Day: July 28, 2010

Nestlé Waters Chaffee County Project gets county notice to proceed to turn on the pumps

A picture named nestlehaffeepipelinec

From the Colorado Independent (Scott Kersgaard):

This evening, Nestle can turn the spigot and begin filling its fleet of twenty-five 8,000 gallon trucks each day. Many consider a drop in the bucket the 65 million gallons of water Nestle has the rights to bottle and sell every year, at least in terms of the impact on the Arkansas River and its aquifers.

Others look at it differently. The deal has riled up local environmentalists who cringe at the very idea of siphoning off the precious cargo to pour into environment-straining plastic bottles and burning up gasoline to ship it throughout the West. John Graham, president of one of the local advocacy groups opposed to Nestle, shakes his head at the very idea. He says water as clean as the water Nestle is bottling is available to almost everyone with a tap for a fraction of the price and with none of the environmental impact of an operation that will log more than 6,000 miles a day at least on the road between Johnson Village and Denver…

Chaffee county’s permitting process produced a document listing 44 conditions Nestle had to meet before it pumped a drop and that it must continue to meet as pumping continues. County Development Director Don Reimer, who today issued the notice to proceed, is tasked with monitoring the operation on an ongoing basis to ensure compliance. Conditions include such things as monitoring the condition of wetlands and groundwater to ensure that the pumping operation does not have a negative effect. It also includes a stipulation that at least half the truck drivers have primary residency in Chaffee County and that Nestle attempt to hire 100 percent of the drivers from Chaffee County.

More Nestlé Waters Chaffee County Project coverage here.

Energy policy — hydroelectric: Micro-hydro plant for Mountain Village?

A picture named microhydroelectricplant

From the Telluride Daily Planet (Celine Wright):

Though still in very early planning stages, the hope is that the town will apply and receive a grant in order to be able to conduct a feasibility study for micro-hydro power in Mountain Village. The Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority offers grants and loans to help local governments develop their hydropower resources; they still have $100,000 left in their 2010 grant funds. Applications are due by Aug. 1. Kurt Johnson of Telluride Energy will write and submit the feasibility assessment grant application. Johnson has written four other CWRPDA grant applications, and all have received funding. Last week Johnson met with Scotty McIntyre, director of public works in the Village. According to a town release on the subject: “Based on Scotty’s preliminary data, we have reason to believe our water system has potential for significant on-site energy production.”[…]

And if Mountain Village ends up receiving the grant: “The study will take a look at a map of our water system, the pressures the pipes contain, and the distances and elevations the pipes travel, crunch the numbers, and see if a significant amount of energy can be feasibly be generated,” says Deanna Drew, the town’s environmental services coordinator. Mountain Village has an extensive water system: more than 50 miles of pipeline and 27 pressure release valves (PRVs). With this, the potential for micro-hydro system could be there. “The city of Ouray is trying to replace a PRV with a turbine that generates electricity, it will be a great model, and something that might also be feasible here,” says Drew.

More hydroelectric coverage here and here.

Colorado River: Possible alligator sighting near Palisade

A picture named americanalligator

Update: From NBC11News.com (Ashley Prchal):

Wednesday, a group of kids playing near the water at Riverbend Park raised the alarm when they say they spotted an alligator on the bank. They say their parents didn’t believe them, but a bystander did. “Everybody thought we were crazy. These ladies said we must be blind or seeing things. But this guy saw it too and he saw it go into the water. And he was trying to tell everyone we weren’t being crazy. We really did see it,” says Josie Brumfield.

From KJCT8.com (Tami Brehse):

Police say a woman called in and said she saw one swimming in the river near her dog. They didn’t find any sign of the gator on their search, but they say that doesn’t mean it’s not out there. “I’m not saying there was an alligator, I’m not saying there wasn’t an alligator,” says Officer Stephen Tonello, “but I will say the witness seemed credible.” The woman said when her dog went in the water, the alligator swam over by the dog. She called her dog out, then the alligator flipped its tail and swam downstream.

Is the North American Monsoon is kicking up?

A picture named lightning

From The Durango Herald (Ann Butler):

Predictions of heavy rains may lead to flood watches for several days after one was declared Tuesday. “We’ll probably be doing the same thing tomorrow and the next day we did today, declaring a flood watch from about noon to 9 p.m.,” John Kyle, data-acquisition program manager at the Grand Junction office of the National Weather Service, said Tuesday night.

Tuesday’s flood watch covered an area that included Southwest Colorado from the eastern edge of Archuleta County north almost to Grand Junction and west into south-central Utah up to the Interstate 70 corridor. Northwestern New Mexico was under a flood advisory during the same time period. “We’re still looking at a mostly southerly flow with heavy rains still real possible,” Kyle said. “We see a good string of moisture coming through the week, including Saturday, Sunday, Monday, even Tuesday.”