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Thursday, August 23, 2007
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Energy policy: Oil and gas development
The Colorado River District is hosting a seminar, Water: Fueling the Future, about water and oil and gas development on September 14th. Sounds like a hoot. Here's the link to the registration form [pdf]. From their website, "Energy development in the Rockies, water needs for production, water rights, water supply, produced waters, and more."
"colorado water"
9:26:55 PM 
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Gay rights
Science Blog: "A compelling new study from the September issue of the Journal of Modern History reviews historical evidence, including documents and gravesites, suggesting that homosexual civil unions may have existed six centuries ago in France. The article is the latest from the ongoing 'Contemporary Issues in Historical Perspective' series, which explores the intersection between historical knowledge and current affairs. Commonly used rationales in support of gay marriage and gay civil unions avoid historical arguments. However, as Allan A. Tulchin (Shippensburg University) reveals in his forthcoming article, a strong historical precedent exists for homosexual civil unions."
"2008 pres"
9:10:02 PM
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Marijuana possesion Denver's lowest law enforcement priority?
Colorado Confidential: " Supporters of an initiative to make adult possession of marijuana the 'lowest law enforcement priority' in the Mile High City say they're willing to bargain with members of the Denver City Council and the Mayor. Instead of putting the issue up for a vote--the course the measure is likely headed for now--proponents are willing to withdraw it as long as Denver officials put a stop to marijuana possession citations during the Democratic National Convention in 2008. But that's not all. The campaign behind the initiative, Citizens for a Safer Denver, is also requesting that city representatives take a stand and examine their positions on marijuana."
"denver n2007"
6:18:03 PM
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Bond issues on November ballot
The Cherry Creek News: "The Denver City Council voted to put a package of tax increases and bonds on the November ballot on August 13. The taxes, if voter approved, would cost the average homeowner (of an average home worth $250,000) $2380. Mayor John Hickenlooper will champion the package before the voters. For the fourteenth time in the Hickenlooper era, Denver voters will face a tax increase proposition."
"denver n2007"
6:10:39 PM
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Iraq
Welcome to Pottersville: "Matthew Brady is dead and gone." Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for the link.
The Van Der Galiën Gazette: "The parallels between the Iraq and Vietnam wars are valid in at least some areas, including the selection of the wars and the process of withdrawal. The lessons derived from these similarities are not, however, one-sided clubs usable against only one group in the usual American political games of self-absorbed political combat. Rather, the Vietnam experience carries hard lessons for both "neocons" and anti-war protesters -- lessons which, if not learned, will carry an even higher cost in Iraqi lives than has already been paid."
Thanks to The Moderate Voice for the link.
Captain's Quarters: "The latest National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq has leaked out of Washington this afternoon, and it consists of an update to the official January NIE. According to the most complete republication of the unclassified portion, it tells us little that has not already been known from the political debate over the direction of the war."
"2008 pres"
6:02:48 PM
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? for President?
Captain's Quarters: "The Congressional Black Caucus and Fox News finally surrendered to reality and canceled the presidential debate scheduled for September 23rd. Most of the Democratic candidates refused to attend, claiming that Fox was so biased that they couldn't endorse it by appearing on their network."
Bill Maher (via The Right's Field): "...I would like to see the cross-dresser and the Mormon run together."
Josh Marshall: "Recently Barack Obama caught hell from across the political spectrum when he said he'd authorize attacks on high-level terrorists in Pakistan even without approval from the Pakistani government. But now, according to documents obtained by the AP, it seems rules of engagement from 2004 authorized Army Rangers units to undertake cross-border raids into Pakistan in pursuit of suspected terrorists."
The Western Democrat is touting a Richardson/Napolitano ticket for the Democrats in 2008. If the Democrats hold their 2004 states and win Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada they'll be smiling on inauguration day in 2009.
"2008 pres"
5:54:01 PM
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Immigration
From The Rocky Mountain News, "A plan by two Colorado lawmakers to create a guest worker program and open an employment office in Mexico must overcome a number of legal roadblocks, immigration attorneys and business leaders said Wednesday. For starters, the U.S. government would have to approve the plan. And the Mexican outpost could quickly become ensnared in thorny issues surrounding U.S. immigration law. States are not allowed to pass legislation that may interfere or impact federal immigration laws, said Donna Lipinski, an immigration attorney for the American Immigration Lawyers Association in Washington...
"Sen. Abel Tapia, D-Pueblo, and Rep. Marsha Looper, R-Calhan, are considering introducing legislation that would allow the recruitment in Mexico of seasonal workers for Colorado farms and other industries such as construction, ski resorts, restaurants and hotels."
"2008 pres"
7:15:04 AM
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? for U.S. Senate?
From The Denver Post, "[Bob Schaffer] is in the race and is planning a two-step rollout of his campaign, Klein said. This year's announcement is mostly for the political insiders - an effort to raise money and scare off potential rivals for the Republican nomination. Next year's announcement is expected to be a more traditional tour, appealing to voters statewide and laying out a vision. Schaffer has formed a fundraising committee for his Senate campaign and has collected about $683,000. Still, some political watchers interpreted the comment as an opening for Schaffer to back out of the campaign. Bloggers at ColoradoPols.com, a website for discussions of Colorado politics, latched onto Schaffer's words as evidence that Schaffer is waffling. But Bob Loevy, professor of political science at Colorado College, said excessively long campaigns lead to extreme scrutiny of candidates' words. The Senate election is more than a year away. 'My feeling is that he misspoke, the campaign manager corrected it and that's the end of it,' Loevy said."
"denver 2008"
7:10:13 AM
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Yampa Pumpback?
Here's an look at the proposed pipeline on the Yampa River from The Rocky Mountain News. From the article:
Colorado's Yampa River could deliver millions of gallons of fresh, clear water to the Front Range and other water- strapped areas via a $4 billion, 227-mile pipeline. The ambitious undertaking would create one of the largest, most expensive water projects the state has ever witnessed. It could also help provide enough water for Coloradans through much of the next century, according to the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District.
"Ten to 15 years ago you would have never looked at something like this because of the cost," Wilkinson said. But thanks to drought and growth, water prices across the state have skyrocketed, making long-distance transport of water more economically appealing than it once was. Under this proposal, a pipeline would draw water from the Yampa River at Maybell, a tiny community roughly 75 miles west of Steamboat Springs. The water would be stored in a large reservoir and then pumped back across the state, offering opportunities for mountain tourist towns and Front Range suburbs to tap in. Northern estimates that roughly 300,000 acre-feet of water could be taken from the Yampa annually while protecting endangered fish and maintaining healthy stream flows. But no one knows yet whether that much water could be taken without harming other water users on the Yampa and the Colorado River...
Sen. Jack Taylor, R-Steamboat Springs, in Routt County, said he is interested in the idea because it could help water-short mountain counties such as Grand and Summit. "We have a lot of water here," he said. "We're pretty sensitive about it. Northern complains about drying up agriculture on the Front Range. "But is it OK to dry up ag land over here? I would say not just no, but hell no." Rep. Randy Fischer, D-Fort Collins, said he's "trying to keep an open mind. But I wonder what would happen if we spent that much money on conservation. I think we may be missing opportunities to (take) the low-hanging fruit first."
More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.
"colorado water"
6:45:22 AM
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Ruedi releases to clean Fryingpan?
Here's a look at the planning going on to try to flush sediment in the Fryingpan River left over from a flood earlier this month, from The Aspen Times "reg". From the article:
Federal agencies coordinated efforts last week to increase flows from Ruedi as part of a program to help endangered fish on the Colorado River near Grand Junction. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service needed extra water from one of five participating mountain reservoirs. The decision was made to rely on Ruedi water in hopes that it would flush the debris to the Colorado River, where it would dissipate. The river's flow increased to 300 cfs, but the mud proved stubborn. "It's not moving much of the stuff," Hebein said. The soil has a lot of calcium sulfate, which tends to harden like cement as it sits.
There are two schools of thought on how to proceed. One option is to wait for a flushing flow until spring, when flows would be higher in natural conditions. Although there are artificial conditions on the dammed Fryingpan, the Bureau of Reclamation typically increases flows in spring to increase the reservoir's capacity - assuming the snowpack is at or around average. The second option is talking advantage of the man-made conditions and flush the river now. "There is water available for a large flow," said Bureau of Reclamation spokeswoman Kara Lamb. The agency is aware of the situation and is willing to help once it receives a formal request from the state wildlife division, she said.
While there is no emergency, Hebein said the Fryingpan and Roaring Fork rivers face "a chronic case of the dwindles." The bug population will dwindle, fish habitat will dwindle and "at some point" trout populations will dwindle if there isn't improvement in the water quality, he said. Here's the problem, as described by Hebein: The fine sediment from the mud works its way into the spaces between peddles and rocks and smothers insects and their eggs. Bug populations are low at this time of year but mayfly and caddis fly hatches are occurring now and various hatches happen throughout the year. If no action is taken, the sediment will continue to clog spaces throughout the winter. Bugs will eventually re-colonize the affected stretches, but that could take time without a good flush. Hebein said some trout were likely killed in the initial flood of mud, especially browns, which hide on the bottom in adverse conditions. He doubted significant numbers of fish were killed. He's more concerned about the effects on their habitat. That's why he prefers a flushing. Even a flow of 800 cfs might not be enough to do the job.
"colorado water"
6:36:54 AM
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Colorado Water Congress annual summer meeting
Here's a recap Wednesday's sessions at the Colorado Water Congress' annual summer meeting in Steamboat Springs, from The Denver Post. From the article:
The three-day conference - which has attracted water suppliers, government officials, scientists and consultants - focuses on water management amid the uncertainties of climate change. "One question is: Do you plan for the average, or do you plan for the unacceptable?" said Randy Udall, director of the Aspen-based Community Office for Resource Efficiency. "The consensus was you plan for the unacceptable." Many water providers, including those in Denver and Colorado Springs, have begun planning for reduced stream flows and reservoir levels, trying to balance the risks and costs in an unpredictable world. Overall, the region is likely to see wetter winters and drier summers, [Joel Smith, one of the authors of the most recent report of the respected Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] said, although scientists concede that computer modeling is inexact and there could be great variations from the trends. But in general, the annual snowpack in the mountains is expected to decrease, and, coupled with an earlier spring runoff, it will affect both the amount of water and when it is available. "As you're trying to capture that earlier snowmelt, you may be confronted with flood-control issues," said Bob Rauscher, Smith's partner at Boulder- based Stratus Consulting. "You may be having more dam releases early in the season, when you'd rather be capturing it to prepare for that longer, hotter summer." Water quality also likely will be affected: Warmer temperatures tend to induce algae blooms in reservoirs and contribute to the size and severity of forest fires - a major source of sedimentation - and salinity is expected to rise with increased evaporation.
From The Aspen Times "reg", "[U.S. Representative Mark Udall] will be in Steamboat Springs at noon on Friday, appearing as the keynote speaker at the Colorado Water Congress summer Convention."
More coverage from The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. They write:
More frequent sewer overflows, tanking stream water quality, reservoir water storage problems and a higher risk of catastrophic wildfire -- all are expected to be consequences of human-caused global warming, which may leave Colorado's water supplies vulnerable in the coming decades, two climate experts told water managers during a Colorado Water Congress meeting Wednesday. "This is why it sounds like a doom and gloom presentation; there are so many ways climate change can ripple through water resource planning and utility operations," Boulder water consultant Bob Raucher said. And make no mistake, global warming is "unequivocally" real, and it is likely caused by humans and our greenhouse gas emissions, said climate researcher Joel B. Smith of Boulder-based Stratus Consulting, a lead author of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's most recent global warming report...
Here's how it works, Smith said: Temperatures in many places across the globe are rising as human-emitted greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide increase in the atmosphere. When the temperature increases, water evaporation increases, augmenting the hydrologic cycle and causing more precipitation...
Floods, he said, may reduce water quality in reservoirs and make it difficult to capture snowmelt. And, he said, Coloradans should expect two more drawbacks: higher potential for wildfire as temperatures rise; and more intense rainfall causing streams to contain more sediment, harming fish species. Some of those fish may be forced to migrate or be moved northward where they won't be affected as much by warming streams, he said. "Because rainfall events will be more severe, you'll have more sewer overflows," he said...
In the final two days of the Colorado Water Congress' three-day summer meeting, lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, D-Colo., and state Rep. Kathleen Curry, D-Gunnison, and a host of water experts from across the country will talk about how Colorado can plan for the future of its water supplies in a time of climate change.
"colorado water"
6:26:54 AM
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New regulations for oil and gas development in Garfield County?
Garfield County is wrestling with new regulations for oil and gas development. They're getting help from other groups in the county, according to The Glenwood Springs Post Independent. From the article:
Garfield County's Planning & Zoning Commission tonight will consider whether to pursue ground-breaking regulations applying to oil and gas development. This may be the first time both the industry and the Grand Valley Citizens Alliance have agreed they want oil and gas regulations in the county's land use code, GVCA organizer Patrick Barker said Wednesday. But the two entities are at odds over just what those regulations should be. The industry submitted its proposal after the state Supreme Court in June declined to review a challenge of oil and gas regulations imposed by Gunnison County. Barker said that ruling helped clarify whether counties can regulate the industry as long as the rules don't conflict with state regulations.
The GVCA fears that Garfield County now may adopt the industry proposal rather than undertaking a process to obtain input from a broad range of people and create rules that better consider the interests of county residents. "Garfield County has a golden opportunity to address residents' concerns on oil and gas drilling and offer them an extra layer of protection over state law," GVCA president Liz Chandler said in a news release Wednesday. The group believes some of the conflicts between residents and gas developers could be eased if wells and open waste pits had to be located farther from homes. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission allows wells as close as 150 feet from a home. The GVCA also would like to see buffer zones required between oil and gas operations and bodies of water, and wants regulations addressing site security and emergency preparedness and response and limiting noise and visual impacts. Barker worries that some planning commission members may not have read the full industry proposal, yet could be inclined to approve it as the panel seeks to complete work on a comprehensive rewrite of its land use code.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
"colorado water"
6:16:08 AM
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Targeted Watershed Grant for Clear Creek Watershed Foundation
Bump and Update: Congratulations to the Clear Creek Watershed Foundation in winning a Targeted Watershed Grant from EPA.
From WebWire, "U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA Region 8 Administrator Robert E. Roberts and Jim Martin, Director of the Department of Public Health and Environment gathered at Vanover Park in Golden today to announce EPA's selection of the Clear Creek Watershed Foundation as a finalist for a $544,090 Targeted Watershed Grant...The winning Clear Creek proposal focuses on Upper Clear Creek from the Continental Divide to the City of Golden and features a large-scale mine site remediation project to restore water quality in impaired stream segments. The proposal includes installation of traps for contaminated sediment, removal of mine waste piles, and development of an innovative orphan mine trading program to fund maintenance of sediment traps."
The Clear Creek Watershed Foundation's application for a Targeted Watershed Implementation Grant is one of sixteen finalists. From the EPA website:
The Targeted Watersheds Grant (TWG) program encourages the protection and restoration of the country's water resources through cooperative conservation. The program supports collaborative watershed partnerships that are ready to implement on-the-ground restoration and protection activities designed to achieve quick, measurable environmental results. In 2007, EPA will award $13.3 million in implementation grants for 2006/2007...
The Clear Creek Watershed is located immediately west of Denver. The surrounding area is mountainous and rural and has a history of mining which had negative impacts on the water quality. The crash of the silver markets left many of the mine sites abandoned, leaving approximately 2,000 "orphan" sites. Clear Creek is the primary drinking water supply for 9,000 upper basin citizens and 300,000 lower basin citizens. The proposed project will improve water quality by installing sediment traps, removing waste piles and establishing a maintenance program to clean out the sediment traps, funded through the use of an innovative market based metals/pollutant trading program.
Thanks to restoringrivers for the heads up.
"colorado water"
6:05:38 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 9:31:01 PM.
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