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Wednesday, January 16, 2008
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Iraq
Juan Cole: "Shaykh Dr Tariq Khalaf al-Abdallah, head of the National Effort Unification Commission in Iraq, and head of the Al-Anbar Construction Commission, has confirmed that the situation in Al-Anbar is now calm, that the Americans have withdrawn from the small towns and villages and have also pledged to withdraw from the centres of Al-Fallujah and Al-Anbar. In an interview with Al-Arab al-Yawm, he said that they are moving forward with plans to rebuild Al-Anbar and that studies are under way to restore the electricity supply, maintain the Bayji pipeline to Al-Anbar, and build modern refineries."
"2008 pres"
6:41:49 PM 
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Energy policy: Geothermal
New West: "A report released today by the Geothermal Energy Association said that new geothermal projects soon to be developed out West will double the nation's capacity for the renewable energy source...Projects that are, or soon to be underway are found throughout the West, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. These projects could provide up to 3,368 megawatts electric power, more than doubling U.S. geothermal power capacity from 2,936 MW to almost 6,304 MW, according to the Environment News Service. The new figure would be enough to provide energy for six million households."
"2008 pres"
6:31:28 PM
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? for President?
Political Wire: "The latest Pew Research national poll shows Sen. Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic presidential race with 46%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 31% and John Edwards at 13%. On the Republican side, Sen. John McCain leads with 29%, followed by Mike Huckabee at 20%, Mitt Romney at 17% and Rudy Giuliani at 13%."
Political Wire: "The Detroit Free Press notes an interesting finding from the Michigan exit polls: Sen. Hillary Clinton's support among black voters was just 30%, with 68% going to 'uncommitted.' Since the contest was non-binding and several major candidates were not on the ballot, the exit polls may not actually be indicative of Michigan Democrats who would come out in a contested primary. However, they do indicate that Clinton's recent sparring over race with Sen. Barack Obama may have hurt her among black voters."
Political Wire: "Political Wire got an advance look at a new Strategic Vision in Florida poll that shows Sen. John McCain leading the Republican presidential race with 27%, followed by Mike Huckabee at 20%, Rudy Giuliani at 18%, Mitt Romney at 17% and Fred Thompson at 10%."
Political Wire: "A new American Research Group poll in Nevada shows Sen. Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic presidential race with 35%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 32% and John Edwards at 25%. On the Republican side, Mitt Romney leads with 28%, followed by John McCain at 21%, Fred Thompson at 13%, and Rudy Giuliani at 11%, with 10% undecided."
Here's a roundup of coverage of last night's Democratic debate in Nevad from Political Wire.
Captain's Quarters: "Two truths came out of Mitt Romney's big win in Michigan last night. First, Romney can win a hotly-contested state, proving his organizational strength when New Hampshire and Iowa had suggested otherwise. And second, Rudy Giuliani's view that the early states would not matter has largely been vindicated. And Republicans will have a lot more work to do before they settle on a single candidate."
"2008 pres"
6:19:23 PM
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Michigan primary
Rocky Mountain News: "Mitt Romney scored his first major primary victory Tuesday in his native Michigan, a win he desperately needed to give his candidacy new life and set the stage for a wide-open Republican showdown in South Carolina in just four days...The former Massachusetts governor defeated John McCain, the Arizona senator who was hoping that independents and Democrats would join Republicans to help him repeat his 2000 triumph here. Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, trailed in third, and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson was waiting for the top three candidates in South Carolina, and campaigning."
"2008 pres"
7:35:39 AM
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Snowpack
Here's an update on the snowpack up in the Yampa River Basin from The Steamboat Pilot & Today. They write:
Records kept by the Natural Resources Conservation Ser vice show the water stored in the settled snow across the combined Yampa and White river drainages has rocketed since Dec. 24, from 84 percent of average to 111 percent of average...
The Rabbit Ears SNOTEL measuring site on the east side of Rabbit Ears Pass measures 64 inches of snow, according to the Conservation Service. That settled snow contains 19.2 inches of moisture, compared to the average 16.4 inches for this date. That translates to 117 percent of average. The Rabbit Ears site typically peaks on April 24, with 30.2 inches of stored water. The snowpack Tower site at 10,500 feet on Buffalo Pass stood at 103 percent of average Monday. That converts to 21.8 inches of moisture. The Tower site typically does not peak until May 6 with 52.4 inches of water. Longtime local weather observer Art Judson said his unofficial measuring stake on Buffalo Pass reflects a snow depth of 129 inches. The snow there has increased by 51 inches since Jan. 8, he said. The Elk River snow measuring site is the leader on a percentage basis. The 13.1 inches of moisture stored in the accumulated snow there is 124 percent of average. Snow depth there is 50 inches. Snowpack at that site usually peaks April 8 with 20.1 inches of moisture.
"colorado water"
7:29:51 AM
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Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority water infrastructure study
Here's an update on the Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority's planning efforts from The Monument Tri Lakes Tribune. From the article:
The Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority has been working on a water infrastructure planning study expected to be completed this month. The study will help the authority if it starts building an interconnected water infrastructure, said authority president and Woodmoor Water & Sanitation District Manager Phil Steininger. The study also examines water resources needed to meet the 2020 demand. Authority members are trying to maximize existing facilities and plan for the area's future water needs. The planning study includes authority members from Academy, Donala and Woodmoor water and sanitation districts, Triview Metropolitan District, the towns of Monument and Palmer Lake and Cherokee Metropolitan District. In 2008, the city of Fountain will sit on the board, but it is not included in the planning study...
The study was broken down into seven tasks.
The first task led by GMS Inc. was to compile infrastructure mapping, water tanks and storage areas, Niemela said. GMS looked for opportunities for interconnecting the water entities' systems for an emergency supply and for use when a long-term renewable source of water would be attained by the authority.
Task two, led by Bruce Lytle of Lytle Water Solutions LLC, quantified the current and expected water demand for each entity and the group as a whole, Niemela said. The task looked at projected future demand for water regardless of its source.
Task three, led by Rothberg Tamburini & Winsor Inc., evaluated ways to benefit from the excess effluent water credits the group has that would allow the authority to reuse water.
The objective of task four, led by Leonard Rice Engineers Inc., was to compile information about the limitations of the Denver Basin, he said. Although the statutory life of the aquifers is about 100 years, the economic life could be less. This means additional wells might need to be drilled to get the same amount of water as existing wells pull today. Leonard Rice also evaluated two satellite well field possibilities for bringing water to the authority from an area where water yields from the Denver Basin are projected to be high, Niemela said. One is in Douglas County and one is east of the authority in El Paso County. Both sites have yet to be identified as the final location for the well field.
Task five, led by Lytle, was geared toward the authority's future water supply, he said. Lytle looked at reservoir opportunities close to the regional water authority members that would allow the groups to efficiently use water brought in from a great distance, such as the Arkansas River. Nolte Associates Inc. led task six, which evaluated the cost of the infrastructure proposed by the study and how projects could be phased in, rather than building a system to meet the area's build out demands at once, Niemela said.
The seventh and final task led by RTW will summarize the results of the study and give readers a roadmap to help them work their way through the water infrastructure planning study, Niemela said.
Thanks to NPS Colorado for the link. More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
"colorado water"
7:23:44 AM
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Southern Delivery System
Here's an update on the lawsuit over Pueblo's 1041 regulations and the Southern Delivery System from The Colorado Springs Gazette. From the article:
AT STAKE: Colorado Springs Utilities' plan to build a $1 billion pipeline to pump water from Pueblo Reservoir, increasing the city's supply by a third. In November, a Pueblo District Court judge ruled against the city's contention that it shouldn't have to follow Pueblo County's land development regulations. Called 1041 rules, they empower the Pueblo County commissioners to dictate construction requirements.
UPDATE: After the ruling, Springs Utilities sought a clarification of Judge Dennis Maes' ruling. On Dec. 30, Maes stated he views Pueblo County's 1041 powers as very broad, and that they include the storage of water in Pueblo Reservoir and the regulation of discharges and return flows originating outside the county. While awaiting Maes' clarification, Springs Utilities appealed his November ruling to the Colorado Court of Appeals and, in light of Maes' clarification, will pursue the appeal.
WHAT'S NEXT: The Bureau of Reclamation is expected in February or March to release its draft Environmental Impact Statement, which will indicate which of seven alternative routes for a pipeline the federal government prefers. After a public comment period, the bureau will release its decision in 2009.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
"colorado water"
7:10:36 AM
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Energy policy: Nuclear
From The Deseret Morning News, "Whether nuclear power plants are ever built in Utah may depend on perceptions about their safety. Nuclear power 'now generates as much global electricity' as was produced by all sources 50 years ago, according to the World Nuclear Association, an industry group based in London. Nearly 440 nuclear reactors are at work around the world, and 15 countries rely on nuclear power for at least a quarter of their electrical needs...According to the federal Energy Information Administration, as of October 2005, 104 nuclear plants were operating in the U.S. Last year the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said utilities notified commissioners they intended to build about 24 new plants."
"2008 pres"
7:04:20 AM
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Constitutional amendment to deal with ag water and growth?
From Fort Collins Now, "Front Range residents Daniel Hayes and Gregory DiLorenzo are attempting to shed some light on water issues in Colorado by bringing forth a ballot initiative that would essentially revamp how the state uses water.
More from the article:
Many would agree with the goal of the proposed initiative, but two water experts say that Hayes and DiLorenzo's proposed measure is "draconian," "unimplementable" and a "heavy-handed hammer...There is a shared goal here, but is this the way to do that: a state mandate in the form of a constitutional amendment?" said Neil Grigg, a professor in Colorado State University's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. "It would never pass. But I have been wrong before." Currently, Hayes and DiLorenzo are still perfecting the language of their proposal; it's now in its second incarnation and Hayes predicts he will revamp it at least one more time. The measure would be an addition to the Colorado Water Conservation Act, 1991 legislation that required many communities to develop water-usage efficiency strategies. It would add several provisions that could turn off the tap for residential growth in the state and maintain water for agriculture for up to a century. And it would implement groundbreaking policy to reach those goals. "We are trying to let people know that if we continue to go down this road, we will be battling for water," DiLorenzo said. "If we overbuild, our lifestyles will be compromised."
Part of the proposed ballot initiative calls for a statewide field study to determine exactly how much water the state does have and will likely have into the future. The amount of water found available for new residential growth will then be distributed to each county and city over a 100-year time period "based on both the existing and projected number of privately owned residential units." According to the proponents, each community would then control the number of water taps approved for new homes. Each county would be able to limit the yearly increase in water available for those newly built residences. In several counties, including Larimer, that annual growth rate would be limited to 1 percent of the total amount of water available to pre-existing homes...
The proposed initiative would also require a public vote for any public water project costing more than $5 million at the local level and more than $25 million at the state level. For Northern Colorado, that would likely mean the contentious Glade Reservoir project would need to be supported by voters. The last provision of the initiative would change the Colorado landscape, literally. Hayes and DiLorenzo are proposing that any new lawn or greenway -- on government land and on private property -- be designed to survive with less water. Xeriscaping, a landscaping technique designed in Colorado, and other water-conserving methods or grass varieties would become the norm, and all lawns or parks that do not fit this model would need to conform within five years.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
7:01:03 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 10:03:46 PM.
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