Although portions of this report are used on occasion in Colorado Central Magazine, we do not publish the full report there, as we do on this website. It is prepared by Steve Glazer of Crested Butte and is distributed early each month via an email list. To subscribe to that list, email to <listserv@lists.sierraclub.org> with SUBSCRIBE RMC-CONS-WATER as the message.
Please note that this is an archive, and some links may no longer function.
Colorado state Sen. Jim Isgar, D-Hesperus, said new
water rights seekers are putting the Colorado River Water
Compact in danger, and said he is working on a bill to keep
water users from overtapping into the Colorado River
and other waterways in the state. Grand Junction Sentinel;
Oct. 22
Sentinel link
Craig Daily Press link
As hard a pill as it may be for Colorado residents to swallow, the amount
of water the state can pull from the Colorado River is finite, and Sen.
Jim Isgar is to be commended for his foresight
in preparing legislation that would provide some important
limits on new water rights. Grand Junction Sentinel; Oct.
23
Sentinel link
At the American Groundwater Water Trust forum in
Colorado, water supply experts discussed the rapid fall of
water levels in the major aquifers in the West, and the
measures that could be taken to protect groundwater supplies
as more cities across the region
tap into them. Denver Post; Oct. 2
denverpost link
The year-long suspension on development of energy leases in the watersheds
of Grand Junction and Palisade was lifted by the Bureau of
Land Management on Sept. 1, but the company that owns
the leases has no immediate plan to develop the leases and
company officials said they did not anticipate drilling
directly within the Colorado watersheds. Grand Junction
Sentinel; Oct. 4
gjsentinel link
Three years ago, a coalition of federal, state and local
agencies, along with nonprofit groups, began a decade-long
project toremove tamarisk and Russian olive from 50 miles of the
Colorado River that stretches from the Utah state line north to
Palisade, and last week officials met in Colorado to
discuss work done over the past three years and what needs
to be done over the next seven years. Grand Junction
Sentinel; Oct. 5
gjsentinel link
Eldorado Artesian Springs Inc. wants to tap into
Louisville's municipal water supply, and bottle up to 75
acre-feet of the Colorado town's municipal tap water
annually over the next five years. Denver Rocky Mountain
News (Boulder Daily Camera); Oct. 17
rockymountainnews link
East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District
supplies about 50,000 customers in Centennial and unincorporated Arapahoe
County, and the Colorado water district will begin testing
an expensive reverse osmosis technology to filter its
wastewater to see if the water can be treated to expand the
district's potable water supply by 17 percent. Denver Post;
Oct. 9
origin link
Aurora is one of Colorado's most water-short
communities, and a study commissioned by the city found
that restrictions on use tied with pricing generated the
most savings, although one of the economists who worked on
the study said for long-term savings, higher costs would
likely be the best way to keep water use low. Denver Rocky
Mountain News; Oct. 12
rockymountainnews link
Even though corn production is up in Colorado's Yuma
County, more must be imported from other counties and
states to feed the demand of hog and cattle feeding operations and the county's first
ethanol plant, but with water restrictions looming in the
future, farmers may have to plant less and they said there just may not be
the corn, nor the market, for a second plant. Denver Rocky
Mountain News; Oct. 15
rockymountainnews link
The stretch of the Cache La Poudre River as it runs
through Fort Collins has virtually run dry several times
since November 2006, a common situation caused by demands
on the rain-fed river, but members of the Save the Poudre
Coalition demanded that natural flows be
restored to the river. Officials of the Colorado city said
they'd like to see that happen but they just can' afford
the water rights needed to restore the flows. Denver Post;
Oct. 23
denverpost link
Earlier this year, Governor Bill Ritter formed a task
force to look into a controversial water issue hovering over the South Platte River Basin.
The issue surrounds more than 2,000 wells that have been
shutdown since 2003 over a water rights dispute. Their
report to Ritter included 10 recommendations.
9news link
Reductions in water use, coupled with timely rain and
snow storms put Colorado's water supplies on the positive
side of the ledger, but state officials said conservation
efforts must continue because now it takes less of a
drought to make an impact on the state's water supplies.
Denver Post; Oct. 29
denverpost link
While ocean-side cities and nations around the world are
contemplating rising waters caused by climate change, the
Rocky Mountain West is starting to see what less water
means. An in depth look at the future of freshwater supplies in the Rocky Mountain West. New
York Times Magazine; Oct. 21
nytimes link
A water shortage in the Lower Colorado River Basin could
come within three to five years, even if the U.S. Department of Interior
approves water shortage guidelines recently agreed to by
the basin's seven states, Colorado River District spokesman Chris Treese told The
Daily Sentinel's editorial board. The shortage guidelines
alter how lakes Powell and Mead are managed in order to reduce the risk
of water shortages in the Lower Colorado River Basin. The
Lower Basin is seeing tremendous growth in Las Vegas,
Phoenix, Los Angeles and other cities.
gjsentinel link
One New Mexico county is banking on a salty aquifer
located more than half a mile underground to supply future
water for a major new development and perhaps ease Rio
Rancho's water woes. This new, deep source of water poses a
regulatory challenge to the state engineer, who is charged
with overseeing New Mexico's increasingly precious water
resources. Santa Fe New Mexican
santafenewmexican link
Santa Fe city officials agree that they would like water
in the Santa Fe River as it flows through the New Mexico
city, but there are some differing opinions on how to do
it, and who should pay. Albuquerque Journal; Oct. 4
abqjournal link
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co.'s donation of $150,000 to
the Santa Fe Watershed Association is the largest single
contribution the New Mexico nonprofit has ever received,
and some of those funds will be used to hold public
meetings to gather input on restoration efforts for the
river. Santa Fe New Mexican; Oct. 25
santafenewmexican link
A dozen small communities east of Santa Fe formed the El
Valle Water Alliance which brings together the domestic
water systems that serve 635 households and about 2,500
people and allow the systems to collaborate and solve
problems with water and wastewater systems. Santa Fe New
Mexican; Oct. 15
santafenewmexican link
Sandia Pueblo leaders have joined with N.M. officials,
and sportsmen and conservation groups in support of federal
legislation crafted to clearly define waterways protected
by the federal Clean Water Act. Albuquerque Journal (AP);
Oct. 4
abqjournal link
A study co-authored by a University of New Mexico civil
engineering professor and a New Mexico State University economist that focused
on the effects of climate change on the flows of the Rio
Grande River will be released today, and will detail what
the authors believe will be a devastating blow to the state's economy. Albuquerque
Journal; Oct. 23
abqjournal link
Utah's water year ended last month, and moisture-laden
storms helped kick up water levels around the state, but
officials said another year of low snowpack and extremely
hot temperatures could hit some of the state's major reservoirs, which are already lower
than average, particularly hard. Salt Lake Tribune; Oct. 2
sltrib link
The cyclical nature of Utah's natural water supply underscores the importance of efforts to conserve water, and with 65 percent of the water used by Salt Lake City residents going to keep yards and garden sgreen, it appears there is more that can be done to conserve water. SaltLakeTribune;Oct.6 SL Trib link
The Kane County Water Conservancy District wants to
build a earthen dam to create a reservoir on 212 acres of
land near Kanab, that would store 3,900 acre feet of water
for irrigation in Utah and a new recreation area for
anglers and boaters. Salt Lake Tribune; Oct. 11
sltrib link
The Virgin River Program, a coalition of federal, state,
local and private partners, has been working, since 2003,
to restore the number of woundfin, a tiny endangered fish that is thought to
exist only in the Virgin between La Verkin and the
Utah-Arizona state line and biologists recently released
6,700 woundfin from a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
hatchery in New Mexico into the Virgin's turbid waters.
Salt Lake Tribune; Oct. 18
sltrib link
U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson's congressional district covers
many of Utah's desert areas, and his legislation to direct
the Environmental Protection Agency to launch programs to
increase water-use efficiency and to share that information
was approved by a sub-panel of the House Science and
Technology Committee, and now moves on to the full
committee for action. Salt Lake Tribune; Oct. 31
sltrib link
An official of the largest irrigation district in
Wyoming said the draft water plan of the Eastern Shoshone
and Northern Arapaho tribes that asserts the tribes may use
500,000 acre-feet of water annually from local streams and
rivers may not line up with five previous Big Horn
decrees that detailed tribal and nontribal water rights in
the Wind River and Bighorn basins after decades of
litigation that began in 1977. Billings Gazette (AP); Oct.
9
billingsgazette link
The National Park Service has been trying to remove
rapacious lake trout from Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone
National Park since 1994 to give native Yellowstone
cutthroat trout a chance to reestablish, but this year's
effort netted another record number of the non-native trout. Billings Gazette; Oct. 17
billingsgazette link
By early next year, Federal officials are expected to
have in place a series of specific steps to take if Lake
Mead water levels continue to drop.
klas-tv link
Arizona balked at proposed changes to a Colorado River
drought plan and appealed to the federal government to settle the dispute or delay
approval of the plan. State officials said attempts to
rewrite an agreement reached earlier this year put
Arizona's share of the river at an unacceptable risk. Arizona Republic
azcentral link
Federal =climatologists recently updated the 2007-08
U.S. winter outlook, and the forecast called for
"above-average temperatures over most of the country
and a continuation of drier-than-average conditions across
much of the Southwest and Southeast." East Valley
Tribune
eastvalleytribune link
Three companies have posted the $1 million deposit needed to be a bidder at Prescott Valley's Oct.29-30 auction of 2,734-acre-feet of effluent from the Arizona town's wastewater treatment plant. Arizona Daily Sun; Oct.22
azdailysun link
Mesa voters will decide the fate of a proposed water
park in their Arizona city when they vote on $1.5 million
of improvements near the site of the water park and $20
million in tax concessions for the project, but both
opponents and supporters of the project said the fate of
the water park may hinge on voters' view of what is, and is
not, a beneficial use of water in the drought-plagued
state. Arizona Republic; Oct. 5
azcentral link
After two hydroelectric plants that had diverted much of
the water that flowed through Fossil Creek in Arizona were
shut down, water and wildlife returned to the 17-mile,
spring-fed waterway, but now U.S. Forest Service officials
said over-use is threatening the stream and they are asking
for public comment on regulated use that will protect the
stream but still allow the public to use the area. Arizona
Republic; Oct. 10
azcentral link
U.S. Sen. Harry Reid has taken a hard line on proposed
coal-fired plants in Nevada, in part because he believes
reliance on coal power will dry out the Great Basin and the
Colorado River, a position environmentalists said runs
counter to the Democratic leader's support of Las Vegas'
plan to pump groundwater from the Great Basin. Las Vegas
Sun; Oct. 13
lasvegassun link
The mighty river delta that supplies water to two-thirds
of California's population and serves as one of the most
important wildlife habitats on the West Coast is in worse
shape than ever despite $4.7 billion in government spending. The ambitious venture launched
seven years ago to restore and protect the Sacramento-San
Joaquin Delta has spent most of its budget on water
projects have done almost nothing to achieve the main goals
state and federal lawmakers laid out when they created the California Federal Bay-Delta Program, or
CalFed. Scientists and politicians agree that native fish
species continue to plummet; pesticides, fertilizers and other pollutants
are making the overall water quality worse; invasive
species of fish, clams, algae and other organisms are still
spreading; and the delta's antiquated earthen levees have
not been reinforced to withstand a major earthquake,
something that could cause deadly, catastrophic flooding
and cut off water to millions of people for perhaps years.
msnbc link
The effect of House Bill 831 passed by the Montana
Legislature this past session will be seen first in western
Montana, where closed basins and a rapid rate of growth
collide, and the measure will do much to protect not only
the quantity of the region's water, but also the quality. A
guest column by one of the authors of HB831. NewWest.net;
Oct. 2
newwest link
The federal Bureau of Reclamation released its water
plan for the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in Wyoming and the
Bighorn River in Montana that releases more water from
Yellowtail Dam than Wyoming wanted but less than what
Montana had asked to flow into the river. Casper
Star-Tribune (AP); Oct. 11
trib link
Montana and Blackfeet officials rolled out the details of a new draft
water compact before the Legislature's Water Policy
Interim Committee on Wednesday that would provide $14.5 million in funding
to the tribe in exchange for its agreement to keep Birch Water
drainage water use at current levels for the next 15 years.
Great Falls Tribune; Oct. 25
greatfallstribune link
Avista Corp., a Spokane-based utility company, agreed to
pay Montana $4 million a year in rent to operate a
hydroelectric dam on a northwest Montana river, a move that
left just one utility, PPL Montana, in the lawsuit filed by Montana on the issue of making hydroelectric
dam operators pay streambed rental. Helena Independent
Record; Oct. 24
helenair link
Montana Supreme Court justices looked out over a packed
courtroom, where the myriad parties to a lawsuit on whether
the Mitchell Slough is a side channel of the Bitterroot
River or a manmade diversion channel, an important
distinction in an underlying issue of the case where
landowners along the ditch have challenged public access to
it by claiming the state's Stream Access law does not apply
to the slough. Ravalli Republic; 10/11
ravallirepublic link
A string of ponds, created to filter toxic sediments
from Silver Bow Creek before it enters the Clark Fork River
in Montana, are now a haven for wildlife that provides
ample fishing, hunting and bird- watching opportunities,
and a citizen's group wants those ponds to remain long
after the Superfund work is done. Montana Standard; Oct. 26
mtstandard link
Over the next two weeks, 20,000 acre feet of recharge
water purchased by groundwater users in Idaho will be
released from Milner Dam at 450 cubic feet per second into
the irrigation canals of the North Side Canal Co. with the
hope that the water will seep underground and recharge the
aquifer. Twin Falls Times-News; Oct. 11
magicvalley link
Idaho's first-ever attempt to recharge the depleted
Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer, the Magic Valley's primary
source of drinking water, appears to be working but
water officials said if a hard freeze
occurs, the effort will be over. Twin Falls Times-News;
Oct. 24
magicvalley link
More than 2,700 groundwater users in Idaho's Magic
Valley will get notices from the state Department of Water Resources warning
them that if they don't come up with 20 percent more water
by next spring to satisfy a provision of a recent
mitigation agreement, the state water director will have no choice but to shut down their
wells. Twin Falls Times-News; Oct. 17
magicvalley link
Groundwater pumpers in Idaho said they're tired of being
told to come up with more water to satisfy surface-water rights
holders and said they'll let the court decide their fate in
hearings set to begin on Nov. 28. Twin Falls Times-News;
Oct. 19
magicvalley link
Officials of Bonner, Benewah, Shoshone and Boundary
counties are urging Idaho Gov. Butch Otter to delay efforts
to adjudicate water rights in northern Idaho, but Kootenai
County officials said that process needs to begin right
away. Twin Falls Times-News; Oct. 24
magicvalley link
New subdivisions are cropping up like weeds all over
Idaho, which is the third-fastest growing state after
Arizona and Nevada, and scientists from the University of
Idaho and private companies want those new lawns to sprout
plants native to the state, which won't gulp down nearly as
much water as green grass lawns, an important factor in a
state where water curtailment orders often loom. Twin Falls
Times- News; Oct. 22
magicvalley link
Twin Lakes Canal Co. had originally proposed the Bear
River Narrows Hydroelectric Project as a way for the Idaho
irrigation company to preserve its members' water rights
which now flow to Utah, and PacifiCorp Energy had backed
the project providing necessary licensing and other
support, but PacifiCorp officials officially asked the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to withdraw the
utility's license application for the dam. Twin Falls
Times-News; Oct. 26
magicvalley link
Boise, Cascade and Rigby are working on water parks and
riverside amenities to draw people to their Idaho cities,
and plans are underway for a new whitewater park on the
South Fork of the Payette River that may be the first ever
whitewater park built in the United States in a residential
subdivision. Idaho Statesman; Oct. 29
idahostatesman link
Before Idaho Sen. Larry Craig lost his position on the
Senate Appropriations Committee, he added a rider to an Interior spending bill
to implement a 2005 operating plan for federal dams in Wyoming and
Idaho, even though a federal judge found the plan didn't do
enough to protect salmon and steelhead, and now Idaho's
congressional delegation has taken up the fight to keep the
rider in the spending bill. Idaho Statesman; Oct. 13
idahostatesman link
National Marine Fisheries Service officials said the
agency's request that more trees be left along salmon
spawning streams in the Clearwater and Salmon River
drainages falls within a provision of the 2005 agreement
with the Nez Perce Tribe on water rights, but officials
from the Intermountain Forest Association said that request
breaches the agreement. Idaho Statesman; Oct. 22
idahostatesman link
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter's plans for several Magic Valley
water projects are a little short on details, according to
water users affected by those plans, and state lawmakers
are wondering why the governor hasn't shared his thoughts
with them. Twin Falls Times-News; Oct. 31
magicvalley link
In response to a lawsuit brought by the Center for
Biological Diversity, Biodiversity Conservation Alliance,
and Pacific Rivers Council, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service announced that it will again consider the
Bonneville cutthroat trout for protection as an endangered
species. According to a court order, the decision will be issued by October of
next year.
enn link
Lake Sidney Lanier, metro Atlanta's main source of
water, has about three months of storage left, according to
state and federal officials. Environmental Protection
Division Director Carol Couch said she fully expects
an economic hit if substantial rain doesn't fall
soon and emergency actions are taken. Couch plans to give
Gov. Sonny Perdue a list of options to further restrict
water use by businesses and industries, along with an
analysis of potential water savings and estimated job
losses. More than a billion gallons leave the lake every
day, more than twice the amount metro Atlanta uses. Water
releases are based on two key requirements: the minimum
flow needed to operate Plant Scholtz, Gulf Power's small
coal-fired facility just below Lake Seminole, and federal mandates to protect two
mussel species in a Florida river. Atlanta Journal
Constitution
ajc link csmonitor link
An epic drought in Georgia threatens the water supply
for millions. Florida doesn't have nearly enough water for
its expected population boom. The Great Lakes are
shrinking. Upstate New York's reservoirs have dropped to
record lows. And in the West, the Sierra Nevada snowpack is
melting faster each year.
huffingtonpost link
Oil upgraders in northeastern Edmonton have applied for
permits to uses 104 billion liters of water a year, an
amount almost equal to that already used by residents and
existing industries in the Alberta city, creating concerns
that water in the region may be over- allocated. Edmonton
Journal; Oct. 2
edmontonjournal link
More than a third of freshwater fish species in Europe
face extinction due to overfishing, pollution and dams
which have caused rivers to dry up, a scientific study said
on Thursday. The continent's 522 freshwater fish species
are under a much higher level of threat than birds or
mammals, according to the study "Handbook of European
Freshwater Fishes," published in collaboration with
the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
enn link
A report issued by a panel of the National Research Council said that the United States' goal of increasing its production of ethanol by six times over the next decade will send a lot more pesticide and fertilizer into the nation's waterways, and divert more of the nation's water to irrigate corn and to produce ethanol. Toronto Globe and Mail(AP);Oct.10theglobeandmail link
Prolonged drought along the Yangtze has reduced China's
longest river to record lows, triggering a debate over the Three
Gorges dam's ability to generate power, state media said
recently. The Yangtze last year fell to its lowest level
since records began in 1877, but a dam official told the Xinhua news agency that power
generation in the Three Gorges area would not be affected. However, Xinhua
quoted observers as saying such the short-term drought,
based on historical data, failed to take into consideration
the more recent issue of climate change.
sg link
A shortage of safe drinking water in Iraq is threatening
to increase diarrhea, a leading killer of children in the country, the United Nations
said Thursday. Violence makes it difficult to protect Iraqi
water officials and repair pipes damaged by sabotage.
navytimes link
Researchers established that pollen and other plant parts containing toxins from genetically engineered Bt corn are washing into streams near cornfields. Trials found consumption of Bt corn byproducts produced increased mortality and reduced growth in caddis flies, aquatic insects that are related to the pests targeted by the toxin in Bt corn.
enn link
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has
ordered five Illinois feedlots to stop all unauthorized
discharges of manure and wastewater and comply with the
Clean Water Act. EPA also ordered
several of the feedlots to apply to the Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency for
discharge permits under the National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System. EPA has not assessed penalties as part
of these actions. Water World
ww link
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued
additional warnings on March 24 regarding Jermuk brand
bottled mineral water from Armenia due to
its risk of exposure to arsenic. Several brands of Jermuk
water were shown to have arsenic levels of 500 to 600
micrograms per liter, which exceeds the FDA's standard of 10 micrograms per liter for
bottled water.
watertechonline link
A consulting hydrologist with the Southwestern Water
Conservation District said an automatic precipitation
sampler installed near the Vallecito Reservoir near Durango
found 72 parts per trillion of mercury in rain in July,
about half the 129 parts per trillion found at Mesa Verde National Park in 2002, the
highest level ever recorded in the nation, and said he believed
coal-fired power plants in the region were responsible for
the high levels of mercury in the Colorado reservoir.
Durango Herald; Oct. 11
durangoherald link
Powertech USA Inc.'s plan to mine uranium in Colorado's
Weld County prompted a rally at the state Capitol on
Sunday, and the promise of state lawmakers to push through
more stringent regulations on uranium mining to protect
groundwater, air quality and residents' rights. Denver
Rocky Mountain News; Oct. 15
rockymountainnews link
A Canadian venture capital firm will pump $5.2 million
into Albuquerque-based Altela Inc. which builds equipment that can be put
on a truck to process 4,000 gallons of wastewater produced
during oil and gas operations into potable water.
Albuquerque Journal; Oct. 22
abqjournal link
The Utah Departments of Health, Natural Resources and
Environmental Quality warned anglers not to consume more
than 4 ounces of channel catfish or carp a month caught in
Utah Lake because of high levels of polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) found in the bottom-feeding species. Salt Lake Tribune; Oct. 3
sltrib link
After the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality
downgraded the water quality classification for three
streams to allow three ephemeral streams near Buffalo to be
used for discharge water from coalbed methane operations,
two environmental groups challenged the decision, and
theEnvironmental Quality Council agreed that the water
quality classifications should not be changed. Casper
Star-Tribune; Oct. 8
trib link
Didymosphenia geminate, commonly called didymo or
"rock snot," that forms a thick mat on the floor of streams, suffocating aquatic food
sources for fish, was first found in Wyoming early this
summer, and now has been found in the Nash Fork and Libby
Creek on the Medicine Bow National Forest. Casper
Star-Tribune; Oct. 11
trib link trib link
A brain-eating amoeba has been identified = in Tucson's
water supply but experts assure consumers that drinking
from the city's water supply does not pose a health risk.
The only way to become infected is to snort untreated
water. A person can drink water that has Naegleria fowleri
and never be infected, the AP reports.
uswaternews link
It will take about 800 days to ship the 2.2 million
cubic feet from the Milltown Reservoir Superfund site near
Missoula southeast to where the material will be used as a
cap for toxic mine wastes stored at Opportunity Ponds near
Anaconda, and recently the first train load on nearly 3,000 tons of the arsenic-laced soil rolled away
from the site. Missoulian; Oct. 3
missoulian link
A federal judge in Montana canceled a contempt of court
hearing for Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey and gave
the U.S. Forest Service 10 days to provide an environmental
analysis the agency did on fire retardant six years ago so
the court may determine the adequacy of the analysis.
Billings Gazette (AP); Oct. 15
billingsgazette link
A state judge in Montana ruled against oil and gas
companies that had sued the state over water-quality
regulations that the companies said were too restrictive,
stating that Montana had put the regulations in place
to protect rivers in the Powder River Basin from the
sodium-laced discharge water from coalbed methane
development. Los Angeles Times (AP); Oct. 22
latimes link
Silver Bow Creek, part of a Superfund site in Montana,
has not had any aquatic life in it for decades due to
mining activity in the area since the 1800s, but a recent
survey found brook and cutthroat trout in the stream.
Montana Standard; Oct. 17
mtstandard link
The Watershed Education Network has been taking Missoula
eighth-graders to a Montana stream for the past decade to
give them hands-on experience in determining the health of
a neighborhood watershed. Missoulian; Oct. 17
missoulian link
Eric Davis, owner of the Bruneau Cattle Co. feedlot in
Owyhee County, said that he believed the federal Environmental
Protection Agency pursued a case against him because of the
federal agency's feud with Idaho over the state's
enforcement of its water-quality program, and although he
denied that his operation had dozens of violations as
alleged by the EPA, he said it was cheaper to pay the fine
than to pay the legal fees to fight the charges. Idaho
Statesman; Oct. 30
idahostatesman link
SCIENTISTS CELEBRATE GETTING THE LEAD OUT OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE
Before the federal government mandated the removal of
lead from gasoline, lichens on Oregon's Columbia River
Gorge contained an abnormally high level of the toxic
metal, but two decades after unleaded gasoline made its
appearance, scientists said there's little lead to be found in the rock-dwelling lichen. Portland
Oregonian; Oct. 15
oregonlive link
Ten schools in the Bethel School District will remain
closed and thousands of Pierce County residents are under a
boil order after E. coli was found in the drinking water.
The precautionary health advisory was issued because E.
coli was detected in two routine water samples and total
coliform was found in a third. KING Seattle
king5 link
A man who received his doctorate from the University of
Pittsburgh was awarded a $1 million prize for inventing a
simple device that filters arsenic from drinking water in his native Bangladesh.
pittsburghlive link
Return to November, 2007 Table of Contents | Subscribe to Colorado Central Magazine