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Thursday, May 18, 2006
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Future snowpack
Science Blog: "By the century's end, the Andes in South America will have less than half their current winter snowpack, mountain ranges in Europe and the U.S. West will have lost nearly half of their snow-bound water, and snow on New Zealand's picturesque snowcapped peaks will all but have vanished.
"Such is the dramatic forecast from a new, full-century model that offers detail its authors call "an unprecedented picture of climate change." The decline in winter snowpack means less spring and summer runoff from snowmelt. That translates to unprecedented pressure on people worldwide who depend on summertime melting of the winter snowpack for irrigation and drinking water.
"Hardest hit are mountains in temperate zones where temperatures remain freezing only at increasingly higher elevations, said Steven J. Ghan, staff scientist at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and lead author of a study describing the model in the current Journal of Climate. PNNL scientist Timothy Shippert was co-author.
"Alaska in 2100 will maintain but 64 percent of its year 2000 snowpack. In Europe, the Alps will be at 61 percent and Scandinavia 56 percent. The Sierras, Cascades and southern Rockies will be at 57 percent of current levels. The Andes will drop to 45. And Mt. Cook and its snowcapped neighbors in New Zealand will be much less scenic at 16 percent of current."
Category: Colorado Water
7:13:08 PM 
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Internet Neutrality
Lawrence Lessig: "There has been good progress in the Net Neutrality debate. Critical to this debate is that it not become a left/right issue - because however much we on the left push it, it is not properly seen as a left/right issue. The Christian Coalition has now helped by announcing their support for Net Neutrality principles."
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
6:42:58 PM
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De Facto parents
Left in the West: "The Washington State Supreme Court ruled that a lesbian couple can be found to be de facto parents of a child that they have raised, and the US Supremes have declined to intervene...It seems obvious, and we don't talk about it much without a constitutional initiative to battle, but homosexual folks are not treated equally in our country, and that is a damn shame."
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
6:19:48 PM
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The President's Blues
The Daily Kos has a roundup of the president's approval ratings in several categories including amongst women. From the post, "Women still approve of [President George W.] Bush less than men do, although the gap has narrowed. Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho are notable pink spots in a sea of blue on the May 2006 map for women.
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
5:53:14 PM
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Giuliani for president?
Yahoo! News: "Rudolph Giuliani, the former New York mayor considered a potential 2008 candidate for president, headlined a fundraiser Thursday for former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed in his run for Georgia lieutenant governor. The two politicians were effusive in their praise for one another as they entered the Atlanta fundraiser just before noon."
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
5:42:02 PM
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Immigration
Opinions You Should Have: "The National Guard, hard-pressed to keep up with its many duties at Iraq and at home, has decided to guard the U.S.-Mexico border with illegal immigrants it enlists as they come across the border. 'We see it as a very special guest worker program,' explained Guard Commander Sergeant Leon Rocknard."
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
7:51:21 AM
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Internet Neutrality
Ed Cone: "Holman W. Jenkins Jr. in the Wall Street Journal defends the telcos in their fight against network neutrality by laying out the case for network neutrality more clearly than most proponents ever do: 'Verizon and AT&T have made clear they, too, will reserve a big share of their new pipes for their own value-added services, namely TV, and for other content distributors who are willing to pay for access to it.' That's it in a nutshell, isn't it? The Internet is going to become the property of a few rich corporations, or it isn't."
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
7:48:51 AM
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NSA surveillance
Don Surber: "USA Today's big scoop last week that Pentagon spies were given phone records is unraveling. Quickly. Officials at BellSouth and Verizon deny giving the Pentagon telephone records. Journalism 101 required USA Today to get the telephone companies' side. USA Today did not."
Bull Moose: "The Moose has supported both the NSA intercept program that was revealed last year and the 'data mining' program that reported on by USA Today last week. The Moose has also always made clear that there is a line to be drawn on the surveillance of communications. The sole purpose of the surveillance must be tracking down the Jihadists and related foes who wish to do us harm. The line is a clear and bold one. Any violation of that principle would make the surveillance illegitimate.
"If it is ever conclusively proven that the Administration improperly obtained intelligence communications for anything other than direct national security purposes, the Bushies will not only have betrayed their duty to uphold the law- they will also have critically impaired our efforts to fight this war. A revelation that it violated the public's trust on surveillance would be devastating.
"However, that has yet to occur despite the near hysteria over the latest revelation. It is perfectly legitimate to data mine to discover patterns in numbers to detect terrorists. It is far less intrusive into our privacy than is what gleaned from a CVS card. If a government seeks to abuse its power, there is far more damaging information on citizens at the IRS than is held by the NSA."
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
7:46:40 AM
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Farm disaster on the South Platte
Interested parties are still trying to work out a deal for the South Platte farmers whose wells were shut down last week, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "Farmers, politicians and state officials pleaded with South Platte River users Wednesday to sign off on a deal that would supply emergency water to about 200 Eastern Plains farmers. Standing in a dusty field of sugar beets, Agriculture Commissioner Don Ament said farmers desperately need several Front Range cities, including Boulder and Highlands Ranch, to approve plans to deliver about 10,000 acre feet of water from the Windy Gap Reservoir near Granby."
Here's the coverage from the Rocky Mountain News. They write, "Dozens of farmers gathered in a dry field Wednesday and demanded a face-to-face meeting with opponents of an emergency plan that would allow their irrigation wells to be restarted. 'We need the city of Boulder to meet with us quickly to save these crops,' Tom Cech said at a noon news conference that drew farmers and lawmakers. Cech is manager of the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District. The district is home to 440 irrigation wells that were shut down more than a week ago because farmers did not have enough water on hand to meet the requirements of a strict new law designed to protect the South Platte River...
"As the spring weather continues hot and dry, days of meetings between farmers, water providers and politicians have yet to yield a compromise all sides can live with. Boulder City Manager Frank Bruno said late Wednesday that he had not had a chance to respond to the farmers' request for a meeting and that he would have to consult with the city attorney's office before he could commit to one. Earlier this week, Carol Ellinghouse, Boulder's water resources coordinator, said the city would need several days to complete its own technical analysis of the farmers' plan before making a decision. At a meeting Wednesday night in Greeley, about 500 farmers and well owners denounced Boulder and Sterling and the three special districts that have opposed restarting the wells - the Centennial Water and Sanitation District, which serves Highlands Ranch; the Henrylyn Irrigation Co., which provides water in the Keenesburg and Hudson areas; and the Duccomon Trust, a Grand County mining operation. Farmer Rex Craven said he and other farmers cannot afford to wait. Craven told others at an informational meeting at the Island Grove Events Center in Greeley that he already has planted sugar beets and corn on his farm south of LaSalle."
Category: Colorado Water
7:16:55 AM
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New 527 formed to help Holtzman
Denver Post: "A former deputy to Republican Marc Holtzman has formed an independent political committee that is actively fundraising to help elect him governor. Terry Huffine, who now lives in London, set up Citizens for Responsible Government LLC last year. The so-called 527 committee, which is just one of many expected to infuse huge amounts of money into this year's elections, can raise unlimited U.S. and foreign money. Donors and total contribution amounts are unknown as the group does not have to file reports with the Internal Revenue Service until it receives $25,000. Huffine, who was deputy director to Holtzman when he was the state's secretary of technology, said his former boss is more in touch with voters than his opponents."
Category: Denver November 2006 Election
7:13:10 AM
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Immigration
A fence along the U.S. - Mexico border is now part of the Senate immigration bill, according to the Los Angeles Times via the Denver Post. From the article, "The Senate overwhelmingly approved a measure Wednesday to build at least 370 miles of double- and triple-layered fences along the Mexico border, moving its immigration bill closer to the enforcement-focused approach favored by conservatives. While parts of the California and Texas border are already fenced, the provision would replace and extend fencing along the Arizona border, where illegal crossings have surged to the nation's highest levels. Should the illegal entries shift to other places, the measure authorizes fence construction in 'areas that are most used by smugglers.' It also calls for erecting 500 miles of vehicle barriers along the entire Southwest border...
"Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., warned that the proposal would be 'a downpayment for a fence of 2,000 miles' - the length of the U.S.-Mexico border. He also expressed concern that the fence would sour ties with Mexico. The amendment passed, 83-16. The fence amendment was one of several added to the Senate legislation Wednesday that may improve the chances that Congress can reach agreement on a bill to overhaul U.S. immigration policy and send it to President Bush for his signature...
"Another of the amendments the Senate added to its bill that has potential appeal to conservatives would decrease the number of illegal immigrants who could pursue U.S. citizenship. Under this amendment, the citizenship provision would not apply to illegal immigrants who have been convicted of felonies, repeatedly committed misdemeanors or skipped deportation hearings.
"A third amendment adopted Wednesday would tighten restrictions in the bill's temporary-worker program. It would require the Labor Department to certify that there is not a U.S. worker able, willing, qualified and available to fill the job that is offered to a foreign worker."
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
7:08:59 AM
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In-stream flow for Arkansas River?
The Colorado Water Conservation Board is planning to apply for an in-stream water right for fish, according to the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article, "The board voted 6-3 to begin the process of applying for in-stream flow rights on the Arkansas River for two reaches: between Pueblo Dam and the river levee and from the end of the river levee to the confluence of Fountain Creek. The levee area itself is excluded because of the vast expanses of concrete along that portion of river. The decision does not mean the right will be granted, and the CWCB could still decide the reaches are not appropriate for in-stream flows. Pueblo received a recreational in-channel diversion water decree in April for its Downtown kayak course. In settling the Division 2 water court case, the state said it would make a diligent effort to apply for an in-stream flow water right. The CWCB is the only agency allowed to hold the right. Pueblo's water attorney Anne Castle argued the in-stream flow right of 100 cubic feet per second is needed to protect Pueblo from future exchanges that could dry up the river. She said the river was in a deteriorated state before Pueblo began improvements through the $7.5 million Arkansas River Legacy Project...
"A 2004 intergovernmental agreement protects Pueblo flows from those who have rights to exchange into Lake Pueblo - Pueblo Board of Water Works, Colorado Springs, Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Aurora and Fountain. The parties to the IGA curtail exchanges when flows are below 100-500 cfs, depending on the time of year. However, future exchanges might not be covered by the IGA, she said. Castle said the in-stream flows would not be 'stacked' or added to the RICD flows. CWCB and Division of Wildlife staff supported the application for an in-stream flow right, even though such applications are usually brought to the CWCB in January. Mark Uppendahl, Division of Wildlife in-stream flow coordinator, said there are 22 species of fish - either native or stocked - in the stretch of the river. Two of the species are considered to have the 'greatest conservation needs,' one step above being listed on threatened species list, he said. SeEtta Moss, of the Arkansas Valley Audubon Society, said the stretch of river through Pueblo is rich in bird species as well. Some CWCB members were not convinced, however. Usually, appropriated in-stream flow rights are reserved for headwaters streams, where water has not yet been claimed. The board also accepts donations of in-stream flows, but in this case Pueblo does not own the water being considered so cannot donate it."
Category: Colorado Water
6:55:07 AM
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Preferred Options Storage Plan
The Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservation District is not ready to back the Preferred Options Storage Plan, according to the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article, "The Lower Ark board voted Wednesday to notify Colorado's congressional delegation it is still negotiating with key participants in the Preferred Storage Options Plan, so it cannot say 'yes' or 'no' to current legislation. The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District board is expected take up the PSOP bill at its meeting today, following a report by a committee that wrapped up four months of work on the bill last month. Melissa Esquibel, Pueblo County representative on the Lower Ark Board, said the letter to the congressional delegation will make it clear that Lower Ark is not simply stalling the process...
"Lower Ark Chairman John Singletary and General Manager Jay Winner have met frequently with eight PSOP participants following a meeting in January 2005 with U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., and U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., to negotiate. An agreement was expected last month, but to date has not materialized. Singletary said progress has been slow. While no one has shared specific details of those negotiations, the Lower Ark has tried to interject issues like water quality, a water management program that would unite ditch companies and economic trade-offs into the PSOP process."
Category: Colorado Water
6:47:02 AM
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Didymo
Billings Gazette: "On Monday, scientists from around the country and other nations met in Bozeman to talk about the spread of didymo. They visited a stretch of the Boulder River outside Big Timber on Tuesday to look for evidence of the alga and talk about the implications if the moss-like mats continue to spread...
"Excessive growths of didymo have been recorded in recent years on the Boulder and Kootenai rivers along with others in Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Washington, South Dakota and elsewhere in the United States. In some places, the growths cover more than 10 miles.Barry Biggs has been seen the damage the outbreaks can have on stream life in New Zealand. Didymo was first discovered in high densities in the fall of 2004 along the Mararoa and Waiau rivers in the country's Southland. The slime squeezed out mayflies and caddis flies, a food staple of brown and rainbow trout. Midges and other smaller critters survived in the muck but when trout fed in those areas, they gulped down huge amounts of low-nutrient didymo with their meals...
"Scientists believe didymo spreads from river to river primarily by anglers, boaters and other people who move from one area to the next. Researchers in New Zealand recently found that the alga can survive for 40 days out of the water on a piece of equipment, Spaulding said. Leah Elwell, conservation coordinator for the Federation of Fly Fishers in Livingston, said anglers should do the same thing they do to prevent the spread of other non-native species: check their gear before they leave an area and pick off any muck, clean gear thoroughly with a disinfectant and allow it to dry completely before using it again. Even though there is still much to learn about didymo and its potential effects, it behooves the public and land managers to take it seriously and take measures to prevent its spread, said those at the conference."
Category: Colorado Water
6:39:13 AM
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Tunnel Water transfer
Fort Collins Coloradoan: "The second-largest water transaction in Northern Colorado history was finalized on Tuesday. Shares of stock in two water companies were reshuffled in a deal that will benefit area farmers and municipal water districts alike. The $30 million sale involves the transfer of 2,222 acre-feet of Tunnel Water Company stock from Windsor Reservoir and Canal Company (WRCC) to three new users, including the Fort Collins-Loveland Water District. In the works since 2002, the deal transfers $18 million, or 1,613 units, of Colorado-Big Thompson (CBT) water, as well as $12 million in cash, to WRCC. One half of the 2,222 acre-feet of Tunnel Water shares sold will transfer to the City of Greeley. A quarter each will transfer to the Fort Collins-Loveland Water District and the Northern Weld County Water District...
"Sommermeyer said the transaction will benefit the WRCC by increasing the efficiency and timing of water deliveries. Both Tunnel and CBT deliveries have historically been very dependable, even in dry years. Also, having CBT water in the system will give WRCC users more flexibility in how they use their water...
"Tuesday's transaction is believed to be the region's second-largest water rights transfer. The Thornton water grab in the 1980s is considered northern Colorado's largest water deal. In 1986, the city of Thornton quietly paid $55 million for 21,000 acres of farmland in Weld and Larimer counties. With the farmland, Thornton acquired the associated water rights. Thornton plans to eventually build a 56-mile pipeline to carry water from northern Colorado to the Denver metro area, which would result in drying up 21,000 acres of farmland. In the meantime, the water is being leased back to area farmers.
"The historic Tunnel Water Company was formed in the early 1900s to facilitate the transfer of Laramie River water into the Poudre River Basin. The diversion required construction of a tunnel beneath a mountain divide, the outlet of which is visible along Colorado Highway 14 in the Poudre Canyon. The tunnel was completed in 1921. Tunnel Water Company's trans-basin diversion was a precedent-setting event that was challenged in court by the State of Wyoming. The case became the only water law case ever considered by the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1955, the Supreme Court affirmed that since both states adhere to the prior appropriation system of water rights, and since Colorado water users were the first to tap the Laramie River water, users had the right to transfer the water from Wyoming into Colorado."
Category: Colorado Water
6:28:04 AM
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Sierra Club report on risks to drinking water supplies
Here's an article from All American Patriots about a new Sierra Club report on our risks to our drinking water supply. They write, "Washington, DC: The drinking water sources of more than 111 million Americans could be at risk because of the Environmental Protection Agency's policy to withhold Clean Water Act protections from headwater and seasonal streams. A Sierra Club report released today, based on EPA data, provides state-by-state information on drinking water supplies which rely, at least in part, on these small streams. The states with the largest percentage of people relying on drinking water sources that are at risk are Utah (90%); Colorado (83%); Kentucky (77%); Massachusetts (75%); and Maryland (70%). This information comes just as Congress is about to have the chance to block this weakening of our anti-pollution safeguards..
"On January 15, 2003, the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers announced a new policy directive to remove Clean Water Act protections for many streams, wetlands, ponds, lakes and other waters. This 'no protection' policy effectively directed federal regulators to withhold protection from millions of acres of wetlands, thousands of streams and other waters on grounds that are 'isolated,' unless they first get permission from their national headquarters in Washington, DC. Since most states lack effective protections for these waters, failing to enforce the provisions of the Clean Water Act in these waters means that sewage, chemical and mining waste, fill materials and other pollutants may be dumped without any permit"
Category: Colorado Water
6:22:20 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 8:13:35 PM.
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