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.

 

 

  Sunday, February 3, 2008


Energy policy: Hydrogen fuel cells
A picture named hydrogenfuelcell.jpg

Texas A&M: "For most people, the name 'E. coli' is synonymous with food poisoning and product recalls, but a professor in Texas A&M University's chemical engineering department envisions the bacteria as a future source of energy, helping to power our cars, homes and more. By genetically modifying the bacteria, Thomas Wood, a professor in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, has 'tweaked' a strain of E. coli so that it produces substantial amounts of hydrogen. Specifically, Wood's strain produces 140 times more hydrogen than is created in a naturally occurring process, according to an article in 'Microbial Biotechnology,' detailing his research. Though Wood acknowledges that there is still much work to be done before his research translates into any kind of commercial application, his initial success could prove to be a significant stepping stone on the path to the hydrogen-based economy that many believe is in this country's future."

Thanks to Science Blog for the link.

"2008 pres"
3:40:13 PM     


Fraser River: Sediment removal project?
A picture named eisenhowerfishing.jpg

Here's a look at the sediment problem in the Fraser River from The Denver Post. From the article:

Each winter, the Colorado Department of Transportation applies approximately 6,400 tons of sand to the west side of Berthoud Pass, which averages an annual 300 inches of snow. CDOT admirably recovers half of this sand with vacuuming and excavation, but a lot ends up in the Fraser, a few yards off Highway 40 across from the entrance of the Mary Jane ski area. The Fraser is an important fishery and recreation river that starts on Berthoud Pass, then flows through Winter Park and Fraser before meeting up with the Colorado River near Granby. It's also an important water source. Denver Water sends 12,000 acre-feet of water a year through the Fraser Diversion Canal. Keeping city toilets flushing impacts the Fraser's ability to flush away sediment from natural-occurring erosion. Add tons of traction sand tainted with motor oil, and the Fraser doesn't stand a chance.

Trout, and the insects they eat, need cold, clear water with a rocky bottom. Increased turbidity hurts insect and trout reproduction. A habitat inventory conducted by the Division of Wildlife back in 1979 and 1993 compared the Fraser to a similar stream unimpacted by an influx of roadway sediment. Saint Louis Creek had approximately five to 10 times the number of trout, 280 to 700 per acre, versus 70 per acre below the Denver Water diversion structure on the Fraser. The sediment also impacts Denver Water, which has to flush away the accumulated muck every year before operating its diversion. Downstream, high sediment loads affect the quality of drinking water in Winter Park...

A sediment-removal project started in 1995 and has yet to see the light of day. Twelve years ago, the Fraser River Non-point Source Pollution Task Force and Winter Park Recreational Association won a $114,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to construct a small pond (roughly 200 by 160 feet) for collecting and removing traction sand. Partners in the project included Denver Water, CDOT, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Grand County, the town of Winter Park, and other entities. With money from this grant, Denver Water added a pipe to its infrastructure for diverting water around the pond once a year, drying out the pond so heavy machinery could remove sediment. But when CDOT contractors attempted to scoop out the muck, their bulldozer sank to its doors in the soft ground. Everyone was discouraged. Over the next 10 years, the project floundered. People assigned to the cause came and went. Fishery advocates watched in dismay as sediment continued to choke the river. Many believed it was impossible to get a project approved with many government entities involved. Then, in fall 2006, Holly Huyck, environmental project manager for CDOT Region 1, resurrected the project, bringing to the table $60,000 in matching funds. An engineering firm was hired to redesign the pond, stabilize its bottom, and change the access road so no machinery would drive across Denver Water's diversion pipe -- another show-stopper. Plans call for CDOT contractors to remove deposited sediments within a one-month window when flows are low, and prior to spawning season. Extracted sediment will be taken to a Grand County gravel pit. Wetlands have been outlined. The environmental impact has been minimized. Project costs are estimated between $200,000 and $300,000. Denver Water already has spent $100,000 on the project, says Kevin Urie, environmental planner for Denver Water. So far, the plans have "buy-in" from all parties yet haven't been formerly approved. The final sign-off needs to happen soon. CDOT's matching funds are contingent on the project moving forward. The targeted completion date is October 2008.

"colorado water"
3:30:33 PM     


? for president?

Political Wire: "With just two days before Super Tuesday, a new Washington Post/ABC News national poll shows the Democratic presidential race extremely close with Sen. Hillary Clinton edging Sen. Barack Obama, 47% to 43%...On the Republican side, Sen. John McCain has jumped to a commanding lead over Mitt Romney, 48% to 24%, with Mike Huckabee at 16%."

Political Wire has a roundup of polls for Super Tuesday, Democrats and Republicans.

Political Wire: "The latest Gallup tracking poll shows Sen. Hillary Clinton with a 7 point lead nationally over Sen. Barack Obama, 48% to 41%. This is up from just a three point lead yesterday. On the Republican side, Sen. John McCain now holds a 20 point lead over Mitt Romney, 44% to 24%, 'his largest lead since he assumed the front-runner position following the New Hampshire Republican primary.' Mike Huckabee trails at 16%."

"2008 pres"
3:12:31 PM     


? for U.S. Senate?

Rocky Mountain News: "Democrat Mark Udall continued to raise more money in the last part of 2007 than his Republican opponent, Bob Schaffer, for the open U.S. Senate seat and now has twice as much money in the bank for the coming campaign. Udall, a Democratic congressman, collected $1.06 million in the last three months of 2007, bringing his donations to $3.6 million for the year. Schaffer took in about $650,000 for the fourth quarter and $2.13 million for the year. Udall now has $3.6 million cash left for the race compared with $1.5 million for Schaffer, a former Republican congressman from Colorado."

"denver 2008"
7:23:25 AM     


DARCA: Directors & Officers Training for Ditch Companies
A picture named measuringwithweir.gif

DARCA: "Directors & Officers Training for Ditch Companies: Monday, March 10, 2008, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Las Animas Bent County Library, 306 5th Street, Las Animas, Colo.; $50 for DARCA/CWC members; $75 for non-members.

"colorado water"
7:04:53 AM     


Mt. Crested Butte reservoir?
A picture named glencanyonconst.jpg

Mt. Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District has reached a settlement giving them permission to survey on private land for a new reservoir according to The Crested Butte News. From the article:

Following a recent settlement agreement, the Mt. Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District will be able to access land owned by the Allen family to conduct geotechnical studies for a proposed reservoir. A signed order from Water Judge Robert Brown dated January 22 affirms that the district will be able to access the site, but must pay the Allen family $40,000 in compensation. "In the long run it's a good thing. I hope it created some good will between ourselves and the Allens with regard to not having to go through a condemnation," Mt. Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District board president Bill Racek says. The Mt. Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District had filed a petition in condemnation in Gunnison District Court on Thursday, September 6, 2007 in hopes of getting a court order that would allow them to access the property to conduct geotechnical studies. The property is just past the northwest edge of Mt. Crested Butte at the base of Snodgrass Mountain. According to the district's original petition, the geotechnical studies are necessary to proceed with the establishment and construction of a reservoir for which the district holds a conditional water right to build. A conditional water rights decree was issued in 1984, granting the district the right to build a reservoir with a total water storage capacity of 700 acre-feet and a surface area of 35 acres. The decree also approves the general location of the proposed reservoir, part of which is on property owned by Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR). However, the majority of it is on property owned by the Allens...

An attorney for the Allens, Amanda Bradley, says the judge's order is beneficial in several respects. "It has avoided what could have been a costly hearing. It also allows (the Allens) a little bit more control over the work the district is going to conduct on the property," she says. According to Judge Brown's signed order, "The parties agree that the (district) shall be entitled to a two-year temporary easement over the property...In exchange for such temporary easement, the (district) shall pay the Allen family just compensation in the amount of $40,000." Additional details provided in the judge's order state that the district must provide a detailed plan of the geotechnical work that will occur on the property, and following the initial drilling all access to the site must be by all-terrain vehicle, snowmobile, horseback or foot. Furthermore, the district agreed that the site will be fully restored after the testing is done, and there will be no permanent damage to the land. The district was also given the option to extend the temporary easement for another two years, but it must compensate the Allens with $20,000 for each additional year. Racek says, "It's a possibility that we might engage the Allens in a conversation to acquire the property (permanently) based on what we find. But it also may end up allowing us to stop considering that site for a reservoir." The judge's order gives the Allens the right to challenge future condemnations, but they cannot object to the district's 1984 water right. Also, if a condemnation is ultimately necessary to acquire the parcel needed to build a reservoir, the current settlement monies will count toward fulfilling just compensation for the entire parcel.

"colorado water"
7:00:46 AM     


Orchard City role: Water conservancy district?
A picture named watertreatment.jpg

From The Delta County Independent, "The Fruitland Domestic Water Company has 175 shareholders with water being provided to 140 homes on Fruitland Mesa. The private water company has just completed construction of a new water treatment system that meets all EPA standards. The system will be fully operating by this spring.

More from the article:

The new filtration system was needed due to EPA regulations that the state must follow. "We couldn't quite clean the turbidity, which is the discoloration in the water," said Randy Litwiller, board president for the water company. Their water source is Crystal Creek. The company could no longer meet state requirements with their filter cartridges. They researched about half a dozen systems and selected the Culligan pressure filtration system. "We decided for our application, this is the best. It's pretty easy to use. It doesn't take a lot of sophistication. It runs itself pretty easy," Litwiller explained. "We have to use a combination of chemical and filters to treat the water which is required due to the nature of the water source."

The new plant will treat 125 gallons per minute through its Culligan pressure filtration system. This is similar to the Somerset and West Elk Culligan water systems. Fruitland Domestic Water Company has its own operator in charge of maintenance, Ron Klaseen. If he needs assistance, two technicians from West Elk Mine who work on those water treatment systems and who live on Fruitland Mesa will provide additional help. Their clean water storage tank holds 100,000 gallons. The tank was built by Doughty Steel in about one week.

Funding for the project included $200,000 from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, $100,000 from the Colorado River Water Conservation District and $4,000 in private donations. The other funding for the $600,000 project was raised by increasing water rates in 2005. Litwiller said it was hard on shareholders, but they supported the project.

From The Delta County Independent, "The Orchard City Board of Trustees and town administration are hosting two open public forums to present details and background information about the proposed raw water storage reservoir project. The trustees and adminsitration will also be seeking to hear residents opinions and ideas on the project. There will be project engineers present to answer techincal questions, and a long list of water officials from the state, region and Surface Creek Valley have also been specially invited to attend. The first of the two public forums at Orchard City Town Hall is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. The second and final forum will be held on Saturday, Feb. 9, at 1:30 p.m."

Here's some background on Orchard City's proposal for irrigators from the The Delta County Independent. They write:

Orchard City's proposal to build a 750-acre-foot raw water storage reservoir is one part of the town's vision for its water future in an era of growth. On a closely related parallel track to its reservoir proposal, the town says it is able and willing help the 16 different private irrigation ditch companies in the town to modernize their delivery systems and increase the amount of water available to keep the town green, as recent population growth is expected to continue...

The Orchard City trustees and administration have made two documents available to the public. They are available at the town hall and on the town's web site at www.orchardcityco.org. The documents - a 10-page position paper and a two-page executive summary which accompanies it - spell out in detail the town's vision for the future, the history and current historical trends on which that vision is based, and some of the resources that the town has available for making its vision become a reality. The documents also address "rumors" about the town's interest in improving irrigation delivery inside of Orchard City, said Mayor Tom Huerkamp. The two things currently lacking in the town's outline for more efficient irrigation water delivered are the support of Orchard City residents, and the cooperation of private irrigators and state and local water managers. In an effort to enlist those two missing elements, the town has made the two documents available, and it is also planning to host two public information open forum events on Feb. 6th and 9th to present its ideas in detail and gain public feedback...

The town's public information campaign is intended to focus primarily on what it sees as the need for a new raw water storage reservoir, and on a justification of that project. Closely linked with that though is the town proposal to help improve and modernize the delivery systems of the 16 independent, private irrigation ditch companies in town. The town's 10-page position paper states, "The town sees its role inside of Orchard City more like that of a conservancy district - that is, being the entity to bring all stakeholders to the table in a unified effort that will benefit all at no detriment to anyone. The town (government) is a tool that can be used to facilitate and sponsor multi-entity projects of improvement, and (the town) has the resources of staff and technical skills to aid in more efficient management of operations. (The town) also has financial resources and an ability to leverage that financial stability into substantial funding assistance."[...]

[Mayor Tom Huerkamp] said, "In the entire Western United States, where we depend on runoff irrigation waters, there is not another small, geographic area as convoluted, screwed-up, fractionalized, and marginalized as the water systems north of the Gunnison River in Delta County...When you visit with water officials in Gunnison, Montrose, Garfield, and Mesa counties, or wherever you go, they universally will tell you that this is the most fouled-up mess in the whole country...For example, you go south of the Gunnison River in Delta County and you'll have three or four ditch companies with water decrees from of the Gunnison River. North of the Gunnison River, we have 16 separate ditch companies, and that's just inside of the Orchard City Town limits. In the drainage that's covered by the Grand Mesa Conservancy District, there are over 100 combined ditch and reservoir companies, and if you go to the North Fork the situation gets worse. In southern Delta County, Montrose County and northern Ouray County there is a single conservancy district - Tri-County. It operates a gigantic domestic water system in the rural areas. It spawned Project 7 which provides treated water to itself, to Montrose, Olathe, Delta, all the way south to the city limits of Ridgway. In the little Surface Creek Valley we have four different entities running water treatment plants, and we're only serving about 7,000 people domestic water total. Another 1,000 or so are on wells, cisterns, and springs. So when you look at the water situation, and you look at all the entities that are playing here and in all of Delta County north of the Gunnison, you see they have something in common. Most of them have no financial resources, they have no professional staff, they have no long-range plans, they have no improvement plans on the board, they are scrambling to try and stay ahead of the bill collectors, and there doesn't seem to be any movement to improve that situation. Because (the system) is so fractured and broken, there's no ability to bring unity to the (system). The only player in the whole situation, and I'm talking in the country north of the Gunnison, in a position (to help bring that unity) is the Town of Orchard City. It is the only one that has financial resources, that has experienced staff, that has a plan. It is the only one that is executing a plan."

"colorado water"
6:34:29 AM     


Pipeline plans for Ark Valley
A picture named pipeline.jpg

Here's a look at various pipeline proposals for the Arkansas River Basin from The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:

Last month, the state's top water official asked the state's water users to visualize what the state would look like in 50 years, then decide whether they like that vision. Harris Sherman, director of the state Department of Natural Resources, then challenged those same leaders to make it better if they can. In the Lower Arkansas Valley, there are no less than eight footprints for pipelines that could be developed within the next 50 years - seven paths taking water to northern urban areas. Four of the pipelines eventually could be built, while the others are alternatives to identified projects...

Some prospects are getting a lot of attention. Officials periodically head to Washington to lobby for the Arkansas Valley Conduit. A draft environmental statement on Southern Delivery System is edging toward reality, with basically three potential routes. A so-called "Super Ditch" would avail itself of a private developer's pipeline that would connect with El Paso County users. Other plans lurk in a murky background. Two schemes by the South Metro Water Supply Authority are detailed in a report last June to take water from either Avondale or La Junta. A plan by Pure Cycle to build a pipeline from the Fort Lyon Canal to Arapahoe County is still on the drawing board as well...

The Arkansas Basin Roundtable will take a look at long-term water needs in the valley at its February meeting, and may begin tackling some of the issues surrounding the pipelines. "I think the roundtable is an appropriate clearinghouse for all of these actions," said Gary Barber, who chairs the roundtable, and also represents El Paso County water users...

The oldest plan on the books is the Arkansas Valley Conduit, anticipated in the 1962 Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, but never built because the intended recipients of its benefits are small communities buffeted by hard economic times. It's gotten a renewed surge of energy in the past 10 years as new concerns about water quality have surfaced. The leading plan for several years appeared to be the Southern Delivery System, which would primarily meet future needs of Colorado Springs, which has enjoyed a four-decade boom. Already behind schedule, SDS is facing an intense environmental review that will enter its next phase at the end of this month, when the Bureau of Reclamation expects to issue a draft environmental impact statement. Coming up fast on the outside is a plan by The Lower Ark, Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority and Colorado Springs developers Mark and Jim Morley to connect a proposed land fallowing-water lease management program run by farmers, who own most of the water rights, to growing communities in El Paso County, who need them. Trailing, but not out of the mix, is Pure Cycle's plan to build a $400 million pipeline to serve an area east of Aurora. Pure Cycle picked up the project from High Plains A&M after the Colorado Supreme Court ruled its scattershot marketing approach violated the state's anti-spec- ulation doctrine of water law. Finally, still sitting behind the starting line, are two potential pipeline routes by the South Metro Water Supply Authority. The 13 urban communities in the district have taken a cursory look at the Arkansas Valley in a master plan and with some on the ground observation, but they have yet to purchase any water rights...

In evaluating the chances for any of the pipelines to reach the finish line, it is important to understand who now controls the water to fill them, and who needs water. The vast majority of water in the valley, about 85 percent, is agricultural. The 2004 Statewide Water Supply Initiative identified additional needs of 98,000 acre-feet for the Arkansas Valley, coming almost entirely from present agricultural supplies. Depending on whether water is leased or sold outright, 23,000-72,000 acres of farmland would be dried up, on top of about 70,000 acres that have already been taken out of production...

Of the proposed projects, the Arkansas Valley Conduit has sufficient rights for present needs through the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, but would have to add to its portfolio over time. The larger water providers in the project, St. Charles Mesa, La Junta and Lamar, have for years been purchasing agricultural water rights in their areas and would probably not rely on the conduit to deliver 100 percent of their water supply. There are also questions to be resolved about how Fry-Ark water now used for well augmentation could be applied to the conduit. SDS also has the water rights to fill its pipeline, and making full use of them is one of Colorado Springs' stated purposes for the project. The city bought water rights in Crowley County in the 1980s, and transfers them by exchange upstream. One alternative in the city's earlier water resources studies was to build a pipeline from Crowley County to deliver the water. It was rejected for study by Reclamation because treatment of the water, which picks up salts as it moves downstream, would be too expensive. The Super Ditch plan has identified potential water to use in its pipeline and would leave water rights in the hands of farmers, who would fallow up to 25 percent of their land on a voluntary, rotational basis and lease the water each year. The Morleys do not own sufficient water to fill reservoirs - three sites are envisioned at Stonewall Springs and they would work in tandem with a larger Fremont County reservoir that also could generate pump-back hydroelectric power. Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority members own water rights, mostly wells, but need more and plan to develop groundwater storage to make fuller use of water they import. Pure Cycle owns about one-quarter of the Fort Lyon Canal, but lacks the physical means and legal authority to move any water. President Mark Harding has said he is interested in working with interests within the Arkansas Valley as much as possible, and that could include participation in a water leasing program. South Metro does not own any water in the Arkansas Valley and would have to either buy or lease agricultural water. While that may be years off, the specter of future sales was one reason the Pueblo water board gave last year for its stated intent to buy a controlling interest in the Bessemer Ditch. Any of the pipelines require a trip to water court to change the use of what have been agricultural water rights in the Arkansas Valley for more than 125 years, in most cases. Colorado Springs has already done this for SDS...

Eight pipelines are being contemplated in the Lower Arkansas River basin, although not all will be built. One would serve cities and water districts in the valley, while the others would take water to cities to the north.

Eight pipelines are being contemplated in the Lower Arkansas River basin, although not all will be built. One would serve cities and water districts in the valley, while the others would take water to cities to the north.

1. Arkansas Valley Conduit - Part of the original Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, the conduit would provide water to 42 communities east of Pueblo. It is sponsored by the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District. A population of about 50,000 would be served.

2. Southern Delivery System - The preferred alternative by Colorado Springs would connect to Pueblo Dam, deliver water to Pueblo West along the way, then take water north along a corridor through Pueblo West. Security and Fountain also would benefit. Two other alternatives in the Bureau of Reclamation Environmental Impact Study follow this route. The project would serve more than 400,000 current El Paso County residents, with projections of nearly 600,000 people by 2030.

3. SDS - Two alternatives in Reclamation's study look at a pipeline in Fremont County, following Colorado Highway 115.

4. SDS - Two alternatives in Reclamation's study look at a pipeline following Fountain Creek north, taking water either above or below the confluence at the Arkansas River.

5. Stonewall Springs - A reservoir would be built near the Pueblo Chemical Depot that would allow water from a proposed Super Ditch to be diverted north to the Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority. Members are Palmer Lake, Monument, Woodmoor, Tri-View, Donala, Cherokee and Fountain. More than 140,000 people are served.

6. South Metro - In its mid- to long-term options, about 10-20 years away, the South Metro Water Supply Authority could look for water rights in the Arkansas Valley, according to a 2007 master plan. One pipeline route could go north from Avondale. The district serves 13 water providers south of Denver with a combined population of nearly 200,000 and expected to double by 2040.

7. South Metro - The South Metro authority suggests an alternative route for the pipeline would be from the La Junta area.

8. Pure Cycle - Pure Cycle took over High Plains A&M interests on the Fort Lyon Canal in 2006, and announced plans to build a pipeline to a service area east of Aurora. Pure Cycle currently provides water to fewer than 10,000 customers in the Denver area, but would like to eventually expand to 180,000 taps, combining Fort Lyon water with other water rights it owns.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here, here, here, here and here.

"colorado water"
6:20:23 AM     


Latino vote

Denver Post: "This is an election season of firsts for Latino voters. It's the first time all of the presidential campaigns are aggressively courting the Latino vote. It's the first time each campaign, particularly the Democrats', has significant Latino leadership supporting, campaigning and reaching out to the community. It's also the first time the Latino vote could be the deciding factor in several states."

"2008 pres"
6:02:14 AM     


Energy policy: Nuclear
A picture named uraniuminsituleaching.jpg

Here's a recap of yesterday's meeting to educate about Powertech's proposed uranium mining operation in Weld County from The Fort Collins Coloradoan. From the article:

Wayne Heili, vice president of mining with Ur-Energy USA Inc., talked Saturday about groundwater restoration at an in-situ leach recovery mine in Wyoming. At such operations, the Environmental Protection Agency deems the water within the area of a mine unsuitable for drinking. Though restoration efforts can return the groundwater quality to what it was before the mine was open, it still won't be deemed drinkable, Heili said. Donna Wichers, senior vice president of in-situ recovery operations with Uranium One Americas, explained the mining process and assured the area is monitored to make sure there isn't any contamination. "It's a continuous, closed process," she said...

Thomas Johnson, a professor of environmental and radiological health sciences at CSU and co-chair of the symposium, said the workshop was not planned as a response to the 5,760-acre Powertech proposal in Weld County. "The intermountain region is where the uranium is," he said. Johnson said he wanted to educate people on the basics of uranium mining so they could ask more-educated questions about it.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

"2008 pres"
6:00:14 AM     


War on terror

Richard Clarke (via The Philadelphia Inquirer): "When I left the Bush administration in 2003, it was clear to me that its strategy for defeating terrorism was leaving our nation more vulnerable and our people in a perilous place. Not only did its policies misappropriate resources, weaken the moral standing of America, and threaten long-standing legal and constitutional provisions, but the president also employed misleading and reckless rhetoric to perpetuate his agenda...Besides overstating successes in Afghanistan, painting a rosy future for Iraq, and touting unfinished domestic objectives, he again used his favorite tactic - fear - as a tool to scare Congress and the American people. On one issue in particular - FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) - the president misconstrued the truth and manipulated the facts...So it is no surprise that in one of Bush's last acts of relevance, he once again played the fear card. While he has failed in spreading democracy, stemming global terrorism, and leaving the country better off than when he took power, he did achieve one thing: successfully perpetuating fear for political gain. Sadly, it may be one of the only achievements of his presidency."

Thanks to the Daily Kos for the link.

"2008 pres"
5:51:29 AM     


Climate Change: The earth is a beautifully complex system
A picture named snowpackrivercttemp.jpg

Here's a look at the future of water (and drought) in the West from National Geographic. From the article:

The U.S. West will see devastating droughts as global warming reduces the amount of mountain snow and causes the snow that does fall to melt earlier in the year, a new study says. By storing moisture in the form of snow, mountains act as huge natural reservoirs, releasing water into rivers long into the summer dry season. "We're losing that reservoir," said research leader Tim Barnett, an oceanographer and climate researcher at the University of California, San Diego. "Spring runoff is getting earlier and earlier in the year, so you have to let water go over the dams into the ocean." Summers are also becoming hotter and longer. "That dries things out more and leads to fires," Barnett added...

Those findings may come as a surprise this year, when the West is getting so much snow that skiers and snowmobilers are dying in avalanches in places that normally don't get that much snow. But that doesn't mean the future won't see significantly less snowfall. "We'll still have wet years and dry years," Barnett said. "People have a problem distinguishing weather events and things that happen on a long scale. ... It's important to think of climate on time scales of a decade or more." Sadly, he said, residents of states like California, Utah, and Arizona are in line for some rude surprises. "Global warming is an abstraction to most people," he said. "Well, the people who live in the West, if they haven't already, are going to very shortly find out what global warming really means to them."

Barnett predicts a crisis in water management that will require not only government action but individual sacrifices. Governments may be able to help by building more dams to store early season runoff for the increasingly dry summers. "I don't know how much room they have to put in dams," he said, "but I think we're in a situation where the environmentalists are going to have to stand down a little bit." Lining aqueducts and irrigation canals to prevent seepage losses will also help, he said. But individual conservation is also needed. "When you brush your teeth, do you leave the water running[~]maybe wasting a gallon of water?" he asked. "Multiply a gallon of water [a day] by 30 million people ..." In addition, he suggests that desert-region growth may need to be restricted. "Right now we're at, or very close to, the limit of what the Southwest can sustain. And yet they're building huge subdivisions in the desert," he said.

Thanks to The Water Information Program for the link. More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

"2008 pres"
5:47:26 AM     


? for President?

Blogs for Victory: "The GOP battle now revolves around whether McCain is conservative enough, or whether all conservatives should rally to Romney as being the more conservative candidate. I have to say, I'm a bit mystified by this battle - not mystified that we're having it (McCain has made a habit of outraging the GOP's conservative base over the years), but that its carried on with such intensity, as if any GOPer getting sworn in on January 20th, 2009 would be able to dictate an absolutely conservative agenda. Ain't gonna happen, people; time for a reality check."

Daily Kos: "After relying on comfortable standbys for decades, this year the Democratic Party has chosen to face the future. Two barrier-breaking candidates. History will be made."

Campaign Finance Institute: "A new analysis by the Campaign Finance Institute of end-of-the-year reports by the six presidential candidates still in the race highlights some of the candidates' potential financial strengths and weaknesses as the presidential primary season heads toward an unprecedented twenty-two primaries on Tuesday, February 5. A fuller review of the reports, covering all the candidates, will be issued next week.

"All of the presidential candidates were required to file their 2007 year-end financial reports with the Federal Election Commission by midnight on January 31. These reports do not reflect some very substantial fundraising in January, or even more substantial spending for that month's contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina and Florida. Nevertheless, the mixture of small and large donors does give some clues for those who may be wondering about what will come next."

Thanks to beSpacific for the link.

Matt Singer (via Left in the West): "Yes we can. Wow. Early guess: this marriage of soaring rhetoric, masterful production, and big names becomes one of the most watched pieces of political advertising in history. Watching this, I could not help but remember the statement from Hillary Clinton about giving people false hope -- and remember why in this two person race I prefer Barack Obama." -- in praise of this video.

Denver Post: "The crowd for Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul was so large it surprised his own organizers. They were forced to hurriedly open partitions to double the size of the ballroom space minutes before Paul's scheduled appearance in the Four Seasons Ballroom. When that wasn't enough hundreds of people stood rimming the hall that sits 1,536. 'I'm just totally dumbfounded,' Paul said as he began his speech before a raucous sign-waving crowd. 'The enthusiasm seems to be growing. Freedom is popular.'"

Rocky Mountain News: "Mitt Romney coasted to a win in presidential preference voting by Maine Republicans on Saturday, claiming his third victory in a caucus state and fourth overall. The former Massachusetts governor had 52 percent of the vote with 68 percent of the towns holding caucuses reporting. John McCain trailed with 21 percent, Ron Paul was third with 19 percent, and Mike Huckabee had 6 percent. Undecided votes accounted for 2 percent. The nonbinding votes, the first step toward electing 18 Maine delegates to the Republican National Convention, took place in public schools, Grange halls, fire stations and town halls across the state."

"2008 pres"
5:23:34 AM     



Click here to visit the Radio UserLand website. © Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 10:06:54 PM.

February 2008
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  
Jan   Mar

Google


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