Friday, April 7, 2006

Good Samaritan Bill - Animas River cleanup Here's an update about Congressman John Salazar's Good Samaritan Bill that will allow mining cleanup attempts by government and private parties without changing the legal responsibility for the pollution. From the article, "Groups with a stake in the health of the Animas River are betting that a new approach to cleaning up abandoned mines has a chance - where others have failed - of reducing acidic waste draining into the Animas and its tributaries. A bill introduced Thursday in the U.S. House by Rep. John Salazar, D-Manassa, would create a demonstration 'Good Samaritan' project limited to the Animas River watershed. Salazar's bill has a 10-year sunset clause - language that shields public and private parties involved in cleanup from liability, with no requirement to amend the Clean Water Act, according to Bill Simon, coordinator of the Animas River Stakeholders. The Animas River Stakeholders would be a Samaritan under Salazar's bill, which focuses on mines for which there are no known owners or operators to shoulder responsibility for cleanup, Simon said. The group would look to member organizations, mining companies, the federal government and others to pay for cleanup... "Supporters hope the Salazar bill will set an example for what can be done to clean up thousands of mines, most of them abandoned, in the West. Two other mine-cleanup bills were introduced Thursday, one in the House by Mark Udall, D-Boulder, the other by Colorado senators Ken Salazar, the brother of John Salazar, and Wayne Allard. The Udall and Salazar/Allard bills have national scope... "Fifty mines in the Animas River basin have been cleaned up in the past dozen years. But liability concerns and ongoing financial obligations often keep Samaritans from taking on draining mines. In the case of a draining mine, the Clean Water Act requires an active treatment plant that has to operate in perpetuity. John Salazar's legislation, HB 5071, would limit liability, allowing Good Samaritans to do what they can to reduce pollution originating in mines but not hold them accountable for ongoing responsibility or expenses. Salazar sits on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, which would hold the first hearing on the bill, and its Water and Resources subcommittee. When introducing his bill, Salazar said that current mine-cleanup regulations create unnecessary roadblocks for groups wanting to help. Salazar said his legislation would help protect water quality in the Four Corners 'and allow the rest of the nation to see a working example of community-driven, government-supported mine cleanup.'" Category: Colorado Water 12:06:26 PM

Roadless area managment Roadless are protection is the subject of this article from New West. They write, "As a state agency, the Colorado Division of Wildlife has yet to issue an official stance on how best to administer the state's Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs). Meanwhile, 100 percent of its area managers and field biologists say[sigma]keep them roadless. At a Feb. 10 meeting in Denver, the DOW presented an extensive report to the Roadless Areas Review Task Force (RARTF) -- a 13-member 'bipartisan' group established to help determine the future of Colorado[base ']s IRAs. In part, a summation of the report states, 'It is the consensus opinion based on science, local expertise and sound knowledge that all Inventoried Roadless Areas in Colorado should be protected, preserved, enhanced, managed and maintained in a manner that provides the maximum benefit for wildlife and wildlife habitat, and that in-turn can then provide significant return benefits to local and distant citizens and to forest visitors.'" Category: 2008 Presidential Election 11:41:48 AM

Snowpack in southwestern Colorado Here's an article about runoff predictions for southwest Colorado from the Telluride Daily Planet. They write, "Although snow pack in the San Miguel, Dolores, Animas and San Juan basins is low, with accumulated precipitation at just 81 percent of average as of Monday, the Gunnison River Basin has been more fortunate, with accumulated precipitation at 98 percent of average, according to the Sno-tel Web site of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Irrigation should not pose a problem this year, Tri County Water at Ridgway Dam Superintendent Ion Spor said. 'We are going to have plenty of water here,' he said. 'The Gunnison River Basin is not in too bad of shape. The storms we are getting right now are really going to make a difference.'" Category: Colorado Water 10:21:08 AM

Colordo River expected to flow at 97% of normal All you water nuts out there already know that upper basin snowpack looks good for the Colorado River this year. Here's an article from the Utah Daily Hereald about prediction for this year's runoff. They write, "Thanks to a snowy March, federal forecasters are predicting the flow of water in the Colorado River will approach normal levels this year -- making this the second consecutive year of healthy runoff after five years of severe drought. The river will be flowing at about 97 percent of average levels, according to Tom Pagano, a water supply forecaster for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Water and Climate Center in Portland, Ore. Pagano said a heavy snowfall in March made up for light accumulations in February... "Experts say the healthy flow doesn't mean Lake Mead will be filling up any time soon. Over the next 15 months, the Bureau of Reclamation predicts water levels in North America's largest man-made reservoir will drop more than 22 feet. By June 2007, Lake Mead is expected to reach its lowest point in 42 years. During the region's record drought, Lake Powell, a reservoir upstream on the Colorado River, has shrunk to 44 percent of capacity and Lake Mead has shrunk to 59 percent. The decline is expected to continue at Lake Mead until Lake Powell recovers enough to release more water... "Lake Mead will receive 8.23 million acre-feet of water this year from Lake Powell. That's about 1.2 million acre-feet less than Lake Mead is required to deliver to water users downstream. About 9 million acre-feet of water flows out of Lake Mead each year for use in Nevada, California, Arizona and Mexico. About 326,000 gallons are contained in an acre-foot, about enough to supply two typical homes for a year." Category: Colorado Water 10:06:40 AM

Inter-basin compact committees charter The charter for the Interbasin Compact Committees seup by HB1177 last year is now awaiting approval by the state House and Senate, according to the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "A historic charter given final approval Wednesday provides the road map to ending Colorado's water wars by considering the needs of users across the state - from fishing and recreation in the mountains, to booming cities along the Front Range, to farming on the Plains. 'We're ending up with a pretty strong document, a lot of direction in here that has never happened before that I think will just have historic value and consequences,' Committee Chairman Russ George said after the Inter Basin Compact Committee approved the charter during a statewide teleconference. The charter will be delivered Thursday to the state House speaker and Senate president, who will submit it to the legislature for ratification. Battles for limited water supplies have heated up recently as officials deal with growing populations while local economies dependent on recreation and farming seek to protect their supply. The charter urges water users and providers to consider leasing and other temporary arrangements rather than buying water rights. Participants also agreed that the state has to explore flexible, market-based approaches to water supply including interruptible water contracts, water banking, in-state water leasing and groundwater recharge." Category: Coloroado Water 9:46:02 AM

SB37 SB37 - Concerning the Adjucation of Recreation In-Channel Diversions - passed the first hurdle in the state house this week, according to CBS4Denver.com. From the article, "A House committee approved a plan Wednesday that would restrict the use of recreational water while still allowing kayakers and boaters to enjoy their pastimes. Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, amended the bill to bar recreational users from asking a water court to provide more water for nighttime events; recreational users said they would try to live with it... "The bill (Senate Bill 37) now goes to the full House for debate, where it still faces an uphill fight from both sides of Colorado's water wars. The bill is an attempt to clear up some of the legal wrangling that has occurred since the Legislature passed a bill in 2001 making recreation an official 'beneficial use' and giving it a right to water just like more traditional uses like agriculture. Unlike other uses, recreational users leave the water in the river allowing it to flow downstream to other users. Critics worry that decreeing too much water to water parks will hamper future water rights upstream and the state's ability to comply with water compacts with other states. Rep. Kathleen Curry, D-Gunnison, said water providers, environmentalists and recreational users reached a compromise after months of fighting." Here's the coverage from the Durango Herald. They write, "he Colorado House of Representatives Agriculture Committee approved a bill on water rights for kayakers Wednesday, over the objections of Republicans who wanted greater restrictions on water parks. The vote came after kayakers, environmentalists and water districts reached a last-minute compromise on the bill, which lawmakers have been finessing since last summer. 'What we have in front of the committee is agreement with all the parties, and that's a good thing,' said Rep. Kathleen Curry, D-Gunnison, the bill's sponsor. The House Agriculture Committee had held three previous hearings but always delayed a vote as the sides hashed out their compromise, which wasn't typed and printed until Curry finished talking Wednesday afternoon. Dissenting Republicans pointed to Durango's recent application for kayak park rights as proof that a more restrictive bill was needed. Durango applied Feb. 28 for water rights for a park at Smelter Rapid. The application is for year-round rights, and it doesn't limit the form of boating to kayaking." Category: Colorado Water 9:31:13 AM

Fountain Creek lawsuit U.S. Magistrate Judge Boyd Boland blocked Colorado Springs' latest challenge to the lawsuit file over sewage spills in Fountain Creek, according to the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article, "Colorado Springs last week asked for a court order to bar the plaintiffs from gathering possible evidence, including depositions and records, from the city until U.S. District Judge Walker Miller rules on the city's request to throw out the lawsuits. Boland, in a two-sentence order, gave no reason for denying the city's request. The plaintiffs, Pueblo County District Attorney Bill Thiebaut and the Sierra Club, filed lawsuits late last year in federal court. The lawsuits, now consolidated into one case, allege Colorado Springs has violated the federal Clean Water Act by spills from its sewage system into Fountain Creek." Category: Colorado Water 9:04:05 AM

Ag water transfers Here's an editorial about a recent report Losing Ground: Colorado's Vanishing Agricultural Landscape from today's Pueblo Chieftain. They write, "We are glad to see that some in the environmentalist movement have begun to notice the damage being done to Colorado's farmland. The most recent iteration comes from the Environmental Colorado Research and Policy Center. It notes that farmland in Pueblo County is dwindling and by 2022 the number of acres in agriculture could be cut to half the amount farmed in 1987... "But in Southeastern Colorado, when ag land is taken out of production, nothing comes in to replace it, except for some prisons. So what formerly has been productive land loses value, hurting local economies and depressing tax bases. As agricultural viewscapes are lost, the environmental damage is often profound. What we'd like to see is more environmental groups like the policy center become concerned with the degradation of areas like the Arkansas Valley. If they grew concerned, they could help fight water raids in Southern Colorado." More on the Environment Colorado report, from the Fort Morgan Times, "In 2002, Morgan County had 760,059 agricultural acres of land, and by 2007 it is projected the number will decrease to 708,823. And by 2022, acreage will be 674,047, according to a report from the Environment Colorado Research and Policy Center in Denver. The report, 'Losing Ground: Colorado's Vanishing Agricultural Landscape', analyzes agricultural land loss and the statewide environmental and economic impacts. It also documents Colorado's loss of 1.26 million acres of agricultural lands since 1997, and the report forecasts that an additional 3.1 million acres will be lost of current trends continue. Morgan County's acreage in previous years and projected acreage, according to the report, is 743,263 in 1987, 751,517 in 1992, 741,007 in 1997, 760,059 in 2002, 708,823 in 2007, 697,231 in 2012, 685,639 in 2017 and 674,047 in 2022." Category: Colorado Water 8:56:38 AM

© Copyright 2009 John Orr. Last update: 3/14/09; 8:07:37 PM.