Although portions of this report are used on occasion in Colorado Central Magazine, we do not publish the full report there, as we do on this website.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.
Three years ago, Durango applied for 1,400-cubic feet of
water per second for a kayak park at Smelter Rapid on the
Animas at Santa Rita Park, setting off a torrent of
objections, but the dozens of disputing parties are
reported to be close to coming to an agreement that would
clear the way for the Colorado city's whitewater park.
Durango Herald; Nov. 1
durangoherald link
Palisade's previous attempt to build a whitewater park
in conjunction with Bureau of Reclamation work on fish
passages in the Colorado River fell through last summer,
and the Colorado city's efforts to build the kayak park in
a new location is now on hold pending approval by the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers. Durango Herald; Nov. 21
gjsentinel link
Colorado is nearly two months into the new water year
and yet very little precipitation has fallen, and no matter
what your opinion is on climate change or the reasons for
our drier future, climate change is
coming and the state must start considering what life
will be like with fewer hunters, skiers, farmers and less
drinking water for more residents. Durango Herald; Nov. 20
durangoherald link
Before runoff begins next spring, the endangered
Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker will have a new
600-foot channel around the Price-Stubb Dam on the Colorado
River that will allow them to access 40 river miles of
their native territory. Grand Junction Sentinel; Nov. 5
gjsentinel link
In an ongoing effort to meet a compact obligation with
Kansas and Nebraska, the Colorado Division of Water
Resources will soon mandate the release of whatever rainwater accumulated in Bonny Reservoir during the
summer, further depleting a water reserve already
dangerously low. Denver Post
link
The lessons of the drought that shepherded in the 21st
century in Colorado are many, but only some have been
heeded. That's the conclusion of a variety of experts asked about the
state's response to the deepest drought in modern Colorado
history. Colorado Springs Gazette
gazette link
The Yampa River is one of the last places in the parched
West where you can take as much water as you like. But not
for long. Even as the river flows rich and languid down
from the Flat Tops Wilderness, the era of unimaginable
plenty in this region is coming to an end. Rocky Mountain
News
rockymountainnews link
Front Range water users are growing impatient over the
slow pace of study of whether any plan for bringing water
from the Colorado River watershed to the Front Range could
work.
chieftain link
In Colorado, where water rights are based on a premise of use them or lose them, Denver Water relinquished most of its long-held but seldom-used rights to Eagle River water. Vail Daily News; Nov.
29
vaildaily link
Harvesting rain offers a common-sense alternative for
new developments in dry West (a practice which is currently
illegal in CO).
rockymountainnews link
There's a flurry of interest lately in cloud seeding in
Colorado. Ski resorts and water suppliers will spend an
estimated $900,000 this winter, more than ever before, on
the technique. And for the first time, Arizona, Nevada and
California -- downstream states in the Colorado River
Basin -- are contributing large amounts of money to Colorado
efforts. Colorado Springs Gazette
gazette link
The Colorado entrepreneur that wants to build a 400-mile
pipeline to ship Green River water in Wyoming south to
Colorado's Front Range cities said that there may be water
in the project for Wyoming, too. Casper Star-Tribune; Nov.
1
trib link
The Wyoming Water Development Commission began work in
1999 to establish advisory groups for each of the state's
seven river basins, and now that the groundwork has been
established in the Green River Basin, the focus will now
move to quantifying ground and surface water supplies in
that basin. Casper Star-Tribune; Nov. 15
trib link
Gillette needs to find water sources for the next decade
until a $170 million pipeline project is complete, and the
Wyoming city is asking coalbed methane operators to deliver
discharge water from drilling operations to the city, which will then mix the discharge water with drinking water to help supplement supplies. Billings
Gazette (AP); Nov. 8
billingsgazette link
Santa Fé County commissioners have passed a slate of
water conservation measures over the past six years, but
the New Mexico county has not had someone who was
exclusively assigned the duties of enforcing those rules for the past two years, but a new
water resource specialist is now on board, and as soon as
she gets caught up on reviewing hydrologic studies
submitted by developers, she'll start working on enforcing
those rules. Santa Fé New Mexican; Nov. 7
santafenewmexican link
Members of Santa Fe's Public Utility District, city
councilors and water managers met to discuss just where the
New Mexico city will get its water in the future, and how it will manage
dwindling supplies and growing demands, and the answer that
kept percolating to the top was: more conservation and
completion of the Buckman Diversion Project, which would
pull water from the Rio Grande River. Santa Fé New Mexican;
Nov. 8
santafenewmexican link
The water conservation officer for the Albuquerque
Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, Katherine Yuhas,
says Albuquerque's water use so far this year is more than
a billion gallons ahead of what it was at this point last
year. AP
kob link
Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority
employees will use aerial photographs and drive-by
inspections in two neighborhoods in an effort to identify
homes where water use is high. Albuquerque Journal; Nov. 1
abqjournal link
Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley, Jr. and Gallup
Mayor Harry Mendoza have signed a memorandum of
understanding that calls for them to work together to see
that a pair of pipelines are built to provide their people
with water from the San Juan River. Legislation pending in
Congress would enact a proposed settlement between the
state of New Mexico and the Navajo Nation over water rights
on the San Juan. The settlement would authorize the pipeline project and create a water rights
settlement fund in the federal treasury to pay for them.
azstarnet link
Lawmakers again had New Mexico State Engineer John
D'Antonio on the hot seat, the fourth time in as many
months, and D'Antonio told lawmakers this session that it
could take 55 years and as much as $300 million to
completely adjudicate every water right in the state. Santa Fé New Mexican; Nov. 27
santafenewmexican link
State Engineer John D'Antonio told members of the New
Mexico Legislature what it would cost the state to settle
the water claims of the state's tribes, and why it's
important for the state to spend that money. Santa Fé New
Mexican; Nov. 28
santafenewmexican link
A recent article in the New York Times painted a stark
picture about water supplies in the West, and while most of
the information contained in the article won't surprise
Utahns, they must prepare to do more than tear out their
lawns and install low-flush toilets; they must rethink how
potable water is used, how much water is allocated to
agriculture, and where future reservoirs should be built.
Salt Lake Tribune; Nov. 6
sltrib link
Kane County Water Conservancy District officials said
they agreed to lease 30,000 acre-feet of water a year to a
company that wants to build Utah's first nuclear-power
generation project because the district had to put the
water to beneficial use or lose its right to the water.
Salt Lake Tribune; Nov. 9
sltrib link
The Washington County Water Conservancy District is
trying to embark on the largest and most expensive public
works projects in the county's history: a 130-mile long
water pipeline from Lake Powell to Washington County. While
the project seems well on its way, one critical component
is missing: open and engaged public dialogue.
spectrum link
Provo will use some of the cash it receives for the 59
acres it sold to a developer for a $80-million mixed-use
development on the edge of the Utah city to move wetlands
and develop new and higher quality wetlands near Utah Lake.
Salt Lake Tribune; Nov. 16
sltrib link
An Arizona administrative law judge said Wind River
Resources' proposal to pump groundwater from northeastern
Arizona across the border to Mesquite, Nev., contained
inaccurate information and lacked hydrological studies
about the probable impacts on the Mormon Wells regions, and
recommended that the Department of Water Resources deny
Wind River's application. Arizona Daily Sun (AP); Nov. 2
azdailysun link
Uinta National Forest is proposing to restore about 3
miles of Strawberry River over the next several years. There is little vegetation along
the stream bank, and "summer daytime water
temperatures often reach sub-lethal levels for trout,"
according to a summary of the restoration proposal.
Restoring the stream bank and willows will provide shade
for the fish and end the erosion smothering eggs. Lehi
Daily Herald
heraldextra link
Utah residents have the second-highest per-capita water
consumption in the nation, and on Tuesday, Rep. Larry
Wiley, D-West Valley City, submitted a revamped version of
his bill that failed last session that creates a state
program to upgrade plumbing in existing state buildings and
install efficient systems in new buildings and also
establishes other water conservation efforts that would
eventually become state policies. Salt Lake Tribune; 11/30
sltrib link
Utah needs to pay attention to how Nevada uses its water
because Nevada has its eye on an aquifer that underlies
both states, and in an increasingly arid part of the
American West, a drop of water saved is one less that needs
to be found ever deeper underground or dammed up. Salt Lake
Tribune; Nov. 22
sltrib link
Herb Guenther, director of the Arizona Department of
Water Resources, said if Arizonans use water wisely, it will go a long way and
help to avoid forced crises and shortages. KTAR-TV
ktar link
A voter- initiative that would have limited new water
connections in Tucson, prevented wastewater from ever being
delivered to Tucson Water customers and that would have
repealed the Arizona city's $14 garbage pickup fee was resoundingly defeated. Arizona Daily
Star; Nov. 7
azstarnet link
In addition to meeting Arizona's requirement that
developers provide an assured 100-year water supply,
developers in Pima County could soon be required to provide
detailed information about water sources, location within a
given water basin and proximity to any ecosystems dependent
on groundwater on any permit application if the county's
proposed rules are approved. Arizona Daily Star; Nov. 27
azstarnet link
Biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
the Arizona Game and Fish Department, along with members of The Center for
Biological Diversity, have worked to restore loach minnow
and spikedace to the stretches of Fossil Creek over the
past two years since Arizona Public Service Co.
decommissioned two power plants and restored flows back to the creek. Arizona Republic; Nov. 10
azcentral link
The Bureau of Reclamation suggests that no changes be
made to the 1922 Colorado River Water Compact, even though
the federal agency implicitly confirms that the 85-year-old
pact was reached during abnormally wet years and the new
report suggests ongoing shortages. Salt Lake Tribune; Nov.
3
sltrib link
Water levels in Lake Mead, a reservoir that collects
Colorado River water after it flows through Colorado, Utah
and Arizona, are at historic lows and predictions are the
levels will go lower, increasing conflicts about water
shares and interest in conservation practices. A column by
Dan Berry. New York Times; Nov. 4
nytimes link
Southern Nevada Water Authority officials said its new
estimate of $3.5 billion to build a water pipeline from
eastern Nevada to Las Vegas is higher than the $2-billion
estimate in 2005 because the pipeline project itself is
larger, 591 miles long now up from 421 miles, and the
carrying capacity has increased from 125,000-acre feet of
water annually to 200,000-acre feet of water a year. Las
Vegas Review- Journal; 11/6
lvrj link lvrj link
Water agencies across Southern California are bracing for the possible arrival of a tiny mussel that could be a big problem. If just one quagga mussel gets into a water system, it could multiply by the hundreds of thousands and eventually cripple infrastructure, decimate
fish populations and degrade water quality. Many believe
now is the time to act to either keep the mussels at bay or
mitigate their effect. The Metropolitan Water District,
which provides water to a large swath of the region,
recently allocated nearly $6 million to try to lessen the
mussel's effects after it was found in Arizona's Lake Mead
in January.
venturacountystar link
Avista Corp. offered Montana $4 million in yearly rent
for the Clark Fork riverbed where the Washington state
company has a reservoir and a hydroelectric dam, and the
Montana State Land Board agreed to accept that sum.
Billings Gazette; Nov. 20
billingsgazette link
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks fisheries biologists
said that despite near-record low flows in the Missouri
River in Montana, some stretches of the river contained
near record numbers of rainbow trout; and, in the Smith
River, where low flows and high temperaturesprompted fishing restrictions this summer, biologists
found what they called a good number of trout, despite low water levels.
Great Falls Tribune; Nov. 6
greatfallstribune link
Members of Montana's Energy and Telecommunications
Interim Committee heard from energy companies, state
resources employees and environmental groups about what it
would take to build coal-to- liquids plants in the state,
including the impact on water supplies. Great Falls
Tribune; Nov. 9
greatfallstribune link
Ravalli County commissioners got a primer in the
hydrology of their Montana county on Wednesday, when
officials from various state agencies appeared before them
to talk about the county's water picture. Ravalli Republic;
Nov. 15
ravallirepublic link
Idaho lawmakers wondered why Gov. Butch Otter did not
consult with Idaho Department of Water Resources Director
Dave Tuthill or Clive Strong, a natural resources deputy
attorney general, or give state lawmakers and parties
affected by his Magic Valley water-conservation plan before
publicly announcing the plan. Twin Falls Times-News; Nov. 2
magicvalley link
Gov. Butch Otter is looking for volunteers to give up
irrigating their ground as a way to preserve water in
Idaho's Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer.
Voices.IdahoStatesman.com; Nov. 9
voices link
A two-week long hearing on water calls by two Magic
Valley fish farmers asking that groundwater pumpers in the
Idaho Valley stop drawing water that the surface
spring-water users are entitled to first pits the two
economic drivers of the Idaho valley against each other.
Twin Fall Times-News; Nov. 26
magicvalley link
Members of Idaho Gov. Butch Otter's staff, state
officials, law enforcement and representatives from boating
groups will meet in Boise to explore requiring
non-motorized watercraft owners to register their kayaks,
canoes and rafts and pay a fee that could be used to help
pay for boat ramps and other programs. Idaho Statesman;
Nov. 29
idahostatesman link
Although no one has yet confirmed just where the mercury
that is tainting the fish in Idaho's famed Silver Creek
originated, state officials said they believed the mercury
was being carried through the air into the state. Idaho
Statesman; Nov. 14
idahostatesman link
As part of its relicensing agreement with the Federal
Regulatory Energy Commission, Idaho Power is installing the
first fish ladder the utility has built in 60 years at its power plant on the Malad River
between Hagarman and Bliss in an attempt to move trout
farther upstream into cooler waters. Twin Falls Times-News;
Nov. 1
magicvalley link
The National Marine Fisheries Services issued biological
opinions that said plans in place to help the recovery of
12 endangered species of salmon and steelhead are
sufficient to keep the species on the road to recovery, and environmental groups again
said the opinions were lacking in scientific foundation and
a new lawsuit seems certain. Idaho Statesman; Nov. 1
idahostatesman link
U.S. District Judge James Redden of Portland is no
stranger to the issues of Columbia-Snake river dams and
salmon, having rejected the federal government's two
previous plans, and now the latest plan that offers more
guarantees on hatcheries. Direction on where needed water
will come from and who will pay for it all is once again
before Judge Redden. Idaho Statesman; Nov. 5
idahostatesman link
The number of orca whales in Puget Sound off the coast
of Washington and Oregon dropped dramatically, as have the
number of wild salmon -- a staple of the orca's diet, and there are calls to remove
the hydroelectric dams in the Columbia River Basin to save
both the salmon and the whales, but those dams provide
clean power, and with an ever-increasing demand to reduce
carbon dioxide emissions, energy officials say removing
carbon-free plants is counterintuitive. Chrisitan Science
Monitor; Nov. 28
csmonitor link
The U.S. Senate's bipartisan 79-14 vote to adopt a $23.2
billion water resources bill that President Bush vetoed
made it crystal clear that Congress was ready and willing
to challenge the President on other fronts and gave
Republican lawmakers a chance to clarify how far they've
traveled from President Bush's policies. NY Times; Nov. 9
nytimes link
As sea levels rise, coastal communities could lose up to
50 percent more of their fresh water supplies than previously thought,
according to a new study from Ohio State University.
terradaily link
Almost no rain has fallen across the core area of the
Southeast drought in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina --
leading to new records of dryness that are all the more
impressive because new marks have been set and broken
repeatedly.
thedailygreen link
Large areas of south China are suffering from serious
drought, with water levels on two major rivers in
rice-growing provinces dropping to historic lows, state
media said.
enn link
The labels show outdoorsy images calculated to appeal to
health-conscious consumers. But in recent months, the
industry has found itself in troubled waters: Several
environmental organizations and local government officials
say bottled water represents a pollution threat to the
environment -- and money down the drain for consumers. NY Times
yorknewstimes link
In the latest issue of the journal International Journal
of Nuclear Desalination, research results presented at the
Trombay Symposium on Desalination and Water Reuse offer a
new perspective on desalination and describe alternatives
to the current expensive and inefficient methods.
enn link
Environmentalists are hoping Congress reinstates
protections for isolated wetlands and other waters after
the Supreme Court stripped those protections.
environmentreport link
Scientists and conservationists told members of the
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that
exemptions granted oil and gas companies from complying
with the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act
should be ended, but industry officials said those
exemptions simply remove unnecessary burdens on energy
companies and have not resulted in any harm to drinking
water. Missoulian; Nov. 1
missoulian link
The energy boom has brought a burst of new development to Sweetwater County and the towns that lie within the Wyoming county, and all the water and sewer districts, are having trouble keeping up with development, and local officials said the Legislature needs to change
the state's tax structure to send more energy revenue
flowing to the county to help upgrade water and sewer
infrastructure. Casper Star- Tribune; Nov. 27
trib link
Owners of small independent drilling companies took
their case to New Mexico lawmakers on Monday, to protest proposed legislation
that would require wastewater discharged during drilling
operations be shipped to a licensed facility or kept in a
lined pit because they fear the cost will send drilling
operations out of state, but the head of the Oil
Conservation Division said the plan is less costly than
making taxpayers clean up contamination from the
wastewater. Santa Fé New Mexican; Nov. 20
santafenewmexican link
Three energy companies and the state of Wyoming sued
Montana over its strict water quality rules adopted in 2006
that the companies said would dampen development of coalbed
methane resources in Wyoming and Montana, but the case may be settled and a draft
settlement agreement would impose strict water-quality
standards on Tongue River water but would set lower standards on other waterways
in southeastern Montana. Billings Gazette (AP); Nov. 5
billingsgazette link
As the debate in Ravalli County has shown, the issue of
requiring homeowners build far >enough away from Montana's rivers and streams to protect
both the riparian areas and homes is a contentious one, but
Missoula County needs to rev up its attempts to protect
these fragile areas, while there are still areas to
protect. Missoulian; Nov. 9
missoulian link
Idaho and the Environmental Protection Agency have
approved new limits on phosphorus discharged from fish
farms in the state. Idaho Statesman (AP); Nov. 9
idahostatesman link
Orange County Water District officials said the water
treatment plant they have built to process 70 million
gallons of wastewater each day into potable water will
serve as a model for cities and local governments across
the world. New York Times; Nov. 27
nytimes link
Locals from Fort Chipewyan, a small Alberta community
downstream from the province's prolific oilsands projects,
hired an ecologist to study the town's water resources, who
found that between 2001 and 2005, concentrations of hydrocarbons rose
substantially, and also found high levels of arsenic, mercury and
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fish, a staple of the
diet of many of the residents. NY Times; Nov. 9
nytimes link
Return to December, 2007 Table of Contents | Subscribe to Colorado Central Magazine