Coyote Gulch

 



















































































Subscribe to "Coyote Gulch" in Radio UserLand.

Click to see the XML version of this web page.

e-mail John: Click here to send an email to the editor of this weblog.

 

 

  Friday, December 7, 2007


50 state blog roundup
A picture named electoralcollege91104.jpg

Say hello to SquareState's 50 state blog roundup.

Fours years ago this week on Coyote Gulch, "Dave Cullen: 'But these guys (the Dean guys) . . . They're starting to make me salivate. I was drawn to Dean because of Dean, but the longer this goes on, the crazier it gets, the more I think it may be one of those amazing marriages of the right man at the right time, coming together with the right band of wiz kids to help make it happen.'"

"2008 pres"
11:35:44 PM     


Gay rights

From The Rocky Mountain News, "The report by the Williams Institute at UCLA's School of Law found that the number of same- sex couples nationwide quadrupled to nearly 780,000 between 1990 and 2006, with the biggest increases seen in the Rocky Mountain and Southern states. Colorado ranked ninth among states with the highest concentration of same-sex couples. The report drew criticism from religious and conservative groups that say the study is biased in favor of gays and lesbians. Colorado's state demographer said the report may overestimate the increases. The study suggests a variety of reasons for the growth in the number of people identifying themselves as part of a gay couple, including increased social acceptance prompting more gays to come out. Another possible explanation, especially in conservative parts of the country, is that more couples are coming out and being counted as a political statement in response to anti-gay political sentiment. There is also the possibility that gays and lesbians are simply following general demographic trends."

"2008 pres"
7:04:24 AM     


H.R. 2262, the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007
A picture named summitvillemine.jpg

From The Crested Butte News:, "The Town of Crested Butte's efforts to increase awareness of mining law reform have paid off as the U.S. Senate has requested town representatives testify on Capitol Hill on Thursday, December 13. Town manager Susan Parker and Town attorney John Belkin first traveled to Washington, D.C. in September, and they met with Congressional representatives in hopes of being asked back to testify on behalf of reforming the Mining Law of 1872...The trip proved successful as Senator Jeff Bingaman (Dem.-N.M.), chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Resources, has requested Parker and Belkin testify during the committee's oversight hearing next week."

"2008 pres"
6:58:52 AM     


Fraser sanitation approves two developments
A picture named wastewatertreatment.jpg

From The Sky-Hi Daily News, "Joe Fuqa, superintendent for the Fraser Sanitation District, gave an update to the Fraser Board of Trustees Wednesday night about the Cornerstone and Rendezvous developments. The district issued final acceptance on the first phase of Old Victory Road and Cozens Meadow, two of Grand Park's projects. But the district is still working on resolutions for Rendezvous filings, Fuqa added. All filings are currently preliminary, he said, and there are disagreements between both sides whether particular past items were in fact resolved. The district is working on resolutions, he said, to get final acceptance."

"colorado water"
6:54:52 AM     


Ordway looks at water contract
A picture named lowerarkansasriver.jpg

From The La Junta Tribune Democrat, "Jay Winner, general manager of the Lower Arkansas Water Conservancy District met with Ordway council members to discuss water lease contract options and a Round Table grant for a reservoir project in the amount of $1.26 million. This was not the first visit from Winner to discuss a lease contract, but the Ordway Council has not followed through on their decision. Winner, along with Jason Meyers, a consulting engineer for GMS of Colorado Springs, discussed the fact that the first phase of the grant has been approved, but the likelihood of the grant moving forward from this point is questionable."

More from the article:

Some of the questions Meyers would have liked to answer regard themselves with maintenance issues and a solid infrastructure. If Ordway could show improvements or even maintenance of the project area, it would show the Round Table a sense of commitment to the project. Winner suggested, "Maybe you could go back to the Round Table with a smaller figure and some money that you can put into the project. If you put some money into it, they will see you are serious." Winner then brought up the discussion about a 25 year lease contract between Ordway and LAVWCD. Approximately six months earlier, Winner approached the council with a similar contract, but the council did not move on the offer. The main reason is that Crowley County has first rights to the 445 Twin Lake shares that the town owns.

Once a commitment is made for the amount of shares the county may need, then the council feels they are free to lease the remainder. Winner explained that the contract can be open for any amount of shares the town may have available, and could give the town the money and leverage necessary to achieve some of their goals. Winner stated, "You have about $15 million in assets and you can't loose on a 25 year lease. I am willing to work with you any way I can to make this successful. If you have a contract, you can get a loan and still keep your shares. The lease can bring in about $69,000 a year." The contract has many opt out options and Winner was willing to write the contract to meet the needs of the town. Winner stated, "This contract has so many off-ramps it's incredible. It can even be a 10-year contract if you want. You just need to tell me. The next move is up to you guys."

"colorado water"
6:50:10 AM     


Montezuma County: Construction starts on May canal
A picture named pipeline.jpg

Here's an update on the work to enclose the May canal down in Montezuma County, from The Cortez Journal. From the article:

A 100-plus-year-old irrigation ditch will get a facelift this winter and possibly become one of the most high-tech irrigation canals around. The $3 million project will enclose the Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company's largely dirt May Canal, which starts above U.S. Highway 491 near County Road S, runs under the highway and ends on County Road L. The project also will give the canal high-tech photovoltaic cells that will power gates on the canal. "Basically, we will be able to control and monitor flow from the office," said Jim Sis

Phase one of the project has the top 2.5 miles of the canal being put in pipe before March 15, Phase two of the project has the bottom 2.5 miles of the canal being enclosed by the following year. The project is being partially funded by a $450,000 grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service to help reduce salinity in the basin. The project will help keep salt out of the water system, said Steve Miles with NRCS...

A $75,000 grant will pay for the solar-powered irrigation water management system. The grant is also through NRCS. The solar-powered irrigation water management project will improve water and energy conservation. All gates and turn outs will be fully automated using the radio telemetry, which will be solar powered.

ANNUAL MEETING: The Montezuma Valley Irrigation Co. will host its annual meeting Saturday at 1 p.m. with registration from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Lewis Arriola Community Center, 21176 County Road S.

"colorado water"
6:43:11 AM     


Colorado River drought management
A picture named coriverwatershed.jpg

The Southern Nevada Water Authority has signed off on the proposed Colorado River drought management plan, according to Las Vegas Now. From the article:

The state cleared a major hurdle Thursday in the effort to bring more water to Southern Nevada. The Southern Nevada Water Authority signed an important agreement with six other states along the Colorado River. Ten years of negotiations led to this day. The water authority general manager broke barriers to get all seven states along the Colorado River to agree to change the way the river is managed. In the process, Southern Nevada gets more drinking water. General Manager Pat Mulroy says it's enough to keep faucets going until the authority can start piping water from other sources. "This absolutely will cover the gap, but always with the backdrop being conservation. This assumes that we stay on track on our conservation goals," Mulroy said. The additional drinking water is enough for the equivalent of 210,000 homes for a year. To get the concession, the water authority will spend between $172 million and $206 million building a reservoir near the Mexican border. The project is designed to capture unused Colorado River water.

From KOLD.com, "Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne plans to sign a sweeping interstate water sharing agreement next Thursday involving the Colorado River. Officials say the agreement could blunt the impact of drought on the river. The document extends until 2026 guidelines for determining surpluses and shortages of Colorado River water. Also, for operating the key Lake Mead and Lake Powell reservoirs during shortages like the drought that has gripped the region since 2001."

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

"colorado water"
6:31:03 AM     


Fry-Ark news: Tom Musgrove to retire in January
A picture named fryingpanarkansasproject.jpg

The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District board said adios to Tom Musgrove yesterday. Mr. Musgrove ran the project and has worked on it for 36 years, according to The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:

Tom Musgrove, the Bureau of Reclamation's facilities manager for the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, will leave the job in January. The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservation District board Thursday honored Musgrove with a resolution recognizing his years of service to the project. The district provides local supervision for the project, which is operated by Reclamation. "It's been my privilege and pleasure to work with the board. You never stop learning about water on the job,[per thou] Musgrove said. Musgrove, 55, started as a temporary laborer with Reclamation's division of design and construction in 1971, working on the West Slope. Later, Musgrove helped to build the foundation for Pueblo Dam and never left...

After helping to build Pueblo Dam, Musgrove stayed on as a dam operator. In 2000, after years of actually doing the work, he was named facilities manager. Musgrove, who says he attended the School of Hard Knocks, never attended college. Yet he frequently spends time educating people with better academic credentials about water management. He's a calm, quiet and effective manager who doesn't let his responsibilities rattle him...

He stepped into the lead role just as two of the most significant events in the life of Pueblo Dam were happening. The first was the 1998-99 safety of dams program, which resulted in construction of a concrete "doorstop" at the base of the dam. The other was a proposal to enlarge Lake Pueblo, under the Southeastern District's Preferred Storage Options Plan, which has stalled in Congress since 2001. "The safety of dams program was for potential problems," Musgrove said. "I haven't had any concerns about its safety. Pueblo Dam has so many instruments measuring it that it takes a guy two days a month to read them." As for enlarging the dam, Musgrove thinks it will happen some day, because the valley's cities, large and small, eventually will need the capacity...

Over the years, however, the two largest cities in the valley have grown considerably and reservoir use has shifted more toward municipalities. Twin Lakes was once owned by farmers on the Colorado Canal, but is now mostly controlled by Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Pueblo West and Aurora. Turquoise Lake was operated as Sugarloaf Dam by CF&I before being enlarged and becoming part of the Fry-Ark System. The Board of Water Works purchased Clear Creek Reservoir from the Otero Canal Co., and with Aurora purchased the Busk-Ivanhoe transmountain diversion from the High Line Canal...

"Tom, the one thing that has impressed me the most is that you're not a typical bureaucrat," said President Bill Long. "You've worked with us the way we'd like to be treated." HIgh praise indeed

In other Southeastern news The Pueblo Chieftain reports:

The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District Thursday approved a $14.3 million budget for 2008, along with a $2.3 million enterprise budget, which funds special projects of the district. There were no substantial changes in expenditures or revenues from the budget discussed at a public hearing in November, but the mill levy decreased slightly because of revised property tax certifications in five of the nine counties which have property within the district's boundaries, said Kathie Fanning, budget officer. The district's mill levy will decrease to 0.914 mills from 0.939 mills this year, because of growth in the district and state tax limitations. Property owners in the Fountain Valley Authority - Colorado Springs, Fountain, Widefield, Security and Stratmoor Hills - also are paying an additional amount for the pipeline that serves their area. The bulk of revenues will go to repay the federal debt on the Fry-Ark Project, about $6.2 million next year. Fountain Valley Pipeline payments will be $5.3 million next year. The district's operating budget is $2.38 million. The primary purpose of the district is to manage the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project through a contract with the Bureau of Reclamation. The district began repaying a 50-year, $129 million loan in 1982 and this year reduced the debt to $78.2 million... The enterprise budget funds special activities of the district, including the Arkansas Valley Conduit, the Preferred Storage Options Plan, tamarisk removal and safety of dams. Studies looking at water quality and salinity are included with the enterprise budget.

"colorado water"
6:18:19 AM     


? for President?

The New Hampshire Business Journal is running a Q&A with 5 Republican presidential candidates. Giuliani, Huckabee and Thompson did not respond.

"2008 pres"
6:04:36 AM     



Click here to visit the Radio UserLand website. © Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 9:54:04 PM.

December 2007
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
            1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31          
Nov   Jan

Google


e-mail John: Click here to send an email to the editor of this weblog.