Here’s the agenda for Friday’s shindig.
More CWCB coverage here.
Day: January 19, 2010
Great Outdoors Colorado’s latest ‘GOCO Update’
Here’s the link to the January 2010 GOCO Update (pdf).
Emily Davies writes in an email, “GOCO played a critical role in helping the Colorado Division of Wildlife purchase the 710-acre Andrick Ponds State Wildlife Area in Morgan County.”
From the Colorado Division of Wildlife website:
[The Andrick Ponds State Wildlife Area]: 711 acre fee title; critical fall and spring migration stopover for waterfowl and other migratory birds; supports breeding and wintering mallards and geese; includes open water, wetland vegetation, grassland, sand sage and open woodland.
More conservation coverage here.
Water drops at 2000 frames per second
This YouTube video has been making the rounds on the Internet recently. It’s completely safe to view at work. The physical characteristics of water combined with gravity and a air make for a fascinating film clip. Be sure to click through.
Evans: ‘Water 101’ talk Thursday
From The Greeley Tribune:
Lori Ozzello, a staff member for Rep. Betsy Markey, D-Colo., will present “Water 101” at a Thursday meeting. Sponsored by the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Ozzello will talk at noon, at the Palomino Restaurant, 3390 23rd Ave., in Evans. Reservations are required and may be made at (970) 352-7765 or by e-mail to elaine567@hotmail.com.
More education coverage here.
Snowpack news: Some water providers are getting nervous
From The Aspen Times (John Colson):
At a meeting of the Garfield County commissioners on Monday, [Dave Merritt, a board member of the Colorado River Water Conservation District] said that the snow depths in the Colorado River basin is “a little bit better than 2002 right now.” He later described 2002 as “essentially the worst year we’ve had on record” for snow depths, when the statewide snowpack was essentially gone by June…
Merritt told the commissioners that the state’s water officials, worried about the prospect of another record drought year, already are discussing whether there will be sufficient water to raise Lake Powell above its present level of 60 percent full…
Merritt said the current regulations call for an annual release of 8.23 million acre feet of water from Lake Powell to satisfy the compact’s allotments, and 1.5 million acre feet for Mexico. Another large reservoir on the Colorado River, Lake Mead (Hoover Dam), “has been dropping pretty precipitously,” Merritt continued, and is counting on an “equalization” release from Lake Powell to boost the water level. But, if the spring runoff is insufficient to bring Lake Powell’s levels up by much, Merritt said, “there’s less than a 50 percent chance of equalization” in 2010. The “equalization” is determined by a complex series of calculations related to how the Colorado’s waters are managed, Merritt explained…
The CRWCD board will hold its first regular quarterly meeting of the year on Jan. 19-20 at the Hotel Colorado. For information about the meeting’s agenda and other Colorado River issues, go to the district’s website at www.crwcd.org.
Grand Junction: Colorado Environmental Coalition open house January 20
From the Grand Junction Free Press (Sharon Sullivan):
The Colorado Environmental Coalition is holding an open house at its downtown Grand Junction office Wednesday, Jan. 20, from 6-7 p.m. to kick off its second season of CapWatch — a program for people to learn about western Colorado conservation issues. At the CEC open house staff will talk about its goals for a number of bills regarding issues such as conservation tax credits, renewable energy, and water conservation. CapWatch meetings are held monthly…
The group’s legislative agenda for 2010 includes increasing Colorado’s renewable energy standard from 20 to 30 percent by 2020. Environmental groups say the renewable energy standard has helped drive investment in renewable energy in the state. More than $150 million was invested in 2008, said Pam Kiely of Environment Colorado…
Other issues on the 2010 legislative agenda include water efficiency, and cleaning up toxic uranium processing sites. Colorado taxpayers are stuck with $1 billion in clean-up costs from past uranium activity. Environmental groups want to see uranium operators responsible for their own remediation…
The CEC Grand Junction office is located upstairs at 546 Main St., unit 404. Refreshments will be provided at the open house Wednesday. RSVP is requested at 243-0002 or jason@cecenviro.org.
More 2010 Colorado legislation coverage here.