Friday, September 29, 2006

Amendment 39 The Rocky Mountain News editorial staff is urging voters to reject Amendment 39. From the editorial, "If you're in favor of improving public education, be sure you go to the polls to vote 'No' on Amendment 39. This misguided measure would require school districts to spend 65 cents of every operating dollar on 'classroom instruction,' putting local school budgets in a constitutional straitjacket. Does 65 cents sound reasonable? Maybe it is, but how can we be sure? It's nothing less than arrogant folly to put such an inflexible percentage into the state constitution." "denver 2006" 7:08:33 AM

Ritter for governor? The Rocky Mountain News editorial staff has endorsed Bill Ritter for governor (as we predicted). From the editorial, "Bill Ritter for governor. Yes, you heard right. We believe that the former Denver district attorney, despite his inexperience outside the law enforcement realm, is the better of two good candidates running for Colorado's top job. True, our endorsement today is a bit of a gamble given Ritter's limited experience. It could even turn out to be a major mistake. But based on the Bill Ritter we've known over the years and watched on the campaign trail, we don't think that's likely. It will be an error only if Ritter himself proves to be a reckless liar, and we've seen no evidence for that being the case. To the contrary, while there are many unknowns regarding Ritter, the state of his integrity is not one of them. We've followed his career since his appointment as Denver DA in 1993, and he has shown himself to be a person who means what he says, with little of the ducking and spinning that characterizes many politicians." "denver 2006" 7:04:24 AM

Bayfield water treatment plans Bayfield is still working on meeting the wastewater treatment need caused by the town's unbridled growth, according to the Pine River Times. From the article, "The Bayfield Sanitation District board voted Sept. 13 to have the district manager and consultants look into getting a small portable treatment plant to supplement the aeration lagoons at the Bayfield treatment plant. The district board has to decide soon on long-term replacement for the lagoons and how to pay for it, and submit plans to the state - all at the same time they are dealing with immediate permit compliance issues. Lagoon improvements could cost $250,000 to $500,000 and would soon be replaced by the new plant that probably will cost $3 to $6 million." "colorado water" 6:52:35 AM

Grand Ditch lawsuit U.S. Senator Wayne Allard and U.S. Representative Marilyn Musgrave are sponsoring wilderness legislation that will help Water Supply and Storage out in defending against a lawsuit over the Grand Ditch, according to the Examiner. From the article, "The bill would help Fort Collins, Colo.-based Water Supply and Storage, which operates the Grand River Ditch that starts high up within the park. The federal government this month sued the company after the ditch overflowed, scouring a mountainside and forcing the temporary closure of trails and campsites at Colorado's most popular attraction. Under the bill by Sen. Wayne Allard and Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, both Republicans, the company would be relieved of liability for damage if a breach accidentally occurred under normal maintenance... "But fellow Colorado lawmakers are questioning whether the company should get the help and whether that help should be included in a wilderness bill. They also worry the Republican bill may have scuttled the chances that Congress will designate wilderness in the park this year. Cody Wertz, a spokesman for Democratic Sen. Ken Salazar, said that adding such a liability provision for a single company in a wilderness bill would be 'precedent setting for the national park system.'[...] "Allard and Musgrave introduced their wilderness bill Wednesday causing a ruckus partly because it competes with legislation already introduced by Salazar and Rep. Mark Udall, D-Colo. The wilderness bill would implement a Nixon-era proposal to protect most of the park from development. Wilderness legislation for the park was first proposed in 1994, and this year, the Democrats had hoped their bill had enough support from the communities surrounding the park that it would pass Congress. Salazar and Udall fumed about Allard and Musgrave's move Thursday, calling it a political ploy to help Musgrave, whose re-election race has recently tightened... "But the Democrats now accuse the Republicans of jeopardizing the chances of passing any wilderness bill - or the help for the company - since it is unlikely Congress would approve a bill when the state's delegation is divided." "colorado water" 6:41:50 AM

Arkansas Valley Conduit The Arkansas Valley Conduit is the subject of this article from the Pueblo Chieftain. They write, "The importance of the $320 million conduit project to bring drinking water to 41 communities east of Pueblo was couched in blunt terms by Southeastern President Bill Long toward the end of the meeting. 'If we don't get the conduit, the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project will be the worst thing we've ever done,' Long said. 'The Fry-Ark will be used to dry up this valley. We will have had a benefit for a short time with the ag water and the storage, but it will have done the damage.' Long went to Washington last week to testify for the conduit at a Senate committee hearing and said the next 12 months are critical to showing there is adequate water for the pipeline. The Bureau of Reclamation is on record in opposition to the project on those grounds. He said an average of about 1,500 acre-feet of Fry-Ark water, added to an existing 5,000 acre-feet, would probably be adequate to meet current needs. More would be needed for future growth and to allow the pipeline to reach its capacity of 18,000 acre-feet annually. The committee, which will later make a recommendation to the Southeastern board, is being careful with allocating Fry-Ark water taken off Colorado Canal land after Aurora bought rights to the water in the 1980s." "colorado water" 6:33:03 AM

Million project pipeline Here's an article about building a pipeline from Flaming Gorge Reservoir on the Green River to Colorado's Front Range from the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article, "A Fort Collins entrepreneur is proposing a 400-mile, $4 billion pipeline from Flaming Gorge Reservoir on the Utah-Wyoming border to the Colorado Front Range as a way to meet a gap in Colorado's future water supply. The pipeline would be privately financed but eventually turned over to a public water authority, supplying water for growing needs in Colorado, said Aaron Million... "Million said his background in agriculture and concern for the environment make the premise for this water project different from other projects that have been shot down or delayed in recent years. Most importantly, it will provide a new source of water and storage for the state. For nearly three years, he has honed the concepts and confidentially briefed federal, state and municipal water officials about the project. This week he decided to take it public with a story in Colorado Biz magazine. Million developed the plan as a graduate student at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, studying agriculture and resource economics for a master's thesis. He is now working on a doctorate in natural resource policy... "Million started thinking about the project shortly after voters turned down Referendum A in 2003 and the Legislature rejected the so-called Big Straw project, a plan to pump water from the Utah state line to the Front Range... "Rather than divert water directly from the river, he looked upstream to a federal reservoir built primarily to allow Upper Basin states develop their share of water under the 1922 Colorado Compact. Rather than piping directly across the state, he looked to a northerly route through another state with less drastic rises and falls in elevation. Million's idea is to take water from the Green River and use it in the state by diverting it from Flaming Gorge Reservoir. He envisions 250,000 to 450,000 acre-feet of water a year coming through a pair of at least 42-inch pipelines along existing federal energy corridors along Interstate 80 in Wyoming... "The Green River flows for about 40 miles through Colorado, mostly through public land, before joining with the Yampa River and flowing back into Utah. The White River joins the Green in Utah, where the Green continues onward to join the Colorado River just above Lake Powell. The unappropriated water in the Colorado portion of the Green River will be the basis for a request of a water supply contract from the Bureau of Reclamation from Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Million also may have to file a claim in water court as well and is still investigating the possibility... "While he realizes there are some hurdles to overcome, he said the project would be built with private financing, possibly eliminating some political battles and funding difficulties. He's also got some major league help. His chief counsel is William Hillhouse, of Denver's White and Jankowski, one of the state's top water lawyers. Also on the legal team are lawyer Jim Lochhead, a key player in current Colorado River Compact negotiations, and policy consultant Ted Trimpa, both of Brownstein Farber & Hyatt. Consultants include former state water engineers Jeris Danielson of Colorado and Jeff Fassett of Wyoming, as well as former Utah water resources director Larry Anderson. Walid Hajj, former head of Thornton water, is his municipal policy adviser. Jim Eddy, a former NBC television executive, is his strategy consultant. Finally, States West of Cheyenne, Wyo., is handling permits on the project... "Flaming Gorge Reservoir can store up to 3.8 million acre-feet of water. Built in 1962 in northeastern Utah by the Bureau of Reclamation, the Flaming Gorge Dam also generates power and provides recreation. However, since the Green River flows mainly through canyonlands, there are few farms irrigated below it. There are only 5,000 to 7,000 acres of irrigated farmland along the river, and few prospects for more use of the river in the wild country of eastern Utah, Million said... "Million said his project would add water to Colorado's supply from a watershed that stretches far north of the state with different snowfall and runoff patterns. The pipeline would be a minimal disturbance to the environment and follow the route of existing natural gas pipelines. The five pumping stations along the way would be fueled by natural gas to avoid demands on the power grid. An environmental impact statement on Flaming Gorge released in February showed the need for some changes in releases of water from the dam, none of which would conflict with the project, Million said. No new reservoirs would necessarily be built along the route, but there are existing reservoirs which could be incorporated, Million said... "The pipeline would begin to branch off into smaller lines in the Denver Metro area and could stretch as far south as Colorado Springs, Million said. It also could be part of the solution to recharging the Denver Basin aquifer. Since transbasin water can be used to extinction, Million said the project would emphasize conservation measures and water recycling. Besides relieving pressure on agriculture from sales to cities, Million said some of the water in the pipeline would be available for sale to agriculture, potentially helping with problems like those faced by South Platte farmers who can't afford to buy water for augmentation. Ag users might also be able to use return flows from cities, he said." "colorado water" 6:27:45 AM

Kempthorne signs Platte River agreement Jackson Hole Star Tribune: "Interior Secretary Dick Kempthorne signed a three-state agreement Thursday on managing the Platte River, capping years of efforts to resolve conflicts over use of the water. Kempthorne signed the record of decision for the final environmental impact statement on a 13-year agreement among Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska. All three governors must sign the agreement to implement the plan aimed at accommodating endangered species and the growing number of cities and farmers tapping the river that flows through the states... "Negotiations on use of the Platte started in the early 1990s. Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska signed an agreement in 1997 after the Fish and Wildlife Service said water projects on the river threatened vulnerable wildlife. The plan calls for acquiring land for wildlife habitat in Nebraska and increasing river flows at key times. It will cost about $317 million, with $157 million coming from the Interior Department and the rest from the states in cash, land and water. Congress must approve the federal government's portion. The Platte River in central Nebraska is a major stop for migrating whooping cranes and home to the piping plover, least tern and pallid sturgeon. They're all designated as threatened or endangered species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a report in June saying the management plan is unlikely to jeopardize the long-term survival of the four species. The river, with its 15 major dams and reservoirs, supplies water to about 3.5 million people, irrigates farms, generates electricity through hydropower plants and provides recreation and wildlife habitat. The Platte's two branches start in the Colorado mountains, flow through Wyoming and Colorado, and merge in Nebraska." Here's the coverage from the Rocky Mountain News. "colorado water" 6:07:27 AM

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