Day: March 27, 2013

Drought news: Denver Water approves mandatory watering restrictions #codrought

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Here’s the release from Denver Water (Stacy Chesney/Travis Thompson):

March snows have not done enough to improve the current drought conditions. Most of Colorado is in the second year of a severe drought and above-average temperatures, which has led to low snowpack and low reservoir levels across the state. As a result, at its meeting today, the Denver Board of Water Commissioners adopted a resolution declaring a Stage 2 drought, which means customers will have two assigned watering days a week beginning April 1.

“The last time we declared a Stage 2 drought was in 2002,” said Greg Austin, president of the Denver Board of Water Commissioners. “We are facing a more serious drought now than we faced then. Our goal this summer is to insure the availability of high-quality water to our citizens, given current conditions and an unknowable end to the drought cycle, protecting not only the quality of life of our community but also the long-term security of our city’s system.”

Jim Lochhead, CEO/manager of Denver Water said: “Because of the dry conditions, our reservoirs haven’t been full since July 2011. We would need about 7 feet of additional snow in the mountains by late April to get us close to where we should be. Therefore, we need everyone’s help to save water indoors and outdoors this year. Together, we need to save 50,000 acre-feet of water, or 16 billion gallons, by next spring. We’re asking every person to think before turning on the tap.”

Mandatory watering restrictions begin April 1, meaning Denver Water customers may only water two days a week and must follow this schedule:

  • Single-family residential properties with addresses ending in even numbers: Sunday, Thursday
  • Single-family residential properties with addresses ending in odd numbers: Saturday, Wednesday
  • All other properties (multi-family, HOAs, commercial, industrial, government): Tuesday, Friday

    • In addition, customers must follow the standard annual watering rules:

  • Do not water lawns between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
  • Do not waste water by allowing it to pool in gutters, streets and alleys.
  • Do not waste water by letting it spray on concrete and asphalt.
  • Repair leaking sprinkler systems within 10 days.
  • Do not water while it is raining or during high winds.

    • The utility asks customers to be conscientious about water use this spring. While April is a good time to set up and examine irrigation systems, they don’t need to be used yet. Instead, postpone turning on sprinklers and automatic systems and hand-water sloped areas of the lawn or sections that are receiving full sunlight if they are dry. April is typically a cool month with some precipitation, so it may not be necessary to water lawns two days a week, which will help save water.

    Snowpack in the South Platte and Colorado River basins from which Denver Water receives water are 59 percent of average and 73 percent of average, respectively. That snow is what serves as Denver’s water supply.

    As part of the Stage 2 drought declaration, the board also adopted a temporary drought pricing structure to encourage customers to use even less water and help reduce revenue loss to ensure Denver Water’s vast water collection, treatment and distribution system stays operable and well-maintained. Customers will see the pricing on bills on or after June 1 of this year. The drought pricing will remain in effect until the mandatory restrictions are lifted. The utility plans to cut operating expenses, defer projects and tap cash reserves to help balance finances through the drought.

    As always, customers’ bills will vary depending on how much water they use. An average summer bill for a single family residential customer who doesn’t use less water would increase about $6 a month. Most residential customers who significantly reduce their water use will see a reduction in their bill — even with drought pricing — in comparison to normal usage at 2013 rates.

    “Because our primary goal is to ensure water is available for health and safety needs, the first 6,000 gallons of monthly water use will not be subject to drought pricing,” said Lochhead.

    Average monthly indoor use of water is 6,000 gallons. Approximately 70 percent of single family residential customers use 18,000 gallons per month or less during the peak summer months.

    As it does every year, the utility will enforce its rules with a team of employees — this year named the “drought patrol.”

    “The purpose of our drought patrol is as much about educating customers as it is about enforcing Denver Water’s rules,” said Lochhead. “As we have in previous years, our monitors will have face-to-face interactions with customers to discuss our restrictions.”

    Customers who receive repeated watering notices will be subject to Stage 2 drought fines, which start at $250 for a single-family residential customer who has previously received a written warning.

    Citizens who see water leaks or broken sprinklers in Denver’s parks should call 3-1-1. To report water waste elsewhere, call Denver Water at 303-893-2444.

    Find watering tips and more drought information.

    More Denver Water coverage here.

    Obama Administration Releases Updated Principles and Guidelines for Federal Investments in Water Resources

    Here’s the release from President Obama’s Council on Environmental Quality:

    The Obama Administration today released updated Principles and Guidelines (P&G) for Federal investments in water resources to accelerate project approvals, reduce costs, and support water infrastructure projects with the greatest economic and community benefits.

    The modernized P&G, which were developed by Federal agencies and incorporate extensive public comment, will allow agencies to better consider the full range of long-term economic benefits associated with water investments, including protecting communities against future storm damage, promoting recreational opportunities that support local business, and supporting other local priorities, as well as their water delivery, navigation, and flood prevention functions. These updates to the P&G, called for in the 2007 Water Resources Development Act, will align Federal policies with the full-spectrum approach many communities are now taking toward water infrastructure projects, and will help the Federal government reduce bureaucracy and make it quicker and easier to pursue projects that communities support.

    “Smart investments in America’s rivers, lakes, wetlands, and coasts are essential to promoting economic growth, ensuring clean drinking water, and building thriving communities,” said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “This much needed update of the 30-year-old Principles and Guidelines will help agencies better evaluate and expedite water projects that grow our economy and are essential for protecting our communities from floods, droughts, and storms.”

    Since 1983, the Principles and Guidelines have provided direction to Federal agencies when evaluating and selecting major water projects, including projects related to navigation, storm resilience, water supply, wetland restoration, and flood prevention. The 1983 standards used a narrow set of parameters to evaluate water investments that made it difficult for agencies to support a range of important projects that communities want, or in some cases precluded support for good projects. As a result, lack of local support for selected projects has often led to substantial delays, costing taxpayers and leaving communities at risk.

    The updated P&G consist of a final set of Principles and Requirements that lays out broad principles to guide water investments, as well as draft Interagency Guidelines for implementing the Principles and Requirements. Released for public review and comment in 2009, the Principles and Requirements incorporate extensive input from the public as well as the National Academy of Sciences. They will promote responsible taxpayer investments with a transparent, inclusive consideration of the long-term economic and community costs and benefits of projects and ensure that communities are engaged in designing projects that work for them.

    The draft Guidelines, developed with Federal interagency input, will be available for 60 days of public comment and will incorporate feedback from the public and stakeholders before being finalized. These Guidelines will ensure smart, front-end, collaborative planning among Federal agencies, states, local communities, stakeholders, and the public so that projects move faster, stay on budget, and support community needs.

    The updated P&G will foster consistency and informed decision-making across all Federal agencies engaged in water resources planning, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Agriculture, Department of the Interior, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Office of Management and Budget.

    For more information and to view the updated Principles and Guidelines, please visit: www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/PandG

    Here’s the text the Mr. Beckwith was referring to in his Tweet above:

    A. Healthy and Resilient Ecosystems. Federal investments in water resources should protect and restore the functions of ecosystems and mitigate any unavoidable damage to these natural systems. Ecosystems are dynamic complexes of plant, animal, and microorganism communities and the non-living environment interacting as a system. Ecosystems provide important services to humans both directly and indirectly, and they also encompass vital intrinsic natural values, such as biodiversity. In order to protect ecosystems, alternative plans should first seek to avoid any adverse environmental impact, and when that is not possible, alternatives should minimize environmental impacts. When damage to the environment is unavoidable, mitigation for adverse effects should be provided as required by law. Restoration of ecosystems can enhance the health and resilience of the natural environment and should be part of alternative plans, where feasible and appropriate. A resilient ecosystem has the capacity to respond to changes, including climate change. Healthy and resilient ecosystems not only enhance the essential services and processes performed by the natural environment, but also contribute to the economic vitality of the Nation.

    Snowpack/drought news: The storm last weekend helped but did not alleviate drought conditions #codrought

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    From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

    While a windy snowstorm made driving difficult last weekend, it did little to relieve drought conditions for Colorado. In fact, the state’s drought task force says it would have to snow nearly three times as much as normal just to bring snowpack to average levels by mid-April. “It is unlikely that this will be achieved. Consequently, water providers are preparing for continued drought conditions throughout the spring and summer and some have announced restrictions,” said Taryn Finnessey of the Colorado Water Conservation Board in the most recent state drought report Snowpack failed to improve much after storms Saturday through Monday, remaining at just 79 percent of normal statewide. In the Arkansas River basin, snowpack is at 75 percent, while it is at 80-82 percent in most areas of the Colorado River basin. The Rio Grande was listed at 78 percent and the South Platte at 70 percent.

    If there is any good news, it’s that the snow has not begun to melt off, like it did at this time last year, because temperatures have been cooler than normal.

    The bad news is that reservoir storage is only 71 percent of average and 39 percent of capacity statewide. Last year, storage was about normal. Streamflows are projected to be only 50-70 percent of average for the spring and early summer. The threemonth forecast is calling for hotter, wetter than average conditions across most of the state.

    The U.S. Drought Monitor shows the entire state is in some stage of drought, with the most extreme levels on the Eastern Plains and in the Arkansas Valley.

    Farmers are bracing for another tough year — the third in drought. “Some have got the ground bedded out, ready to plant if it starts to rain,” said John Schweizer, a Rocky Ford farmer for more than 50 years. He said most are trying to save the hay crops they have and would plant cheaper feed called “hay grazer.” Cattle selling is likely to continue as the drought deepens. “A lot of people have sold down their herds, and we will too if this keeps up,” Schweizer said. “This is as bad as I’ve seen it, and I’ve been around awhile.”

    From The Mountain Mail (Casey Kelly):

    Dry conditions continue to persist in Chaffee County and throughout the state, but forecasts of moisture and cooler temperatures this spring could ease the drought’s grip. Arkansas River basin snowpack is 75 percent of normal and 90 percent of the basin’s snowpack a year ago, according to a Thursday report to the Colorado Water Conservation Board Water Availability Task Force.

    The average peak date for snowpack is April 10 but tends to come earlier in drought years, the report said.

    Year-to-date precipitation as of Thursday was 70 percent of average and 80 percent of the basin’s precipitation a year ago, which was bolstered by February precipitation that was 92 percent of average for the month.

    Reservoir storage in the Arkansas River basin is currently at 55 percent of average and 19 percent of capacity. This time last year, reservoir storage was at 89 percent of average.

    Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District Manager Terry Scanga said Friday it is still too early to forecast the full extent of the drought in the county and what impact it may have on those with water rights. “If we keep getting storms, it could turn around. It has happened before,” he said. “You always have to be optimistic. In 2001, we were on track for a horrible year all the way up until the first or second week in May, when we had 5 feet of snowfall. That changed our whole summer,” Scanga said.

    The time in which snow runoff begins “is going to be critical,” he said, and if the county continues to see colder weather, especially at night, it could extend the snowpack runoff later into summer. If not, Scanga said water rights going back to 1884 or further could be affected this year, and the frequency and length of the impacts could be worse than last year. If agriculture water rights are affected, people can expect to see higher crop prices, which could lead to higher prices of food, especially since the drought is currently affecting much of the southwest U.S., Scanga said. If municipalities’ water rights are affected, Scanga said he expects to see more water-restricting measures in those areas.

    Klaus Wolter, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Diagnostics Center and the University of Colorado Boulder, forecast an increase in moisture over the coming months in Thursday’s report. “My forecast for April-June 2013 is fairly confident that most of Colorado will see above-normal moisture, especially toward the Four Corners region,” Wolter wrote in his report. “This is in stark contrast to 2012, and supported by skillful forecasts over the last decade.”

    Wolter said people should hope for the wettest outcome, but prepare for the driest, especially if this year’s growing season is as hot as last year’s. “The one saving grace of 2013 so far is much cooler weather than last year,” he said. He also reported the next 2 weeks could also bring cooler-than-normal temperatures. “The next 2 weeks hold the promise of an active storm track and ‘normal’ to much-below normal temperatures, especially over the next 5 days,” he said.

    The statewide Surface Water Supply Index value for the Arkansas basin in February was minus 3.3, according to the Colorado Division of Water Resources’ March 21 report. For context, a score of zero indicates near-normal surface water supply and a score of minus 4 indicates severe drought. The Surface Water Supply Index, known as SWSI, is developed by the Division of Water Resources and is used as an indicator of mountain-based water supplies in major river basins in the state. SWSI values for every basin in the state decreased last month, while “drought conditions continue to be widespread throughout the state,” according to the division’s report. The Arkansas basin’s SWSI value dropped 0.2 from January, making it the most drought-impacted basin in the state behind the Colorado basin, which recorded an SWSI value of minus 3.4 in February. “Snowpack accounts for the majority of the SWSI in the Arkansas basin and was very low,” the report said. “Water year cumulative precipitation, the other major component of the Arkansas basin’s winter SWSI, was also very low.”

    Reservoir storage in the Pueblo Winter Water Program totaled 60,113 acre-feet at the end of February, which is 53 percent of last year’s storage to date and 48 percent of the past 5-year average, the report said. Conservation storage in John Martin Reservoir had accumulated 4,453 acre-feet through last month, 30 percent of the 15,070 acre-feet accumulated by the end of February last year. “Lack of availability of municipal leased water and expected reductions in yield of other replacement sources have caused each major well association to submit replacement plans at the end of February that project from zero to 30 percent pumping allocations,” the report stated.

    From TheDenverChannel.com:

    Colorado’s largest water utility is poised to declare a Stage 2 drought, meaning mandatory watering restrictions would kick in Monday. Denver Water’s board intends to make the declaration Wednesday. That would mean that starting next week, customers will be assigned two days per week for lawn watering. Several watering rules also would take effect, including no lawn watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m…

    Colorado Springs Utilities also is limiting outdoor watering to two days per week, on designated days, starting Monday.

    From the Western Governors Association and NOAA (Carlee Brown/Toni Parham):

    Drought conditions remain in much of the West, but improvement is likely for Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas, according to the most recent Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook.

    The Outlook features predictions for drought conditions through June, including drought development in Northern California, a region that experienced one of its driest January-February periods on record this year. Additionally, the Outlook includes a snapshot of recent precipitation and snowpack measurements, as well as a summary of climate events from the winter season.

    The Outlook also highlights key bills in Congress that can help western states prepare for drought and flooding. Already, Congress has demonstrated the importance of weather and climate monitoring by including a $150 million budget increase for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the Continuing Resolution (CR) passed last week. The funding will support satellites, monitoring, and weather forecasting.

    The Outlook is a quarterly publication that was developed by the WGA and NOAA after the two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding in June 2011. WGA and NOAA have also co-sponsored two regional meetings, one in the Pacific Northwest and one in the Upper Missouri basin.

    All of the maps and information presented in the Outlook are also available from the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), which provides a number of online drought information tools at drought.gov. Western Governors were instrumental to the passage of NIDIS in 2006. NIDIS is currently up for reauthorization by Congress.

    Weekly Climate, Water and Drought Assessment of the Upper Colorado River Region

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    Click on the thumbnail graphic for the March 1-24 precipitation summary. Click here to read all the summaries from the Colorado Climate Center.

    Developers of the proposed Sterling Ranch have lined up 4,200 acre-feet of Denver Basin groundwater

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    From the Denver Business Journal (Dennis Huspeni):

    Officials from Sterling Ranch LLC submitted supplemental information to its zone change application showing the company has an option to purchase 4,200 acre-feet of water a year from the Hier ranching family of Castle Rock, Harold Smethills, president and CEO, confirmed Monday. The developers had to provide the proof in order to move forward with the development after a district judge ruled in August 2012 that the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners overstepped its authority when approving the zone change in 2011…

    The water is non-tributary ground water that the Hier family owns the rights to, records filed with Douglas County show. “We had always planned to do it,” Smethills said of the agreement. “But the judge’s ruling forced us to move forward much more quickly than we had anticipated. … We figured ‘appeals take time, so let’s just move forward’.”[…]

    Developers had previously purchased the rights to up to 186 million gallons of water annually from Aurora Water for the planned subdivision just before King’s ruling came down. After a 45-day comment period, the new information will go before the county’s planning commission and then the Board of County Commissioners, according to a county spokeswoman.

    More South Platte River Basin coverage here. More Denver Basin Aquifer System coverage here.