Friday, January 27, 2006

Salazar: Avoid costly primary Colorado's U.S. Senator, Ken Salazar, is advising the Democratic party to avoid a primary battle, according to the Rocky Mountain News [January 27, 2006, "Salazar pushes unity for Democrats"]. From the article, "Democrats need to unify behind one gubernatorial candidate soon to avoid a damaging primary - whether it's Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper or former Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter. That's the advice of someone who has been there and done that: U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar. In 2004, the former Colorado attorney general got a big boost in his U.S. Senate race when his two biggest-name, best-bankrolled Democratic rivals stepped aside and backed his campaign. After Rep. Mark Udall and think tank founder Rutt Bridges cleared the field, Salazar went on to defeat lightly funded political newcomer Mike Miles in the primary, then he won the multimillion-dollar fight against Republican beer magnate Pete Coors." Meanwhile Mayor Hickenlooper is still non-committal about running, according to the Denver Post [January 27, 2006, "A choice is brewing, Hickenlooper vow"]. From the article, "Although some political observers have contended Hickenlooper is toeing a fine line between contemplating a run for governor and appearing indecisive, the mayor said he was still compiling all the information he thinks necessary to make his decision. He did not give a timeline, but said again that it would be soon." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 7:32:36 AM

New treatment plant for Aurora CBS4 Denver reports that some Aurora residents are worried about plans to build a treatment plant downstream from the Metropolitan Wastewater treatment plant. From the article, "Some residents in Aurora are expressing concern about the city's plan to build a new water treatment plant and start using water from the South Platte River to supply the city with drinking water. Aurora is in need of a new water source as its population grows... "Aurora would get it water out of the South Platte downstream from Denver's wastewater treatment plant. It's an area of the river where researchers found fish that had altered sex organs. Scientists linked the mutation to household detergents that breakdown in the water. "The city says the new drinking water will be safe. Officials told CBS4 the new water plant will use natural and man-made filtration to clean the water and reduce all problem contaminants to levels that can't be detected and are safe. "Aurora plans to break ground on its new water treatment plant late next year and start delivering water from the new source in 2010." Category: Colorado Water 7:22:08 AM

Fountain Creek cleanup "Water quality in Fountain Creek may worsen for years before the situation improves," according to the Colorado Springs Independent. "That's because water woes in the creek that runs south through the Springs are triggered by factors beyond sewage spills, says Steve Gunderson, director of the state's Water Quality Control Commission. Those factors include the rapid expansion of Colorado Springs, which adds to runoff and pollution. "Meanwhile, sewage spills will continue as the city grapples with fixing its pipe system, which frequently intersects the creek." Category: Colorado Water 7:15:54 AM

Southern Delivery System Here's an article about the proposed Southern Delivery System from the Cañon City Daily Record. They write, "The Southern Delivery System was foremost in the public's mind during the first open forum hosted by the Fremont County Commissioners on Wednesday. SDS is a proposed regional water diversion project designed to deliver water from the Arkansas River to Colorado Springs, Fountain and Security. The Bureau of Reclamation is working on an Environmental Impact Statement studying seven different options for a 66-inch pipeline to ship water north and return effluent flows back south. "Four of the alternatives would affect Fremont County by piping return water flows to the Arkansas River near the wastewater treatment plant near Florence." Category: Colorado Water 7:11:49 AM

Cloud seeding in Wyoming Wyoming's cloud seeding program is news in India. From the Kerala Times article, "The National Center for Atmospheric Research designed the experiment that will involve seeding clouds with silver iodide over Wyoming's Medicine Bow, Sierra Madre and Wind River mountain ranges. "NCAR and partner institutions are deploying both airborne and ground-based instruments Jan. 16-Feb. 13 and again March 10-31 to gather key data. "Scientists say even a 10-percent increase in snowpack in the project's targeted areas would provide up to 260,000 acre-feet of water in additional runoff each spring. The additional water is valued at $2.4 million-$4.9 million. "Starting next winter, pending permits, 24 ground-based generators will burn silver iodide and acetone solutions, creating plumes of silver iodide particles aimed at clouds upwind and over the target areas. Simultaneously, a Piper Cheyenne II twin-engine turboprop airplane will burn flares mounted on its wings to inject silver iodide into clouds at least 2,000 feet above the ground. "Silver iodide's ice-like particles attract a cloud's liquid water, which freezes around the particles to form snow." More coverage from the Biology News Net. Category: Colorado Water 7:05:38 AM

Colorado Water Congress The 48th Annual Convention of the Colorado Water Congress opened Thursday, according to the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article, "Colorado Water Congress is made up of water agency, government and irrigation district officials, as well as individuals involved in other aspects of water resources." Category: Colorado Water 6:58:54 AM

HB1124 The Pueblo Chieftain is urging legistators to Deep-six HB 1124. They write, "A bill lurking in the Statehouse is a thinly disguised vehicle for cities and counties in the Denver metro area to take more water out of the Arkansas Valley and other agricultural regions. It should be killed when it's heard on Monday by the House Agriculture Committee. "HB1124 is sponsored by Rep. Mary Hodge, D-Brighton, and Sen. Dave Owen, R-Greeley. They claim the bill would allow farmers to stay in business as the threat of cities buying water and drying up rural communities continues. "In this part of the state we've witnessed the devastation wrought when farms are dried up and their towns slowly die. Crowley County is the poster child for these water raids, and Rocky Ford is now feeling the debilitating effects of lost agricultural activity. "This bill would do more than just present opportunities to farmers, as the sponsors claim. It could also tie up senior agricultural rights to benefit large cities while leaving diminished opportunities for other farmers. In the long run, we believe it could harm farmers who own junior water rights. "The idea behind the bill is that cities would take some water off farms where portions would lie fallow on a rotating basis. "While the bill would limit water taken off the land to historical consumptive use, or the amount needed to raise a crop, it would allow farmers to continue to irrigate with the remaining water not used, if specified under a contract. But Water Division 2 Engineer Steve Witte says he can't understand how that would be made to work... "What this bill would do is to take these decisions into a water court, and therein lies the danger to farmers. Even the lawyer who wrote the bill, Steve Sims, admits that cities with deep pockets have much more clout in water courts than individual farmers do." Category: Colorado Water 6:52:32 AM

Snowpack Snowpack in northern Colorado is still doing well, according to the Fort Collins Coloradoan. From the article, "Except for the southwest part of the state, snowpack in Colorado's mountains is near or above average. The South Platte River Basin, which includes Cameron Pass and the Cache la Poudre River drainage, was 118 percent of average as of Thursday morning... "They'll need to stay that way to replenish the parched plains soil. A warm, windy winter has dried out the lower elevations of the Front Range, meaning much of this spring and summer's runoff could get soaked up like a sponge before it makes it to the flat lands." Category: Colorado Water 6:43:38 AM

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