

“The USGS Landsat archive, dating back to1972, has proven to be a versatile source of consistent data about land surface conditions,” said Bryant Cramer, USGS Associate Director for Geography. “This advance by the Idaho water monitoring team is both brilliant and practical. Looking forward, it’s indicative of what researchers in many countries can accomplish with the data.”

The value of the USGS Landsat archive was endorsed by Richard Allen of the University of Idaho, one of the honored team members. “Archival support from USGS gave Idaho researchers the means to determine changes in water consumption over time by agricultural, residential and wildland systems,” he said. “These historical records were indispensable in calibrating many aspects of current data.”

As agricultural irrigation needs and swelling city populations amplify demand for scarce water supplies, water management strategy has been forced to shift from increasing water supply to more effectively managing water use at sustainable levels. Thus, accurate water-use mapping is critical. The Landsat-based method can be as much as 80 percent more accurate than traditional measurement methods.

With initial assistance from NASA, the Idaho Department of Water Resources began cooperating with the University of Idaho in 2000 to develop a computer model, METRIC (Mapping EvapoTranspiration at high Resolution with Internalized Calibration), to estimate and map water use in vegetated areas. The mapping method has since been adopted in other states including Montana, California, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Texas, Nebraska, Colorado, Nevada and Oregon.

The objective nature of the technique assists these states in negotiating Native American water rights, assessing urban water transfers, managing aquifer depletion, monitoring water right compliance, and protecting endangered species. Internationally, Spain, South Africa and Morocco have already begun to employ Landsat-based water-use maps.

“I congratulate Richard Allen, Anthony Morse, William Kramber and their Idaho colleagues on their inventive work. The recognition of this prestigious award is well deserved,” Cramer said.

“I believe this success is a marker for more to come,” he continued. “The USGS policy of releasing the full Landsat archive over the Internet at no cost opens the door to a much larger pool of researchers worldwide. More researchers will lead to even more data applications that tackle major environmental issues.”

From The Washington Post (Kari Lydersen):

Using surface temperature readings from government satellites, air temperature and a system of algorithms, the new method lets officials measure how much water is “consumed” on a certain piece of land through evapotranspiration.

Evapotranspiration is a combination of the evaporation of water into the atmosphere and the water vapor released by plants through respiration — basically, a measurement of the water that leaves the land for the atmosphere, not water that is diverted or pumped onto land but then returned quickly to the water table or river for other users.

Water resource management agencies in Idaho and other states see this as the best way to measure water consumption, since it is a more exact definition of how much water is being removed from the system by a given individual or entity. The program, called METRIC for Mapping EvapoTranspiration with High Resolution and Internalized Calibration, was launched in 2000 with a NASA/Raytheon Synergy Project grant and is used by 11 states. (Though researchers do measure the evapotranspiration rates of residential developments, the method is mainly relevant to the management of agriculture, fish farms and forest or wetland conservation.)

“There’s not enough water for all uses, so you use METRIC to see exactly where water is being consumed,” said Tony Morse, manager of geospatial technology at the Idaho Department of Water Resources. “How much for agriculture, how much on the Indian reservation, how much by native cottonwoods, how much by saltcedars.”

METRIC uses images from the two Landsat satellites, which orbit Earth every 16 days, meaning an image of a given field is available every eight days unless cloud cover interferes. Until this year users had to pay the U.S. Geological Survey $600 for each 185-by-180-kilometer “scene.” Starting in 2009 the government satellite images, which are also used for Google Earth, are free to the public. METRIC developers have published their algorithms for anyone to use, though agencies must write their own computer codes.

The data have already been used to help settle a century-long fight between Colorado and Kansas over water in the Arkansas River and a dispute between Idaho irrigation districts. Previously, officials had to look at well-pumping records and electricity use to estimate each irrigation district’s usage. Water managers say the data help to settle and avoid litigation.

Aurora wins American Water Works Association taste test

Bump and update: From the Aurora Sentinel (Adam Goldstein):

The fancy bottled brands may have a new challenger, as the water coming from taps in Aurora has a new mark of recognition. Aurora Water beat competitors from other metro water utilities from three states in a recent taste test competition held by the Rocky Mountain Section of the American Water Works Association…

Aurora Water will move on to the next level of the competition, representing the Rocky Mountain Section of the AWWA during the “Best of the Best” taste test, to be held at the AWWA Annual Conference and Exposition in Chicago in June 2010.

From The Denver Post:

The city was crowned the winner at the recent Rocky Mountain selection of the American Water Works Association Taste Test. A five-member panel decided that Aurora water had the best appearance, smell, taste and overall impression. Denver Water and the Centennial Water and Sanitation District were among other local utilities entered.

More Aurora coverage here.

Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program update

Here’s an update about the monitoring of fish moving through the new fish passage at the Price-Stubbs dam near Palisade, from Gary Harmon writing for The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. From the article:

Monitoring the fish that way gives more information about the movements and is preferable to electro-shocking or other methods of counting the fish, [Tom Chart, the new head of the Upper Colorado Basin Endangered Species Recovery Program] said. The Fish and Wildlife Service has stocked endangered razorback suckers in the river, and Chart said he is planning to do more. “We’re still in full force with the stocking program” and will build more ponds in Horsethief Canyon to grow additional razorbacks, Chart said.

Here’s an article about Mr. Chart, from Gary Harmon writing for The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. From the article:

The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program, which this summer was extended through 2023, now is headed by Tom Chart, who has worked for and with the program during a 26-year career dealing with endangered fish. Chart worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Ecological Services Field Office in Salt Lake City on projects to recover endangered fish in the Colorado and Virgin river systems. Before that, he was a biologist for the Bureau of Reclamation in Salt Lake City. He also worked for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Moab.

More endangered species coverage here.

Climate Change and water supply in the Colorado River Basin

Colorado River District general manager, Eric Kuhn, spoke yesterday evening up at the the Aspen Global Change Institute, “…which is hosting a workshop this week to explore how climate scientists and water managers can provide better information to government decision makers,” according to report from Brent Gardner-Smith writing for the Aspen Daily News. From the article:

Kuhn cited a survey done six months ago by the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization of people in the seven states that have a stake in Colorado River water, including Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, California and Nevada. The survey asked residents of those states, “Is climate change an established reality or an unproven myth?” People in Colorado are split 47 percent to 47 percent on the question. In Wyoming, only 35 percent of people think climate change is “an established reality,” while 62 percent of Californians think it is. Seventy-four percent of Democrats in those seven states think climate change is a reality, but only 25 percent of Republicans do, the survey found.

Kuhn said another survey found that in the 15 Western Slope counties that make up the Colorado River District, 83 percent of Democrats feel climate change should be given a high priority, while only 40 percent of Republicans felt the same way.

Yet Kuhn said evidence continues to point to a future with hotter temperatures and less water in the Colorado River.

More Colorado River Basin coverage here.

Lower South Platte Watershed Plan Project meeting recap

Here’s a report about last week’s meeting of the Lower South Platte Watershed Plan Project, from Judy Debus writing for the Sterling Journal Advocate. From the article:

The plan is expected to be released in late 2010 and will be the guide and focus for groups within the watershed to apply for grants to address the problems documented. After a time of sharing information about the planning process and the Lower South Platte, the meeting was opened for ideas from those attending. “We want to hear from you, your concerns, the things you think need to be addressed for the future of the watershed,” Cronquist said.

Among concerns listed by the group include:

• New water storage
• Upgrade old storage
• Baseline studies of aquatic life
• Water for livestock
• More collective/data sharing
• Site specific Best Management Practices (BMP)
• Increases in salinity, increase in salt cedar, zebra mussels, Sago pondweed
• Land use changes

Groups and organizations that have supported the plan through their involvement on the Core (advisory) Committee include: Central Colorado Water Conservancy District, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, Colorado Corn, Colorado Department of Agriculture, Colorado Division of Wildlife, Colorado Livestock Association, Colorado State University Extension, Colorado State University, Ducks Unlimited, Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District, Lower South Platte Watershed Association, Natural Resources Conservation Service, North Front Range Water Quality Planning Association, Northern Colorado Water Conservancy, Northeast Colorado Health Department, Sedgwick County Conservation District, and West Greeley Conservation District.

By 2030, it’s projected an additional 2 million residents will live in Colorado’s portion of the South Platte River Basin, and these additional people will need about 400,000 acre feet of water to meet their demand.

Information: For more, visit http://www.LSPWP.com.

More South Platte Basin coverage here.

Northglenn: Work begins on new clear well at treatment plant

Here’s a release from Northglenn Water via YourHub.com (Celeste Olinger). From the article:

Work has begun on a major capital improvement project as excavation is underway for construction of an additional clear well for the city.

The overall project consists of the construction of a new clear well at the Northglenn Water Treatment Plant, located at 2350 W. 112th Ave.

A clear well is a large water storage tank where chemicals are injected into the filtered water as a disinfectant. The clear well will provide adequate detention time to allow for the disinfection of any bacterial water contamination during peak flow and will meet the new requirements set forth by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment regulations.

This project is in its initial stage and the city has partnered with The Engineering Company (TEC) to complete the design and construction administrative services and with Jennison Construction Company for construction of the clear well. Currently, digging is underway to accommodate a 330,000-gallon clear well at the Water Treatment Plant. On May 28, City Council approved CR-66, a resolution approving construction of the clear well addition and authorizing $1,802,161 from the 2009 CIP?Budget Water Connection Fund for the project.

Northglenn’s Water Treatment Plant provides safe drinking water to its residents and is in compliance with state and federal drinking water standards and regulations. The clear well addition will assist the city in continuing to maintain its high standards and continuous operations.

This major capital improvement project is scheduled to be complete in March 2010.

More infrastructure coverage here.

Clear Creek Watershed Festival recap

From the Clear Creek Courant (Ian Neligh):

They came in throngs to the information booths along Clear Creek to learn about the watershed, listen to music and play games, all the while trying to stay dry. I think there is an awful lot of good stuff going on,” Ed Rapp, president of the Clear Creek Watershed Foundation, said while working in an information booth. The foundation is a nonprofit charged with improving the ecological, recreational and economic conditions in the Clear Creek Watershed.

More Clear Creek watershed coverage here.

Ruedi Reservoir update

From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):

As you have probably noticed over the past week, releases from Ruedi Dam to the Fryingpan River have been cutting back. Tomorrow morning, we will cut releases back another 50 cfs, putting the flow in the Fryingpan at about 115 cfs. The demand for water for the Endangered Fish Recovery Progam ends tomorrow. As a result, we have been curtailing releases accordingly. The 115 cfs rate will continue until further notice.

More Fryingpan-Arkansas coverage here.

Pueblo Board of Water Works to mull financing alternatives for Bessemer Ditch shares

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

The resolutions Tuesday will set the terms under which the bonds will be sold and authorize the issuance of the bonds. The resolution on terms also sets forth how other debt, present or future, would fit into the structure of the bonds. Bonds would be issued Oct. 22. The bonds would be sold during October, paralleling the time frame for the board to finalize its contracts with 67 shareholders for 5,339 shares on the Bessemer Ditch Ñ a little more than one-quarter of the total. “We did two of the contracts on the Bessemer Ditch, as pilots, to make sure everything was worked out,” said Alan Hamel, executive director. “We wanted to make sure our process was going to work, and there weren’t any problems.” The water board wants to complete all of the contracts by Oct. 30. Closing on the contracts will be coordinated to the flow of money used to buy the shares.

More PBOWW coverage here.

Hot Sulphur Springs: Revamped rate structure scares businesses

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

The town brought its rate structure up to standard in response to an aging system that drained town coffers. The town revamped water billing by increasing the base rate of SFEs, or single-family equivalencies. One SFE — the rate for most residences — amounts to $94.20 a month. Commercial structures amount to greater numbers of SFEs.

But now that the town has concrete financials in place due to receipt of federal stimulus dollars, Bernal hopes it’s in a position to find compromise with business owners. “We understand the town’s position — and we hope they can come to understand ours,”

More Hot Sulphur Springs coverage here.

Flaming Gorge pipeline: Reclamation estimates that 165,000 acre-feet per year is available for development

From the Associated Press (Ben Neary) via CBS4Denver.com:

The study found that up to 165,000 acre feet of water could be drawn from the reservoir each year through 2049 while still allowing enough water to generate hydropower and to meet the needs of endangered fish species downstream.

Drawing 165,000 acre feet a year over 40 years would draw the level of Flaming Gorge Reservoir down from its current elevation of 6,030 feet a bove sea level to just above 5,900 feet, the study found. According to bureau figures, the reservoir has a surface area of nearly 30,000 acres when its elevation is at 6,000 feet and its surface area would drop to just under 11,000 acres at the 5,900 foot level.

After 2050, as development in Wyoming increases, the bureau study projected Flaming Gorge Reservoir could sustain an annual diversion rate of 120,000 acre feet. The agency is updating that draft analysis, and agency officials say their projections of the amount of available water may well go lower.

More Flaming Gorge pipeline coverage here and here.

Grand County has 3,479 acre-feet of water for streamflow in the upper Colorado

From the Sky-Hi Daily News:

September 1-15, Grand County released an additional 45 cfs. From September 16 – 30, Grand County will reduce its release to 30 cfs. Releases will decrease to 20 cfs on October 1-15 and 10 cfs on October 16-30. In March 2010, 321 acre-feet of county water will remain in Granby Reservoir, which is predicted to fill in spring. Depending on conditions, the commissioners may decide to release the remaining water. The county paid Northern $72,000 in 2009 pumping costs. “We are pleased Northern has allowed us to pump again this year,” says County Manager Lurline Underbrink Curran. “The relationship between Northern and the county has blossomed, allowing us to put unclaimed water to use to benefit Grand County.”

More Colorado River Basin coverage here.

Aurora wins American Water Works taste test

Bump and update: From the Aurora Sentinel (Adam Goldstein):

Aurora Water will move on to the next level of the competition, representing the Rocky Mountain Section of the AWWA during the “Best of the Best” taste test, to be held at the AWWA Annual Conference and Exposition in Chicago in June 2010.

From The Denver Post:

The city was crowned the winner at the recent Rocky Mountain selection of the American Water Works Association Taste Test. A five-member panel decided that Aurora water had the best appearance, smell, taste and overall impression. Denver Water and the Centennial Water and Sanitation District were among other local utilities entered.

More Aurora coverage here.

Standup paddling

From The Denver Post (Scott Willoughby):

“My main concern as an advocate of stand-up paddling is to educate the managing agencies that it’s a valid way of paddling,” said Earl Richmond, co-owner of Buena Vista-based Colorado Kayak Supply and a member of last week’s Westwater SUP team. “I know there are going to be a bunch of stop signs out there and barricades to SUP, but education is key to get people to understand that it’s a safe way to get down a river. It’s like snowboarding back in the mid-’80s. You needed education to show people it would work to get down a mountain.”

For the small but growing legion of river surfers using lengthy paddles to maneuver through rapids on thick boards ranging from 9-12 feet long, Westwater Canyon is a dream destination. Its deep water and well-defined rapids combine with surfable waves and playful eddy lines to form a 17-mile ride through some of the most spectacular scenery this side of the Grand Canyon.

More whitewater coverage here.

Coyote Gulch outage

I’m heading down the two lane blacktop with Mrs. Gulch, Hellchild and Beaver. We’re hoping to try out the rod, reel, fryingpan and corn meal method of non-native trout control

I’ll be back in a few days.

Republican River Compact: Timeline for arbitration in dispute between Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska

From the Yuma Pioneer (Tony Rayl):

he time frame shows Wednesday, September 16, as the last date for the states to meet and agree on an arbitrator (or arbitrators). Dick Wolfe, state engineer for Colorado, reported late last week that an arbitrator had not been selected yet, meaning the states likely will take it to the deadline. While the arbitration is classified as “fast track” it still will be more than five months before an arbitrator issues a decision, which, on the time frame supplied by Wolfe, is March 1, 2010. The fall and early winter will be the “discovery period,” such as submitting bries and responses to those briefs on legal issues, as well as disclosing experts, witness lists, expert reports and exhibits. The trial itself is set for February 1-5, 2010. A location has not been set yet. However, in his notice to his counterparts in Kansas (David Barfield) and Nebraska (Brian Dunnigan) that Colorado was invoking arbitration in regards to the pipeline issue, Wolfe again reiterated his desire to keep working with the other states to reach a mutually acceptable resolution.

More Republican River Basin coverage here and here.

Arkansas Valley Conduit: Will congress fork over the dough to get it built?

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

“We’re working with the whole delegation, and they understand how important this is to Southern Colorado,” lobbyist Ray Kogovsek told the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District Thursday. “I think we will be successful coming out of conference committee.”[…]

The district will attempt to get up to $14 million in the 2011 budget, as it attempts to make progress on the $300 million conduit after finally winning authorization. Federal contributions to the conduit and other parts of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project would be repaid using excess-capacity revenues under the legislation signed into law by President Barack Obama earlier this year. Meanwhile, the Colorado Water Conservation Board still has funds available – about half of the $60.6 million loan approved three years ago – for its loan to cover local up-front spending for the conduit, said CWCB board member Reed Dils. At its meeting this week in Steamboat Springs, the board struggled with financial issues including a reduction in mineral lease revenues and the absence of new mineral severance taxes to support CWCB loans, he said…

The board also approved a contract of up to $118,000 with CDM Engineers for a water resource study related to the conduit. The money comes through local contributions and an EPA grant.

More Arkansas Valley Conduit coverage here and here.

Horsetooth Reservoir update

From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):

[September 17], we are sitting at an elevation of about 5391. At this time, all boat ramps are still in the water. We have about 85 cfs going out of the reservoir. This means it has slowed the drop of the reservoir’s elevation. Earlier this week, the water level was going down about 2/3 of a foot a day. By this afternoon, it is dropping only very slightly.

Because we do not have any water coming into Horsetooth at this time, the water elevation is being determined by what is going out. Currently, the Horsetooth Feeder Canal (the canal that brings water in) is undergoing some regular fall maintenance. That work will be done the last weekend of September. We will be able to start bringing a little bit of water to Horestooth at that time, but not very much because there are still water demands downstream on the Big Thompson River.

Earlier this week, we projected that the reservoir will hit an elevation of 5385 by the last weekend of this month. If water demands return to around 400 cfs coming out of the reservoir, that will likely be the case. At 5385, the Satanka boat ramp and the southern-most ramp in South Bay are out of the water. The large six-lane boat ramp in South Bay, however, should be useable well into October.

More Colorado-Big Thompson coverage here and here.

Colorado River: Reclamation implements basin study program

Here’s a release from Reclamation (Kip White):

Reclamation Identifies Three Western River Basins for Implementation of Basin Study Program Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Michael L. Connor today announced the implementation of a new Basin Study Program that will better define options for future water management of Western river basins where climate change, record drought, population increases and environmental needs have heightened competition for scarce water supplies. Each study will include state of the art projections of future water supply and demand on a basin-wide scale, including an assessment of the impacts of climate change on water resources; analysis of how the basin’s existing water and power operations and infrastructure will perform in the face of changing water realities; and recommendations on how to optimize operations and infrastructure to supply adequate water and power in the future while accounting for environmental values. Reclamation will provide a 50% cost share contribution to state, local and tribal partners to implement the studies.

The first three basin studies announced by Connor today include:

The Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study ($1 million Reclamation, $1 million matching) covering portions of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming;

Yakima River Basin Study and Associated Basin Restoration Implementation Plan, covering south central Washington ($1.3 million Reclamation, $1.3 million matching); and
Modeling for the Future of the Milk and St. Mary River Systems in north central and southern Montana ($350,000 Reclamation, $350,000 matching).

“Given today’s challenges in the area of water resources, it is imperative that the federal government be a strong and reliable partner in working with state, tribal and local water managers,” Connor said today. “The Bureau of Reclamation is addressing this need by partnering with key stakeholders to conduct comprehensive studies and create basin-specific plans recommending collaborative solutions that will meet water demands and foster sustainable development.”

The Basin Study Program will incorporate the latest science, engineering technology, climate models and innovative approaches to water management. Options that will be evaluated in the studies include changes to the operation of water supply systems, modifications to existing facilities, development of new facilities, and non-structural strategies. The basin studies will generally be two years in duration.

The Program announcement follows Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar’s signing of a Secretarial Order earlier this week which details Interior’s coordinated strategy to address the current and future impacts of climate change on America’s diverse natural resources, including water. The Program is part of the Water Conservation Initiative (WCI) and a key element of Reclamation’s implementation of the SECURE Water Act, which was enacted into law as part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. Components of the WCI include providing competitive financial assistance for water conservation, efficiency and marketing projects and other activities that enhance water management; conducting basin-wide planning studies that will address the impacts of climate change; and continued funding of water reuse and recycling projects.

Hat tip to Peter Soeth.

More Colorado River Basin coverage here and here.

Sterling: Public meeting for fall ballot issues includes new water treatment plant

From the Sterling Journal-Advocate (Forrest Hershberger):

The city of Sterling has a question on the ballot that asks voters for permission to go into debt for as much as $29 million. The reason for the question is the city is faced with constructing a new water purification system, or facing the possibility of daily fines and loss of federal funding in the area. The fines and loss of funding would be a result of the city’s water supply system being declared non-compliant by the state health department and the Environmental Protection Agency.
“There’s a $2,000 per day fine for non-compliance,” Kiolbasa said. He stressed that this need to build a water treatment plant is not because the city’s water is getting worse, but because allowable standards as determined by the EPA have changed. The chemicals of concern are uranium, a natural erosion byproduct, and trihalomethanes, a result of water purification. Additionally, new health regulations say that any well deemed to be under the influence of surface water must be purified. The health department determined that the city has wells directly under surface water influence.

The unranium drawn from the city water supply will offer a problem of its own. The residue is expected to be concentrated to the point it has to be handled as a hazardous substance. The plan is to dispose of the remaining uranium with deep injection wells. The deep injection wells will be drilled at least 7,000 , well below the average depth for an oil well, Jones said…

Water softness is also a concern that was addressed. The chemical makeup of water is such that requires a proper balance between too soft and too hard. Water that is too soft, 0-2 grains, is considered corrosive and could damage pipes. Kiolbasa said water that is too soft could also be a health issue. The city is focusing on water quality better than what city customers experience now, but harder than the 0-2 soft water range. “We’re talking about a hardness of 7-9 grains. Most people will notice less scaling of the water,” Kiolbasa said. One of the losses in the process, when the new water system is completely online in 2012, is less need for water purification systems.

Many of the residents present in the meeting were concerned about how the increased water rates will affect their home budgets. A flyer distributed to the audience included a chart that shows conventional treatment would increase monthly costs by about $49 per month, and a decrease in cost for the reverse osmosis system of $2 per month if the customer is using an in-home treatment system. Customers who use bottled water, but no in-home treatment system, will see an increase cost under the conventional treatment system of $49 per month, and a $32 decrease under the reverse osmosis proposal. People who chose to use the water as provided, no treatment or bottled water, will experience the largest price increases: $49 per month with conventional treatment and $53 per month for reverse osmosis. The city council is preferring the reverse osmosis process because it has the best chance of staying ahead of changing standards in the future.

More Sterling coverage here and here.

Colorado Springs Utilities hires consultant to direct efforts at opening the south slope of Pikes Peak for recreation uses

From The Colorado Springs Gazette (R. Scott Rappold):

City Council, sitting as the Colorado Springs Utilities Board, heard a presentation Wednesday on the progress of opening the 15,000-acre scenic area, which is home to several reservoirs. Utilities recently hired a consultant to consider multiple uses in the area, at the direction of an advisory group studying the issue, and a public meeting will be Sept. 29. The consultant, at a cost of $200,000, will help Utilities draw up a comprehensive environmental plan for recreation in the area, which will be presented to the council in the fall of 2010…

A 2007 plan, which stemmed from a 1999 document that provided for opening the watershed, called for building four trails. But now, many forms of recreation are under consideration, including hiking, bird watching, boating, camping, use by commercial outfitters, fishing, climbing, cross-country skiing, show-shoeing, horseback-riding and picnicking.

Utilities opened the North Slope of Pikes Peak, including reservoirs and hiking trails, to recreation in 1992.
The construction season is short because the South Slope is covered by snow eight months a year, so it is unknown when trails would be complete.

More Arkansas River Basin coverage here.

Grand junction recognized by American Rivers for river cleanup efforts

From the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (Gary Harmon):

The city at the junction of the Colorado and Gunnison rivers was selected because “of the value it places on healthy rivers as community assets,” the organization said. The report, “Natural Security: How Sustainable Water Strategies are Preparing Communities for Climate Change,” is being released as Congress is dealing with measures to help communities prepare for the floods, droughts and waterborne diseases that come with a changing climate, American Rivers said. “We are at a transformational moment for our nation’s rivers and water infrastructure, and Grand Junction is forging the path to a healthier, more secure future,” said Rebecca Wodder, president of American Rivers. Much of the focus on Grand Junction is due to the Colorado Riverfront Project, which was aimed at cleaning up the riverbanks to allow for recreational and commercial development. The effort also included the cleanup of the old uranium mill and tailings piles near downtown, and moving a salvage yard off the banks.

More climate change coverage here and here.

Yampa River cleanup tomorrow

From the Steamboat Pilot & Today (Tom Ross):

The semi-annual scavenger hunt known as Yampa River Cleanup Day, from 10 a.m. 2 p.m. Friday, promises to round up the last layer of litter left behind by people recreating on and along the Yampa River during the summer. The Yampa through downtown Steamboat Springs is flowing at its lowest level of the season — 90 cubic feet per second — and low flows expose nearly all of the remaining refuse. Cleanup organizer Peter Van De Carr says to expect the unexpected Friday. “It kind of falls into a couple categories, there’s the stuff that river runners bring along — sunglasses and Coors beer cans, and flip-flops, and there’s industrial stuff like auto parts left from the old Detroit rip-rap (car bodies used in misguided erosion control efforts). We even find gardening tools — rakes and shovels.”

More Yampa River Basin coverage here and here.

Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District: Colorado Springs City Council ponies up some dough

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

“We now have a united community along Fountain Creek that stands together as we move ahead,” Carol Baker, Colorado Springs Utilities Fountain Creek coordinator, told council. Baker explained how more than $1 million has been directed toward Fountain Creek as part of a two-year effort that resulted from an agreement between Colorado Springs and the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District. Another $10 million in funding is on the horizon, but there need to be plans in place to apply for and use the money, Baker said.

Next week, council will vote on extending the agreement, which would add the Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District as a partner. Over two years, $200,000 would be provided to the district, while $400,000 would help finish the Fountain Creek Master Corridor Plan. If Pueblo County commissioners agree, the $300,000 share from Colorado Springs would count toward a $50 million payment under the county’s 1041 permit for Southern Delivery System. Colorado Springs also is obligated to pay an additional $300,000 for dam studies on Fountain Creek, but the bulk of the $50 million would not be paid until after SDS is completed in 2016.

The $100,000 a year for the Fountain Creek District would fund a manager and office expenses, and the offer appears to be the sole source of funding available to the district. While the district was created by the state Legislature, no funding was provided. The district board wants results to show before asking voters for a tax to fund the Fountain Creek district…

The [demonstration project] furthest along are the Clear Springs Ranch project south of Fountain and the Confluence Park in Pueblo. “We’ve already lined up $750,000 worth of work for Clear Springs,” Baker said. That project will look at techniques to improve water quality and reduce erosion and sedimentation while building a fish passage around an 8-foot-high diversion structure. It would also improve public access for wildlife viewing.

About $525,000 has been lined up for the Confluence Park, including a $225,000 grant approved Tuesday by the Colorado Water Conservation Board for a streamside sediment removal system. Another $200,000 is available through federal water quality grants, $80,000.

More Fountain Creek coverage here and here.

Greenway Foundation: South Platte River Sweep

From The Greenway Foundation:

The Annual South Platte River Sweep is scheduled for Saturday, September 26th, 8 a.m. to noon. South Platte River Sweep will once again be a part of National Public Lands Day. This will be the 17th consecutive year that the Denver Parks and Recreation Volunteer Department and the Greenway Foundation have jointly collaborated in a 15-mile multi-jurisdictional cleanup. We are very pleased to the have our returning sponsors 1st Bank-University Hills Branch, Denver Parks and Recreation Department, SCFD, Riverfront Park Community Foundation, Barefoot Wines and Bubbly, and Vitamin Water along with the support from the Greenway Preservation Trust. The event is open to individuals, companies, schools, clubs and neighborhood groups. Participants include members of Trout Unlimited, United Site Services, Denver Parks Recreation Department Volunteer Office, REI, UD&FCD, Whole Foods, Ocean Conservancy, Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture, and several others.

The Greenway Foundation hosts of this event and is responsible for coordinating sponsorships, lunch, publicity and trash pickup. Urban Drainage and Flood Control District donates trash pickup, United Site Services donates portalets and containers, REI handles onsite volunteer signups, and local restaurants donate food for the volunteer luncheon following the event.

Click through for registration information.

More South Platte Basin coverage here.

CWCB: Colorado River water availability study should be done by the end of the year

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

The state estimates there are between 400,000 and 1.4 million acre-feet left for development west of the Continental Divide, but the amount varies widely and overall patterns could be affected by climate change…

“The first phase will have a consumptive use analysis associated with climate change,” said Ray Alvarado, a CWCB staffer. The second phase will look at various basins on the Colorado River to determine where Colorado would have the opportunity to develop more water. “It will answer the questions of, ‘Is the water physically available?’ and ‘Is the water legally available?’ ” Alvarado said.

The CWCB is also evaluating projects that would bring water over the mountains, including the Flaming Gorge pipeline and pumpback projects from the Yampa River, the Colorado River near Grand Junction, Green Mountain Reservoir and Blue Mesa on the Gunnison…

Technical meetings with regional water users are planned for next week in Glenwood Springs and Colorado Springs to further identify factors that should be included. The Colorado Springs meeting will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday at Pikes Peak Community College, Centennial Campus, 5675 S. Academy Blvd., Room A260B.

More Colorado River Basin coverage here.

New York Times series: Toxic waters

The New York Times is running a series on the worsening problem of water pollution in the U.S. Here’s the link to the series. Here’s last Saturday’s installment (Charles Duhigg). From the article:

Almost four decades ago, Congress passed the Clean Water Act to force polluters to disclose the toxins they dump into waterways and to give regulators the power to fine or jail offenders. States have passed pollution statutes of their own. But in recent years, violations of the Clean Water Act have risen steadily across the nation, an extensive review of water pollution records by The New York Times found. In the last five years alone, chemical factories, manufacturing plants and other workplaces have violated water pollution laws more than half a million times. The violations range from failing to report emissions to dumping toxins at concentrations regulators say might contribute to cancer, birth defects and other illnesses. However, the vast majority of those polluters have escaped punishment. State officials have repeatedly ignored obvious illegal dumping, and the Environmental Protection Agency, which can prosecute polluters when states fail to act, has often declined to intervene…

Records analyzed by The Times indicate that the Clean Water Act has been violated more than 506,000 times since 2004, by more than 23,000 companies and other facilities, according to reports submitted by polluters themselves. Companies sometimes test what they are dumping only once a quarter, so the actual number of days when they broke the law is often far higher. And some companies illegally avoid reporting their emissions, say officials, so infractions go unrecorded. Environmental groups say the number of Clean Water Act violations has increased significantly in the last decade. Comprehensive data go back only five years but show that the number of facilities violating the Clean Water Act grew more than 16 percent from 2004 to 2007, the most recent year with complete data…

…the Times’s research shows that fewer than 3 percent of Clean Water Act violations resulted in fines or other significant punishments by state officials. And the E.P.A. has often declined to prosecute polluters or force states to strengthen their enforcement by threatening to withhold federal money or take away powers the agency has delegated to state officials…

Enforcement lapses were particularly bad under the administration of President George W. Bush, employees say. “For the last eight years, my hands have been tied,” said one E.P.A. official who requested anonymity for fear of retribution. “We were told to take our clean water and clean air cases, put them in a box, and lock it shut. Everyone knew polluters were getting away with murder. But these polluters are some of the biggest campaign contributors in town, so no one really cared if they were dumping poisons into streams.” The E.P.A. administrators during the last eight years — Christine Todd Whitman, Michael O. Leavitt and Stephen L. Johnson — all declined to comment.

Here’s a look at the series from a Colorado perspective, from David O. Williams writing for Real Vail. From the article:

Thirty-nine states provided information requested by the New York Times as part of its series on Clean Water Act violations called “Toxic Waters: A series about the worsening pollution in American water and regulators’ response.” Colorado wasn’t one of them. Instead, here’s what Ann Hause of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reportedly told the Times when asked to provide information or verify the Times’s reporting on Colorado’s enforcement, or lack thereof, of the Clean Water Act: “We cannot verify the accuracy of this data because we cannot duplicate the ECHO query or survey used to generate this data. Also, the time period in question and the criteria used for specifying compliance are not stated. With respect to the remaining questions, as they are fairly resource-intensive, the Department is not able to provide answers within any predictable time frame.”

Colorado Ethics Watch, a nonprofit political watchdog group, found that response woefully inadequate and now plans to file its own Colorado Open Records Act request. “This is an unacceptable response. How can the Department not know whether or not it is enforcing the Clean Water Act? And more importantly, how are Coloradoans supposed to know whether the Department is adequately protecting them from environmental harms?” said Ethics Watch director Chantell Taylor. “Taxpayers deserve prompt, accurate information on such important matters of public safety and we intend to follow up with the Department to see if we can get just that.”

Meanwhile the Las Animas County Commissioners are worried about language in S. 787, the Clean Water Restoration Act, according to a report from Randy Woock writing for The Trinidad Times Independent. From the article:

The new language in the federal bill, proposed by U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, would amend the Clean Water Act of 1972 by replacing the words “navigable waters” in the bill with the term “waters of the United States.” That change in the bill would define the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) area of jurisdiction to include, according to the bill’s official congressional summary, “…all waters subject to the ebb and flow of the tide, the territorial seas, and all interstate and intrastate waters and their tributaries, including lakes, rivers, streams, mud flats, sand flats, wetlands, sloughs, prairie potholes, wet meadows, lakes, natural ponds…to the fullest extent that these waters, or activities affecting them, are subject to the legislative power of Congress under the Constitution.” As recently reported by environmental group Clean Water Action, a March 2008 memorandum from the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance claimed that “hundreds” of Clean Water Act enforcement cases had recently been either dropped or made lower priorities due to concerns about whether various rivers, streams, wetlands or other waters were protected from pollution by the Clean Water Act. The agency memo claimed that between 2006 and 2007 the agency chose to not pursue the enforcement of more than 300 violations due to the jurisdictional uncertainties. Clean Water Action reported that in 2001 the Supreme Court held that non-navigable intrastate waters were not protected by the Clean Water Act because they could serve as habitat for migratory birds. Clean Water Action claimed that it, “…gave polluters an opening to ramp up a decades-long effort to pressure the EPA and the Corps of Engineers to weaken their rules…

The county’s board of commissioners has also voiced concern about the proposed changes in the Clean Water Restoration Act. “I understand that there are probably some things (needing regulating), but why would we want everyone under those rules?” Las Animas County Commissioner Gary Hill said. “There’s ranchers, cities…what are we going to do when every drop of water that falls is sooner or later contaminated with a little drop of oil? Who’s going to pay for that?” Hill added, “Worse than that, when you get into a ranch or farm and you’re not having the public paying for it (EPA violations), then it’s just individuals…I don’t want anybody in control of our water; there’s enough regulations already.” Hill also said that the coalition of state counties, Colorado Counties, Inc., had drafted a letter in opposition to the bill, though it was not available for examination at press time.

Fellow County Commissioner Jim Vigil also voiced concern about the level of control over local waters that the bill could give federal agencies. “From an agricultural concern, the way that bill is proposed…the feds would have control over stock ponds, irrigation ditches, dry arroyos that run once a year when it rains, and that just makes it onerous on ranchers, farmers and, in general, the western U.S.,” Vigil said. “The EPA or Army Corps of Engineers could come in every time you wanted to clean out a stock pond or build a new stock pond or put in a new watering system.”

More water pollution coverage here.

Summit County: Peru Creek Basin cleanup

Check out the photos from the Peru Creek Basin and Snake River from the Summit Daily News. From the article:

Currently, a group of researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is experimenting with traceable dyes to pinpoint the path of the pollution. The work could help establish the best options for cleaning up Peru Creek and the Snake River. Options include diverting clean water flowing into the mine, moving piles of waste rock away from the water and, ultimately, direct treatment of polluted water flowing out of the mine.

More Peru Creek Basin coverage here and here.

Interbasin Compact Committee meeting recap

Here’s a recap of Monday’s IBCC meeting in Steamboat, from Chris Woodka writing for The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:

By rolling out a new process to evaluate future water strategies this week, [DNR Director Harris] Sherman helped smooth some rough waters that were roiling among the nine basin roundtables amid growing impatience on the part of the Front Range and reluctance to move by Western Slope interests. The new plan would employ a portfolio of strategies to meet needs and minimize the dry-up of agricultural land. Most who attended Monday’s IBCC meeting agreed it was the most productive meeting to date. While little was decided, the new process opened the door for discussions about how to rate various mixes of identified projects, new projects, conservation and agriculture dry-up.

The plan follows months of concerns by roundtables that led to a flurry of resolutions from the Arkansas, South Platte and Metro roundtables to open up all West Slope options – including the Gunnison River basin and potential dry-up of Western Colorado agriculture. In response, the Yampa-White roundtable asked the IBCC to put on the brakes until state studies of water availability in the Colorado River basin were complete. All of the resolutions were put on hold after Sherman pointed out the IBCC has no real authority other than to make recommendations to other state agencies. Still, he asked the roundtables to explain their positions…

John McClow, a member of the Colorado Water Conservation Board from the Gunnison basin, said there are still concerns about drying up Western Slope agriculture to feed Front Range growth, but said there is no reason not to study ideas such as the Blue Mesa pumpback plan. “If anything about supply is studied, however, we need to understand demand as well,” McClow said…

Jeff Devere, who represents the Yampa-White Roundtable on the IBCC, said the basin “feels like it has a bull’s-eye on it” with the potential of Shell Oil development, the Yampa pumpback plan and Aaron Million’s Flaming Gorge proposal that would claim Green River water. “I think the concern of the Yampa-White was that the process was getting ahead of itself,” Devere said.

More IBCC coverage here and here.

Energy policy — coal: Electrical generation water consumption

Here’s a report from last Wednesday’s meeting of the Arkansas Basin roundtable, from Chris Woodka writing for The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:

“One of the trends we’re starting to see in the West and Colorado is a lot of ag-to-industry transfers,” Stacy Tellinghuisen of Western Resource Advocates told the Arkansas Basin Roundtable Wednesday. Tellinghuisen led a team that studied Arkansas Basin water needs for future power supplies in a project funded by the National Renewable Energy Lab. Western Resource Advocates is a 20-year-old group dedicated to preserving the environment in the West.

The group makes recommendations that it claims could reduce consumptive use for municipal water systems by up to 44,000 acre-feet per year and power generation up to 20,000 acre-feet per year by 2030. It specifically mentions the acquisition of one-half of the Amity Canal in Prowers County by the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and the power needs of the Southern Delivery System in the report. Western Resource Advocates represented Environment Colorado, which settled its lawsuit on Tri-State’s Water Court case involving the Amity shares in March, with Tri-State agreeing to a $1 million study of energy efficiency among its 44 cooperatives in four states…

[The Southern Delivery System], a $1 billion project by Colorado Springs, Security, Fountain and Pueblo West designed to provide water to meet future population growth, would require large amounts of power to move water uphill. “If these new energy demands are met with water-intensive forms of energy generation, like coal power, they will further increase water use in the basin,” Tellinghuisen said.

More coal coverage here.

Boulder Creek fish kill

From the Boulder Daily Camera (John Aguilar):

The portion of the creek — between the Millennium Harvest House hotel and 28th Street — where 263 fish died on Aug. 20 was very shallow that day, the city said in a press release. It said the low stream flow was likely due to depleting snowmelt at high elevations and to upstream water rights owners pulling water from the creek. Flows on that portion of Boulder Creek were estimated to be around 1 cubic feet per second or less and stream temperatures topped out at 66 degrees Fahrenheit, the city said.

More Boulder Creek coverage here and here.

Dolores River: Tamarisk grants available

From the Targeted News Service:

The U.S. Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management has modified its announcement of a cooperative agreement opportunity to conduct habitat restoration by removing invasive weeds in Colorado’s Dolores River Watershed. The funding announcement was modified Sept. 14 to reflect a change in the category of funding activity, expected number of awards and the contact details. This funding is available under the American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009…

The funding opportunity number is RECOVERY-ACT-BLM-CO-RFA09-1471. It was posted Sept. 14 with an application closing date of Sept. 15.

More Dolores River coverage here and here.

New method for measuring evapotranspiration

Bump and update Here’s the release from the USGS (Ron Beck):

Data from earth-observing Landsat satellites plays a central role in a new, award-winning type of mapping that tracks water use.

Water-use maps help save taxpayer money by increasing the accuracy and effectiveness of public decisions involving water – for instance, in monitoring compliance with legal water rights. The maps are especially important in dry western states where irrigated agriculture accounts for about 85 percent of all water consumption.

Using Landsat imagery supplied by the U.S. Geological Survey in combination with ground-based water data, the Idaho Department of Water Resources and the University of Idaho developed a novel method to create water-use maps that are accurate to the scale of individual fields. The Ash Institute at Harvard University recently cited Idaho’s original design for these maps as an outstanding innovation in American government.

“The USGS Landsat archive, dating back to1972, has proven to be a versatile source of consistent data about land surface conditions,” said Bryant Cramer, USGS Associate Director for Geography. “This advance by the Idaho water monitoring team is both brilliant and practical. Looking forward, it’s indicative of what researchers in many countries can accomplish with the data.”

The value of the USGS Landsat archive was endorsed by Richard Allen of the University of Idaho, one of the honored team members. “Archival support from USGS gave Idaho researchers the means to determine changes in water consumption over time by agricultural, residential and wildland systems,” he said. “These historical records were indispensable in calibrating many aspects of current data.”

As agricultural irrigation needs and swelling city populations amplify demand for scarce water supplies, water management strategy has been forced to shift from increasing water supply to more effectively managing water use at sustainable levels. Thus, accurate water-use mapping is critical. The Landsat-based method can be as much as 80 percent more accurate than traditional measurement methods.

With initial assistance from NASA, the Idaho Department of Water Resources began cooperating with the University of Idaho in 2000 to develop a computer model, METRIC (Mapping EvapoTranspiration at high Resolution with Internalized Calibration), to estimate and map water use in vegetated areas. The mapping method has since been adopted in other states including Montana, California, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Texas, Nebraska, Colorado, Nevada and Oregon.

The objective nature of the technique assists these states in negotiating Native American water rights, assessing urban water transfers, managing aquifer depletion, monitoring water right compliance, and protecting endangered species. Internationally, Spain, South Africa and Morocco have already begun to employ Landsat-based water-use maps.

“I congratulate Richard Allen, Anthony Morse, William Kramber and their Idaho colleagues on their inventive work. The recognition of this prestigious award is well deserved,” Cramer said.

“I believe this success is a marker for more to come,” he continued. “The USGS policy of releasing the full Landsat archive over the Internet at no cost opens the door to a much larger pool of researchers worldwide. More researchers will lead to even more data applications that tackle major environmental issues.”

From The Washington Post (Kari Lydersen):

Using surface temperature readings from government satellites, air temperature and a system of algorithms, the new method lets officials measure how much water is “consumed” on a certain piece of land through evapotranspiration.

Evapotranspiration is a combination of the evaporation of water into the atmosphere and the water vapor released by plants through respiration — basically, a measurement of the water that leaves the land for the atmosphere, not water that is diverted or pumped onto land but then returned quickly to the water table or river for other users.

Water resource management agencies in Idaho and other states see this as the best way to measure water consumption, since it is a more exact definition of how much water is being removed from the system by a given individual or entity. The program, called METRIC for Mapping EvapoTranspiration with High Resolution and Internalized Calibration, was launched in 2000 with a NASA/Raytheon Synergy Project grant and is used by 11 states. (Though researchers do measure the evapotranspiration rates of residential developments, the method is mainly relevant to the management of agriculture, fish farms and forest or wetland conservation.)

“There’s not enough water for all uses, so you use METRIC to see exactly where water is being consumed,” said Tony Morse, manager of geospatial technology at the Idaho Department of Water Resources. “How much for agriculture, how much on the Indian reservation, how much by native cottonwoods, how much by saltcedars.”

METRIC uses images from the two Landsat satellites, which orbit Earth every 16 days, meaning an image of a given field is available every eight days unless cloud cover interferes. Until this year users had to pay the U.S. Geological Survey $600 for each 185-by-180-kilometer “scene.” Starting in 2009 the government satellite images, which are also used for Google Earth, are free to the public. METRIC developers have published their algorithms for anyone to use, though agencies must write their own computer codes.

The data have already been used to help settle a century-long fight between Colorado and Kansas over water in the Arkansas River and a dispute between Idaho irrigation districts. Previously, officials had to look at well-pumping records and electricity use to estimate each irrigation district’s usage. Water managers say the data help to settle and avoid litigation.

Gunnison Tunnel 100th year celebration

Here’s a look at the Gunnison Tunnel and the water it provides for the Uncompahgre Valley, from Peter Shelton writing for The Telluride Watch. From the article:

We live on Gunnison River water from out of the Black Canyon by way of the Gunnison Tunnel, which celebrates its 100th anniversary September 26. Turns out just about everyone in the Uncompahgre Valley, from Colona to Pea Green, shares the same fortune. Without the pioneering engineering feat of the tunnel and the concurrent development of canals and laterals by the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association, we wouldn’t be here. Or, at the very least, this part of the Western Slope would look different. It wouldn’t be nearly as green, or as prosperous, as it is today…

The tunnel presented myriad practical and engineering challenges. Digging from both ends simultaneously, shifts of 30 men each working 24/7 took four years to dig the six-mile long hole. And when they finally met in the middle, [Water Users’ Manager Marc Catlin] told us, “They were 18 inches off! Dug by hand! A hundred years ago! You go to Denver, you go in the Eisenhower Tunnel, which was built in the 1970s, you make that turn in the middle? … They were off by 40 feet!”

While the tunnel was being dug, other crews were gouging canals into the west-side landscape, including the main artery, the 11-mile long South Canal. “Go out and look at the canals in winter,” Catlin said. “Imagine mules and Fresno scrapers – no bulldozers! They fed sheep in the canals in winter – all those little tiny feet packing that ‘dobe clay so that the canals wouldn’t leak!” Today the Water Users take care of 575 miles of canals and lateral ditches supplying three communities, two counties, and irrigating 80,000 acres of cropland. Not to mention municipal water (by Tri County and other water districts in Project 7) delivered as far as the outskirts of Ouray.

More Uncompahre Valley coverage here and here.

Intelligent use of water film competition

From the dscriber:

We tip our hat to Mark E. Petersen of Boulder who was this afternoon awarded a place in the finals of the Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition for 2009. The film, “More or Less,” outlines the hapless plight of a water waster who’s transported to a strange land where environmental transgressions are dealt with harshly, as his film (here) highlights.

To see Mark’s and the others’ films, go to http://www.iuowfilm.com.

Grand Junction: Two water meetings this week

From the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (Gary Harmon):

The Mesa County Water Association will host a public seminar and discussion Thursday about “How Did our Desert Bloom? And What Happens Next?” in the Grand Junction City Council Auditorium. Friday, the Colorado River District’s annual water seminar will take up “Dust in the Wind and Other Winds of Change” at Two Rivers Convention Center. U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Interior Anne Castle is to discuss how the Obama administration will address water issues in the Colorado River Basin and Mexico. State Rep. Kathleen Curry, D-Gunnison, will discuss the relationship between the state’s budget woes and its funding of water projects. Curry chairs the House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee…

Registration for the Thursday seminar is $5 in advance and $7 at the door. Light refreshments will be served before and after the program. Call 683-1133 for more information.

Registration for the River District’s seminar on Friday is $25 and includes lunch. A registration form is available at http://www.crwcd.org and more information is available at 970-945-8522.

Interbasin Compact Committee meeting recap

Here’s a recap of Monday’s meeting of the IBCC, from Chris Woodka writing for The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:

The Interbasin Compact Committee, working with the Colorado Water Conservation Board, has begun crunching numbers in looking at how the quest to satisfy future water demands will affect current uses.

The group also vented on issues of growth and water at its meeting Monday. “Rather than plan for one future, we are trying to look at multiple futures,” said IBCC staffer Eric Hecox, as he explained a computer tool that anticipates a mix of existing projects, new supplies, conservation and agricultural transfers…

The IBCC looked at several alternative portfolios – the mix of strategies needed to meet a variety of growth scenarios – in an attempt to hit a moving target. Most of the alternatives include new water from the Western Slope, dry-up of farmland in all parts of the state and conservation or reuse of urban water supplies. The model itself can change over time as basin roundtables sharpen their estimates of consumptive and nonconsumptive needs…

At its last meeting, the Arkansas basin group put the final brush strokes on a plan it will submit to the state to look at strategies to meet future water needs. The IBCC will collect similar information from the state’s other eight basin roundtables to fill in the blanks for a statewide picture…

Melinda Kassen of Trout Unlimited said the overall goal of meeting water needs is not as important to the environment as when and where the water is used. “It’s about ecosystems,” she said. “What do we have to do to protect the important ecosystems of the state?”

Mike Gibson, of the San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District, said the potential dry-up of 10 percent or more of the state’s agricultural land foreseen in almost every scenario of the model is not uniform. Most of the land to be dried up is in either the Arkansas or South Platte river basins, and some communities could see complete dry-up, having a much more devastating impact on the local economy, he said. “Ag producers want to be able to sell their water, but they’re not always real happy when their neighbor sells his,” Gibson said.

Even conservation and reuse strategies have to be applied carefully, said Mark Pifher, director of Aurora Water. If cities conserve water, as Aurora has with outside water restrictions in place long after the drought, they cannot depend on it to increase future supplies, Pifher said. And reusing water, as Aurora is doing in the Prairie Waters Project, is at cross-purposes with conservation. “The more water we conserve every day, the less I have to recapture,” he said. Eventually, cities will have to raise rates or take other unpopular measures if they continue to grow, he said. “The point will be reached where you have to remove lawns and where you have to use less water on public landscapes,” Pifher said. “Who makes the call?”[…]

[Jeris] Danielson said if cities cannot bring growth under control themselves, the state at least should look at implementing zoning density requirements, to ensure more efficient use of water. [Harris] Sherman said that question would be addressed later this month at a three-day seminar in Denver hosted by the CWCB.

More IBCC coverage here.

Showers can spray harmful bacteria

From RedOrbit:

A disturbing new study has found that the showers people enjoy everyday are actually spraying them with bacteria. This news should not necessarily strike fear in those with normal immune systems, but such microbes could be a problem for those suffering from cystic fibrosis or AIDS, people who are undergoing cancer treatment or those who have had a recent organ transplant. Researchers at the University of Colorado tested 45 showers in five different states as part of a larger study of the microbiology of air and water in homes, schools and public facilities. They found that about 30 percent of the devices harbored significant levels of the dangerous bacteria. The team reported that some of the bacteria and related pathogens were grouping together in slimy “biofilms” that stuck to the inside of showerheads at more than 100 times the “background” levels of municipal water…

For those who are still not comforted, the researchers suggest getting all-metal showerheads, which make it more difficult for microbes to cling to it. Even so, showerheads are full of hiding places for the bacteria and are difficult to clean. The researchers say that the microbes return even after being cleaned with bleach. Those with filtered showerheads could replace the filter weekly, added co-author Laura K. Baumgartner. She added that baths do not splash microbes into the air like showers, which spray them into breathable aerosol form.

The bacteria that the researchers were finding are Mycobacterium avium, which have been linked to lung disease in some people. Studies by the National Jewish Hospital in Denver indicate increases in pulmonary infections in the United States within recent decades resulting from species like M. avium might have something to do with people taking more showers and fewer baths, according to Pace.

He said that symptoms of infection can include tiredness, a persistent, dry cough, shortness of breath, weakness and “generally feeling bad.” The researchers took samples from showerheads in houses, apartment buildings and public places in New York, Illinois, Colorado, Tennessee and North Dakota. They sampled water flowing from the showerheads, then removed them and swabbed the inside of the devices and even separately sampled the water flowing from the pipes without the showerheads. They were then able to determine which bacteria were living there by examining the DNA of the individual samples. They discovered that the bacteria had built up in the showerhead, where they were much more common than in the incoming feed water. The majority of the samples were taken from municipal water systems in cities such as New York and Denver, but the team also looked at showerheads in four rural homes supplied by private wells. Though they found other kinds of bacteria in those showerheads, there were no M. avium present. The same research team has found M. avium in soap scum on vinyl shower curtains and above the water surface of warm therapy pools in previous studies.

Here’s the release from the University of Colorado.

Upper Ark completes second round for the deployment of satellite telemetry stations

From The Mountain Mail (Ron Sering):

The stations measure surface water levels and, in some places, localized weather conditions. Information is transmitted via the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system, which in turn relays it to computers in the district office. Jord Gertson of Source Water Consulting, contractor for the work, recently completed Chaffee County installation of stations at North Fork and Cottonwood reservoirs, Rainbow Lake, Cottonwood Creek, and North Fork of the South Arkansas River. An additional station at Lester Atterbury gauge in Fremont County, will measure augmentation water acquired by the district from the Bureau of Land Management.

Gertson plans to install five additional stations by Nov. 30. Four final stations are slated for installation next year and during 2011.

More Arkansas Basin coverage here and here.

National League of Cities: Energy, Environment and Natural Resources (EENR) Steering Committee annual fall meeting

Here’s a release from the National League of Cities (Carolyn Berndt):

The Energy, Environment and Natural Resources (EENR) Steering Committee took several steps toward addressing this year’s work plan at its fall meeting in Aurora, Colo. With a full agenda, the committee, led by Chair Claude Mattox, councilmember from Phoenix, focused on: sustainability and climate change; water infrastructure and supply; and product stewardship and waste reduction.

In addition to approving two existing resolutions on climate change, the committee approved new policy language relating to renewable energy and infrastructure siting.

Several speakers informed the discussion. Corey Buffo from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spoke about a green building code initiative to provide local governments with building code information. Joe Goffman from the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee provided an update on the status of climate change legislation in the Senate. Finally, Anders Riel Muller from Baltic Sea Solutions in Palo Alto, Calif., spoke about a new partnership to visually map local climate change initiatives.

After hearing from two speakers on different legislative proposals for funding the nation’s water infrastructure needs, the committee amended and approved an existing resolution on water infrastructure. Mark Pifher, director of Aurora Water, also spoke to the committee about Colorado water law, the Colorado River compact and the Aurora Water reuse plan.

Additionally, the committee approved new policy language on electronic waste and a new resolution relating to product stewardship.

Finally, the committee heard from Mike McHugh from Aurora Water about the impact of the mountain pine beetle on Colorado and western forests. Bark beetles were a priority policy issue for the committee in 2008. The committee approved new policy language relating to invasive species.

The committee voted to update and renew current NLC resolutions on water infrastructure, sustainability initiatives, climate change, climate change adaptation, bark beetles and environmentally friendly shoreline systems. Additionally, the committee voted to incorporate a recurring resolution on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program into existing policy.

Aurora Councilmember Brad Pierce hosted the EENR meeting. A number of related field visits were held throughout the meeting, including a visit to the city’s new municipal center, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Plains Conservation Center and the Peter D. Binney Water Purification Plant.

The EENR Policy and Advocacy Committee will meet at the Congress of Cities in San Antonio to review policy recommendations. The committee will meet on Wednesday, November 11, and welcomes conference attendees at the meeting.

Fort Morgan: Northern Integrated Supply project information meeting September 16

From The Fort Morgan Times:

Representatives of the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District will give a presentation and answer questions about the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) at a meeting in Fort Morgan Wednesday. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Country Steak-Out. Scheduled to attend from Northern are Eric Wilkinson, general manager; Alan Berryman, assistant general manager, engineering division, and Brian Werner, communications and records department manager. Also slated to be at the meeting are Pat Merrill, Fort Morgan city manager; Mark Kokes, manager of Morgan Quality Water District, and Don Ament, former state legislator and former state commissioner of agriculture.

More NISP coverage here and here.

BLM to offer first ever Colorado geothermal lease in Chaffee County

From the Denver Business Journal:

[The November 12 sale is] the first time the BLM has offered a parcel specifically for geothermal power development in Colorado. Typically, the BLM’s lease sales offer parcels intended for oil and gas development. The agency will offer for lease a parcel sized at 799.2 acres for subsurface federal mineral rights. The parcel is in Chaffee County, near the Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort west of Buena Vista.

More coverage from the Salida Citizen (Trey Beck). From the article:

Geothermal resources, such as steam and hot water, are used directly to heat buildings and in greenhouses and aquaculture, and indirectly to generate electric power. Half of the nation’s geothermal energy production occurs on federal land, much of it in California and Nevada, and 90 percent of potential geothermal resources are located on public lands as well, according to the BLM. The earth’s crust may be slightly thinner in Colorado between Leadville and Paonia, a phenomenon known as the Aspen Anomaly, making this region more promising for geothermal development.

Chaffee County stands to benefit materially from the Mount Princeton lease, as geothermal lease revenues and royalties are shared with the states and counties where the leases are located, with 50 percent going to the state and 25 percent to the county. A competitive auction of lease parcels for geothermal energy resources on federal public lands in California, Nevada and Utah earlier this year generated a top per-acre bid of $3,800. Bidding for the Mount Princeton lease will start at $2 per acre.

More geothermal coverage here and here.

Great Outdoors Colorado and the San Luis Valley

From the Valley Courier (Ruth Heide):

During the 15-year history of one of the recipients of lottery ticket sales, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), the Valley has received $28 million for a variety of projects ranging from Creede Recreation Park on one end of the Valley to Costilla County open space on the other…

Saguache County’s share of GOCO funds during that time tops the Valley list at more than $8 million followed by more than $5 million each in Alamosa and Rio Grande Counties, $1.3 million in Costilla County, more than $400,000 in Conejos County and nearly $230,000 in Mineral County.

Projects have included: Hooper Park; Zapata Falls; South Side Community Park in Alamosa; King Ranch Preservation Project; Twin Lakes Trail; Manassa Fairgrounds; Antonito Public Park; Sanford Park; Romeo Sports Complex; Will Stegar Project in Costilla County; Sierra Grande Playground Project; El Parque-A Village Park in San Luis; Fort Garland Community Park; Costilla Open Space; Creede Recreation Park; Wright Ranch Preservation Project; Creede Skate Park; Wolf Creek Pass Project; River Valley Ranch; McNeil Ranch; Del Norte Area Trails Master Plan; Natural Wonders of the San Luis Valley Play Park in Monte Vista; South Fork Rio Grande Park; Native Aquatic Species Facility; Saguache County Closed Basin Biological Inventory; Crestone Peak Trail; Irby Ranch; and Center Park.

Some projects such as the Hooper Town Park received less than $10,000 while others like the Costilla County Open Space project topped half a million.

More conservation coverage here.

Steamboat Springs: Five-party water rights exchange may net city 2,000 acre-feet of storage in Steamboat Lake

From the Steamboat Pilot & Today (Brandon Gee):

Steamboat attorney and re gional water guru Tom Sharp has proposed a five-party water rights exchange that could prove to be a lower-cost alternative to solving some of the region’s water priorities.

If realized, one end result is that the city of Steamboat Springs would receive as much as 2,000 acre-feet of storage rights in Steamboat Lake to augment its 8 cubic feet per second flow in the Elk River. That would save the city the cost and difficulty of building its own new reservoir on the Elk. Augmentation of the city’s Elk River water right is necessary for the city to bring the water into the municipal water system, which is necessary for development in western Steamboat and the city’s goal of reducing its near sole reliance on the Fish Creek watershed.

Sharp said the city’s 1999 Elk River water right could be curtailed during low flows because the Colorado Water Conservation Board holds a 1977 in-stream flow right on the river. If flows in the Elk drop below 65 cfs, junior rights such as the city’s would be shut off — unless water could be released from a reservoir to augment flows…

City officials confirmed they are interested in the concept but said they will have to weigh it against all available alternatives. Public Works Director Philo Shelton said the cost estimate for a new 1,500-acre-foot reservoir is $12.5 million. Shelton said the city has not identified a location for such a reservoir, but he said it would be upstream of the city’s diversion point on the Elk River at Routt County Road 44…

The exchange involves the city, Xcel Energy, Tri-State Gen eration and Transmission, Col orado River Water Con serva tion District and Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District. Water rights would be shuffled between Elkhead Reservoir near Craig, Steamboat Lake in North Routt County and Stagecoach Reservoir in South Routt County…

Jim Pokrandt, spokesman for Colorado River Water Con servation District, said the district is interested in the proposal but needs to consider several issues and take the idea to its board of directors. The river district owns the rights in Elkhead Reservoir that would be leased to Tri-State.

Also through the complex exchange, Xcel Energy’s contract storage rights in Steamboat Lake would move to Stagecoach Reservoir, and the Upper Yam pa Water Conservancy Dis trict would receive the rights in Steamboat Lake that could be contracted to the city. Sharp said he thinks the exchange provides advantages to all five parties, but he also acknowledges there are several challenges to it including money and contract terms.

More Yampa River Basin coverage here and here.

Chris Haga: ‘At 100 feet, we broke through a clay layer and found a pristine supply of water. It was an awesome day’

From The Pueblog Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

The [Round Mountain Water District] reported it has completed a plan to build a well to increase the reliability of its water supply at the monthly meeting of the Arkansas Basin Roundtable. The roundtable supported the district’s $120,000 grant from the Water Supply Reserve Account in 2007, part of a $1 million project to improve the water system that serves Silver Cliff and Westcliffe…

“The Gallery Well project has been completed,” Chris Haga, a member of both the district board and the roundtable. “The purpose of the project was to bring a new source of water into the district.” Haga reviewed the project’s history in a slide presentation with the district’s manager, Tracey Garcia, and fellow board member Jerry Lacy. “Prior to the project, we were struggling to bring water into our system at peak times,” Garcia told the roundtable.

The new well includes a wireless control system that allows it to be operated remotely from the district’s office. “It’s phenomenal what it can do,” Haga said…

The Gallery Well was the final step in providing a reliable water supply. “At 100 feet, we broke through a clay layer and found a pristine supply of water. It was an awesome day,” Haga told the roundtable.

More Custer County coverage here.

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