I’ll be live-tweeting the South Platte Forum today. Follow along on my Twitter feed @CoyoteGulch or the hash tag #spforum.
The South Platte Forum starts today #spforum
Day: October 23, 2019
@Northern_Water Symposium, November 20, 2019
#Wyoming Governor Gordon names new Water Development Office Director
Here’s the release from Governor Gordon’s office:
Governor Mark Gordon announced today he has appointed Brandon Gebhart as Director of the Wyoming Water Development Office (WWDO).
In his new position, Gebhart will serve as chief executive officer to the Water Development Commission. He will oversee the WWDO’s planning and construction of new water supply projects and the rehabilitation of existing water supply projects.
“Brandon’s technical engineering background and project management expertise, as well as his understanding of the Water Development Office that stems from years of working with WWDO as a consultant, make him an excellent fit for this position,” Governor Gordon said. “I look forward to having him at the helm of the WWDO.”
A native of Wheatland, Wyoming, Gebhart has spent more than 20 years in consulting engineering, primarily working in the field of water resources. His background includes working on planning, design and construction management on a variety of projects for the WWDO. He holds a Civil Engineering degree from the University of Wyoming and is a licensed Professional Engineer.
“My background and experience have provided insights into the needs and responsibilities of water users, providers, as well as state and federal agencies,” Gebhart said. “It’s important to understand how all parties interact to put Wyoming’s water to use, as well as recognize the common respect that each has for this valuable resource.”
Loveland celebrates $41.2 million in improvements to wastewater treatment plant
From The Loveland Reporter-Herald (Max Levy):
Many may not care to think about what goes on in the Loveland Wastewater Treatment Plant, but the facility had plenty to brag about Tuesday, as officials showed off the fruits of a $41.02 million improvement project that wrapped up this fall.
The plant is responsible for reclaiming and returning the water used by Loveland residents to the Big Thompson River, while disposing of other waste.
Water and Power Director Joe Bernosky, who delivered one of the speeches at Tuesday’s “grand opening” and ribbon-cutting ceremony, described the plant as a crucial link in the water cycle that all of Loveland participates in.
“Water is a cycle — it’s not created, it’s recycled,” he said. “What this is doing is not necessarily treating wastewater. It’s reclaiming the water we’ve used.”
The improvements allowed the plant to be rerated to handle 12 million gallons of wastewater per day, an increase of 2 million gallons. Staff hope that increase will allow the plant to keep up with growth for an additional 10-15 years.
Bernosky added that the city’s partnership with Garney Construction was one of the most significant in Loveland’s history. Construction of the improvements alone cost $35.06 million, and the project finished under budget…
Improvements made to the facility include:
Installation of a new and reconfigured sewer collection system at the head of the plant. Screening improvements with the addition of step screen technology, to remove pieces of trash such as wet wipes and hygiene products from the wastewater. Mixing and aeration improvements to all six existing aeration basins. A new and upsized digester facility. The addition of a new return activated sludge anoxic tank. Replacing pumps at the return activated sludge pump station. Ultraviolet disinfection hydraulic improvements. A new, 2,000 square foot maintenance building. […]
Project design began in March 2015 and construction started in April 2017. According to a city factsheet, over 2 million working hours were spent on the project.
Community Agriculture Alliance: Roundtable reaches out to community — Steamboat Today #COWaterPlan
From the Community Agriculture Alliance (Patrick Stanko and Mark Williams) via Steamboat Today:
The Yampa-White-Green Basin Roundtable is one of nine basin roundtables in Colorado established to address the ever-increasing water challenges facing our state.
As part of its mission and to meet the Colorado Water Plan, the roundtable is developing an Integrated Water Management Plan for the Yampa River Basin that best represents the interests and needs of all water users. These interests include agricultural, recreational, environmental, municipal, industrial and water providers. The first phase of the Management Plan focuses on the Yampa River main stem and the Elk River basin.
In order to make the Management Plan a success, the roundtable seeks to provide the community with meaningful opportunities to participate and provide valuable input for the Management Plan. To do this, two subcommittees where formed — stakeholder and technical — to complete related tasks.
The stakeholder subcommittee is working to implement a community outreach program designed to listen and learn in an open communication process. This subcommittee will provide a forum for dialogue on water related issues for all water users, including agriculture, recreational, municipal and environmental aspects of a healthy river.
The technical subcommittee was formed to look at the science-based river health for each of the identified geographic segments. One of the many related tasks is working with a private engineering contractor to conduct 40 to 50 voluntary water diversion assessments within the Yampa River Basin.
The goal is to learn more about the diversion effectiveness and incorporated environment aspects at the diversion site. Ultimately, this may help identify water projects that have positive impacts for the water diversion and broader river health.
The Management Plan recognizes the importance of agriculture to the Yampa River Basin. One of the roundtable priorities is to protect and maintain agricultural water rights in the region in consideration of increasing water demands and water availability fluctuations. Another goal is to help identify potential funding for water infrastructures that have multiple benefits and are in need of improvement for interested and volunteering agricultural stakeholders.
Two segment coordinators, Gena Hinkemeyer and Jerry Albers, are working as contractors on this project to listen, learn and seek input from agricultural stakeholders. Hinkemeyer has lived in the Yampa Valley for most of her life and will be working in the lower and middle Yampa River regions. Albers has lived in Stagecoach for the last 15 years and will be working in the Upper Yampa and the Elk River Basin.
We will be reaching out to members of the agricultural community to better understand water related issues confronting agriculture and seek input on planning efforts. If you are interested and would like to learn more visit the Yampa-White-Green Basin Roundtable site at http://yampawhitegreen.com.
Patrick Stanko and Mark Williams are with the Community Agriculture Alliance.
Moab uranium tailings pile removal update
From Aspen Public Radio (Molly Marcello):
In a park, nestled in a red rock canyon outside Moab, Utah — a short drive from a giant pile of uranium tailings — a crowd gathered for a celebration. Elected officials and community members mingled, and enjoyed refreshments.
Volunteers placed pieces of yellow cake in small paper bowls.
It was a facetious nod to the gathering’s purpose: to celebrate the removal of 10 million tons of toxic uranium tailings from the banks of the Colorado River.
“You never would have thought you would have all these people congratulating themselves in the community on moving 10 million tons,” said Sarah Fields, executive director of the nonprofit Uranium Watch. “They seem to be really dedicated to getting this done.”
[…]
Before cleanup efforts began about 10 years ago, elevated levels of uranium and ammonia were showing up in the river’s water near Moab. The contamination alarmed officials downstream in Nevada and California, and they called for the Department of Energy to step in.
Getting the pile out of the floodplain became a community rallying cry as well, Fields said.
“The (Department of Energy) pretty much from the beginning realized that if they decided to leave it in place they would be standing alone because the town, the city, most of the members of the community, the state, the EPA all said, ‘Move the pile,’” Fields said.
Workers began moving the pile in 2009. The tailings are loaded into train cars, and sent 30 miles north where they’re stored away from the river in the middle of the desert. With the 10 millionth ton moved, more than 62% of the pile is gone, which means many Moabites could see completion in their lifetimes.
Moab tailings site with Spanish Valley to the south
Moab tailings cleanup site
Colorado River at Moab aerial
Colorado River near Moab, Utah.