Saturday, February 9, 2008

Iraq Juan Cole: "Over two-thirds of Americans think that getting out of Iraq will help the US economy a great deal (48%) or at least somewhat (20%). Myself, I think that is the death knell of the Iraq War and spells very bad news for John McCain. McCain's argument is that if Iraq can be pacified, such that troops are not being killed, then there is no intrinsic objection to the US keeping bases there. But first of all, his premise is not evident, and the news of the troop deaths this week argues against complacency on that score. Besides, the public is noting an objection even in the case of no troop deaths, which is the extra expense." "2008 pres" 5:35:51 PM

Kansas Republican caucuses Wichita Eagle: "Kansas gave a lopsided victory to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in the Republican presidential caucuses Saturday, putting at least a small dent in Sen. John McCain's armor of inevitability. Huckabee captured 59.6 percent of the vote to McCain's 23.5 percent. The final turnout was 20,009 ballots cast, the state's GOP said. Rep. Ron Paul had 11.2 percent and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney got 3.3 percent." Thanks to Don Surber for the link. He writes, "Crap." "2008 pres" 5:13:01 PM

New irrigation rules for Arkansas Valley? Here's an update on the new irrigation efficiency rules proposed for the Arkansas Valley, from The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article: Proposed rules on irrigation efficiency will continue to move forward, but at a slower pace than originally anticipated in order to protect the state's Arkansas River Compact with Kansas and in-state water rights. Whether the state or water rights holders should pick up the tab for complicated engineering associated with the plan remains at issue. Officials aired numerous issues surrounding the efficiency rules at the Fourth Annual Farm, Ranch, Water Symposium Thursday, with about 150 people in attendance. "What is going to happen depends on whether we have learned from history," said Water Division 2 Engineer Steve Witte. "Over the past two years I have tried to explain how it absolutely does make sense to be concerned about efficiency."[...] Witte has argued that surface irrigators who install drip irrigation, sprinklers or line canals could, in theory diminish flows to the river. The rules do not include other practices that could improve yields like better seed, cropping patterns or irrigation scheduling. They also do not include wells, which were addressed in the Kansas v. Colorado lawsuit. Thursday, he faced a room full of people who generally disagree with the premise. Many of the same people were among those who showed up in force last month at a meeting of the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District. Most of the members of the Lower Ark board, which is trying to work with the state on behalf of the farmers, were also on hand at Thursday's event. Questions from farmers were far-reaching, ranging from why the growth of cities is not being questioned to why more emphasis is not being put on tamarisk removal as a way to improve flows. Mostly, they questioned how the state expects them to find qualified engineers and pay for complicated studies in the short time period proposed in the draft rules and why the studies are even needed. "What we have circulated are draft rules, but we have time to do it right," Witte explained. "We think we have a credible threat, but we don't think we have to do this tomorrow." The state also does not believe that just because improvements have been made that flows will be diminished. "Irrigation efficiency improves the bottom line. I get that. If you reduce deep percolation, you reduce salts and improve water quality. I get that. There are many benefits, and I get all that," Witte said. "And, I think that trying to stop progress is like standing with your arms in the air and trying to stop the wind...Just because you apply an improvement does not mean you diminish flows." Still, the state has an obligation to act before there is a problem, Witte said... The Lower Ark board wants a little more than that, said Chairman John Singletary, who was on the same panel with Witte at the symposium. The board is asking Wolfe to form a task force of surface irrigators from the Arkansas Valley to examine the need for the rules. "As citizens of the valley and the planet, we have to engage new ideas and make better use of the water," Singletary said. He said the proposed rules are "diametrically opposed" to the goal of providing more efficient use of the water. The need for further studies was underscored by two other members of the panel: Mike Bartolo, director of the Colorado State University Agricultural Research Center at Rocky Ford, and Tim Gates, a CSU professor who is heading a detailed study of valley irrigation. Both said more study is needed. "The question is: Do we change the quantity of water with efficiency? There's really no good information or data," Bartolo said. The Ag Research Center is, however, doing studies to more accurately measure water in the valley with a weighing lysimeter, considered the "gold standard" of such studies. "The problem goes way beyond what's happening on an individual field," said Gates, who has spent nearly a decade looking at hundreds of farms in the valley. Research is aimed at developing a way to find real water conservation in the valley through improved irrigation while staying in the parameters of the compact and state water law, Gates said. "We need to look at how to help farmers do better economically and integrate these studies," Singletary said. "The rules make me nervous," added Frank Riggle, assistant state conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which has pumped millions of federal dollars into valley irrigation improvements. Riggle said consumptive use in agriculture is inconsistently defined and the results of field studies in other parts of the state vary widely, depending on field and water conditions. Thanks to The Water Information Program for the link. More Coyote Gulch coverage here. "colorado water" 5:02:35 PM

San Luis Valley: First fine for unmetered diversion From The Pueblo Chieftain: "The division engineer for the San Luis Valley settled its first enforcement action under new well-metering rules that went into effect last year. Chief District Court Judge O. John Kuenhold signed off on a stipulated order at the end of last month, requiring Duane Flickinger to pay a civil penalty of $6,000 for pumping without a well meter. In May, the division engineer's office posted an order on one of the defendant's wells prohibiting any further diversions. The stipulated agreement notes that the defendant diverted groundwater from his wells on at least one occasion, thereby violating the May 25 order." Thanks to SLV Dweller for the link. "colorado water" 4:29:21 PM

? for President? Political Wire: "The latest Newsweek national poll shows the Democratic race is a toss up with Sen. Barack Obama edging Sen. Hillary Clinton, 42% to 41%...In the GOP race, Sen. John McCain holds a sizable lead over Mike Huckabee, 51% to 32%." Political Wire: "Two new Rasmussen Reports surveys show Sen. Barack Obama on his way to big victories in the Potomac primaries on Tuesday: Maryland: Obama 57%, Clinton 31%; Virginia: Obama 55%, Clinton 37%" Political Wire: "A new SurveyUSA poll in Maryland finds Sen. Barack Obama way ahead of Sen. Hillary Clinton, 52% to 33%. The primary is on Tuesday. On the GOP side, Sen. John McCain crushes Mike Huckabee, 56% to 17%." Political Wire: "In next Tuesday's Virginia primary, a new SurveyUSA poll shows Sen. Barack Obama leading Sen. Hillary Clinton, 59% to 39%. At stake are 101 proportionally allocated delegates to the Democratic National Convention...In the Republican race, Sen. John McCain leads Mike Huckabee, 57% to 25%." Political Wire: "A new InsiderAdvantage poll in Virginia shows Sen. Barack Obama with a 15-point lead over Sen. Hillary Clinton in Tuesday's Democratic primary, 52% to 37%." "2008 pres" 4:21:59 PM

Healthy Rivers, HB 08-1280, HB 08-1241 Here's an update on the "Healthy Rivers Campaign" from The Crested Butte News. From the article: In the coming months, the Colorado legislature will consider several bills intended to keep rivers healthy and flowing, by employing in-stream-flow water rights. Supporters of the bills refer to them as a package called the Healthy Rivers Campaign. The campaign includes three separate bills, all of which will first be considered by the Colorado House of Representatives. House Bill 08-1280, sponsored by Representative Randy Fisher (D-Fort Collins) and Senator Gail Schwartz (D-Gunnison), will create protections for water rights owners interested in preserving stream flows. Another bill, House Bill 08-1241, [ed. This may be incorrect. Dan Grossman from Environmental Defense told us in email Thursday night that the tax incentive bill had not been introduced yet.] sponsored by Representative Jack Pommer (D-Boulder) and Senator Dan Gibbs (D-Silverthorne), extends a tax incentive for water rights owners who preserve stream flows by not taking full advantage of their water rights. The last bill has not been officially introduced, but will help fund the state's protection of stream flows through a provision in the Colorado Water Conservation Board's (CWCB) annual projects bill. The annual projects bill and the new provision are sponsored by Representative Kathleen Curry (D-Gunnison) and Senator Jim Isgar (D-Hesperus). Each of the bills relies on the concept of in-stream flow water rights. The CWCB is the only agency that can hold in-stream flow water rights, which act by mandating a minimum flow of water through specific streams as a way to preserve the natural environment and the recreational benefits associated with healthy rivers. According to High County Citizens' Alliance (HCCA) water director Steve Glazer, the in stream flow program was created by the Colorado legislature in 1972 to protect minimum flows in cold water fisheries. "The pertinent language in the bill was to balance human activities with the need to protect the environment to a reasonable degree," Glazer says of the CWCB's statutory mission regarding the in stream flow program. He says over the years there have been amendments that have both weakened and strengthened the concept. Glazer says the new bills are intended to enhance in stream flow protection across the state. The CWCB projects bill sponsored by Curry is an annual bill that approves the CWCB's funding of water projects around the state. Curry says the projects bill has a lot of different elements, but a provision is being added this year that will allocate $1 million to assist the CWCB in the acquisition of in stream flow water rights. That provision has been subject of lengthy debate, Curry says, because it marks the first time the CWCB has authorized the use of funds for water rights acquisition. "They've had the authority (to purchase in stream flow rights) for a number of years, but no funds. This is a whole new concept," Curry says. "We've had a lot of discussions to make sure the use of the funding would be to preserve environmental values in stream," she added. However, the funds aren't just for acquisition, she says. One of the issues with the provision is the CWCB needs to prioritize which streams need protection, and the funding could be used to help make that distinction, Curry says. Funds could also be used to cover the legal costs associated with water rights acquisitions. "There's a fairly long list of purposes to use the money for," Curry says. Representative Pommer's bill is essentially an extension of a tax credit that was first offered in 2005, according to Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District (UGRWCD) attorney John McClow. He says the credit is offered to water rights holders who do not make full use of their water rights. That means while someone may have the right to use water for development or municipal purposes, they can earn the tax credit by leaving the water undeveloped, thus simulating the benefits of an in stream flow right. Along similar lines, House Bill 1280 protects the value of undeveloped water rights. McClow says when water rights are currently sold or transferred, their value is based on the amount of historical consumptive use. Thus, if water rights holders leave their water undeveloped, the value of their water rights decreases because the water is not being used. Under this bill, McClow says, the value of water rights will not decrease as a result of leaving the water unused. In essence, this is done by leasing or lending the water to the CWCB as an in-stream flow protection. Schwartz says the bill has other hurdles to overcome in legislative debates. One of the concerns is that people will use the protection as a way of holding water rights until their value actually increases, at which point they could sell the water rights and make a profit. Another concern, Schwartz says, is the CWCB's ability to administer the protection program. In order to call on an in stream flow water right, the CWCB must be able to account for how much water should actually be flowing, which is done through the use of stream flow gauges. But while in stream flow rights protect the environment, Glazer says, they can have a burdensome effect on local water users. This summer the CWCB placed an in stream flow protection call on the Slate River, and upstream users were required to purchase additional "augmentation" water from the UGRWCD to meet their own needs. More coverage of HB 08-1280 from The Sky-Hi Daily News. They write: Efforts are being made on the state level to establish instream flows in rivers as a "beneficial use" under Colorado law, and a few locals are getting behind the legislation. Kirk Klancke of Trout Unlimited and manager of a local water and sanitation district, endorses HB 1280, introduced last week, for making instream flows a "beneficial use to mankind." Klancke, along with Mitch (Mo) Kirwan of Mo Henry's Trout Shop, participated in a press conference introducing the legislation recently. They talked about the economic impacts of low flows. Not only are river flows necessary to the recreation and tourism industries helping to drive Colorado's economy, they said, but are critical to sustaining fish, wildlife and healthy river corridors. In accordance with Colorado water law, Klancke said his district must prove beneficial use of water rights in order to protect those rights. The district's water rights are secured for future growth, but at present, are not being fully utilized for the purposes of the district. Therefore, because of the "use it or lose it" component in Colorado water law, the remaining water to which the district has rights is pulled out of the river to irrigate a field that no longer gets hayed, he said. "It seems like a foolish use of water when leaving it in the stream has more beneficial use," he said. And as more and more water gets diverted from the Fraser River, low flows are driving the cost of waste water and water treatment upward, he said. The concentration of pollutants is greater when flows are lower, resulting in higher expenses related to treatment operations, maintenance and construction, Klancke said. The Colorado Environmental Association has teamed up with other instream flow advocates, such as Trout Unlimited, the Environmental Defense Council and the Colorado Water Conservation Board, to create the Healthy Rivers Campaign in support of three legislative solutions proposed at the Statehouse. Groups such as the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union have also endorsed the bills, according to Water Caucus Coordinator Becky Long of the Colorado Environmental Coalition... The proposed bills are not in any way designed to reconstruct the existing water authority already worked out in statute, she said. Among the chief merits of current water law is that it has "an infrastructure built around it that people agree to," she said. But what the proposed laws are designed to do is "provide protection for water right owners who want to do the right thing and keep water in the river." Water right owners would do this by working with the state through the Colorado Water Conservation Board, an entity that since 1973 has been the only body allowed to acquire water rights for the sole purpose of letting water continue to flow downstream... Two pieces of companion legislation are set to follow HB [08-1280]. One, sponsored by Rep. Kathleen Curry and Sen. Jim Isgar, would create a $1 million fund to assist the instream acquisition program. The other, sponsored by Rep. Jack Pommer and Sen. Dan Gibbs, is meant to create tax incentives for water-rights owners who choose to leave their water in local streams and rivers. The latter was written to offset costs that come along with each step of the process, such as the need to hire a professional hydrologist, for example, to provide documentation of rights. "This bill allows (water right owners) to take tax incentives up to 50 percent of the current use value of a water right capped at $100,000 per water right owner," Long said. The tax incentive program would have a limit of $2 million per year starting out, she said, but it is hoped the program would have a chance to grow as participation grows. More Coyote Gulch coverage here, and here. "colorado water" 10:59:15 AM

Snowpack news Here's a report on snowpack up at the headwaters of the Colorado River from The Sky-Hi Daily News. From the article: The snowpack in Grand County is looking "excellent," reports Mark Volt of the Natural Resources Conservation Service in the Kremmling Field Office. According to the Feb. 1 manual snow course readings -- the first for 2008 -- the snowpack for high-elevation mountains around Middle Park ranges from 92 to 133 percent above the 30-year average. Last year at this time, the snowpack measured around 65 to 108 percent of average. Snowpack at lower elevations is also above average, and snow density is average at 23 percent, which means for one foot of snow, there are 2.8 inches of water. "So far, it's excellent. We're just a little above normal, and we haven't seen normal snowpack since 1995," Volt said...In fact, this year's recordings are similar to the same time in 1983 and 1984, he added, which is the highest snowpack on record in the past 30 years. That year, however, it snowed heavily in April and May as well. Here are the statewide totals from The Summit Daily News Statewide: 132 percent. Gunnison Basin: 151 percent. Upper Rio Grande Basin: 170 percent. San Miguel-Dolores-Animas-San Juan Basin: 165 percent. Arkansas Basin: 167 percent. Colorado Basin: 128 percent. North Platte Basin: 102 percent. South Platte Basin: 101 percent. Yampa-White River Basin: 109 percent. More coverage from The Valley Courier: Colorado Division of Water Resources Division 3 Division Engineer Michael Sullivan said on Thursday the Natural Resources Conservation Service is forecasting 150 percent of average on the Rio Grande. "It is early, the first of February, and if we get the warm winds and the sunshine that's going to reduce that to some extent," Sullivan said, "but we are probably looking at at least 100 percent of normal run off at this point in time. There's that much snow up there." He said the Conejos River system is in the same situation. "They are looking at 160-170 percent of normal at this point in time," he said. Sullivan said when the snowpack starts to melt this spring he expects "a very efficient run off because of the way the system ended last year." He said the alluvial aquifer system is fairly robust. "I don't have as much trouble getting water through the system," he said. However, he said the river system is not a pipeline that allows water to go in one end and come out the other. "It is a living system." Snowpack numbers for the mountain ranges on both sides of the Valley on Thursday were about the same and both were well above normal with 176 percent on the west side and 174 percent on the east side. More snowpack news for the Gunnison Basin from The Montrose Daily Press. They write: As of Thursday, the Gunnison Basin's total year-to-date precipitation is 144 percent of its 30-year average for this time of year; its snow water equivalent is 151 percent the average, according to the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service. In March 2007, the total precipitation was 99 percent of its 30-year average and the snow water equivalent was 85 percent of the average... The Gunnison Tunnel is expected to be opened near March 15, with irrigation system in order by April 1. "It depends a lot on when growers start farming the ground," Catlin said of the tunnel's opening. He said that with the influence of the La Nina pattern, the region was projected to have an average year for precipitation. Catlin said the forests will likely benefit from the weather thus far, as the beetles that have been wrecking the trees have difficulty surviving under such conditions. "It has to get real cold to kill off the larvae and eggs. There's so much damage in so many of our forests, winters like this give us a chance," Catlin said. He also said the snow should help fill small mountain reservoirs of cattle and sheep ranchers. "Their pastures in the mountains should be in good shape," he said. "colorado water" 10:18:41 AM

Supply and wastewater news From The Aurora Sentinel, "Local lawmakers voted Feb. 2 to move forward with a new water rate structure, but were still divided on how best to avoid another public relations disaster over the rising cost of water. City council gave the first in a series of green lights to the next tiered rate structure that the city hopes to implement in time for the summer watering session. Lawmakers must take two more votes to make the new, flatter rate structure law...Under the proposed rate plan, residents would pay $4.54 per 1,000 gallons of water for the first 20,000 gallons used in a month, $5.17 per 1,000 gallons for the next 20,000 gallons used and $6.46 per 1,000 gallons for any additional water used. The city is predicting 97 percent of its water customers will fall into the first two tiers. And the monthly, fixed charge that every household pays will increase from $8.50 to $10.39." Here's a report on funding for water projects for Idaho Springs from The Clear Creek Courant. From the article: Idaho Springs has won a $984,000 federal State and Tribal Assistance grant for 2008 through the auspices of U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., according to a news release from Allard's office Jan. 24. The amount is nearly double the $500,000 the city originally expected to get when the possible award was announced last summer. To spend the funds, city is required to provide a 45 percent match, or $805,000, in a total funding package of $1.7 million, which will be spent on water and wastewater projects. Among other things, the city probably will use the money to replace the water lines going under the bridge over Clear Creek at Highway 103, settling pond freeze protection, pre-sedimentary basin improvements, reservoir automation, manhole sealing, a wastewater grit removal system, aeration upgrades, remote-read meters, and replacing the water lines along Colorado Boulevard from Seventh to Riverside streets. Here's an update on Conifer Water LLC's plans for a new pipeline from The High Timber Times. From the article: A local businessman planning to build a water pipeline from Bailey to Conifer has piqued the interest of at least one water district and one developer who might be willing to tap into his line if it gets built. John McMichael, a former co-founder of Colorado Natural Gas, is spearheading a $10 million plan to pump water from the South Platte River in Bailey to Conifer for commercial and residential use. He is planning to pre-sell the water, based on a per-acre, one-time charge, and will service metropolitan districts and developments that have water rights and augmentation plans in place. His mission now, before he breaks ground, is to get enough buy-in from potential clients to ensure funding for the project, which he hopes to build this year. An attorney for Mountain Valley Water and Sanitation, a special district that provides services for the Kings Valley subdivision, is following McMichael's progress. According to that district's website, Mountain Valley is working with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to meet state regulations involving uranium levels in its water supply and ammonia in wastewater -- which could be very costly to eliminate. "If that pipeline would come to fruition, I think we would take a good, hard look at it," said David Lindholm, general counsel and water attorney for Mountain Valley. And developer Ron Lewis is interested in the pipeline as well. "We would like to be a part of it," Lewis said in a recent interview with the High Timber Times. In December 2007, Lewis filed a plan with Jefferson County Planning and Zoning to rezone roughly 1,000 acres near Shaffers Crossing for a housing development that he hopes to build out over 10 to 15 years. Tapping the pipeline could change the dynamics of that project, he said. One district that does not fit the bill currently is the Will-O-Wisp metropolitan district, though McMichael did contact its representatives. That district provides water for more than 100 homes in Pine Junction and may be responsible in the future for supplying water to about 450 new homes nearby as part of a planned development there. "I think it is an interesting idea," said Rick Angelica, president of WOW. "(But) we do not look at it as a viable option for Will-O-Wisp." Cost and water rights are issues for his district, Angelica said. It would cost "many, many" times more to use the pipeline than what is currently being spent on water use at Will-O-Wisp -- and even for future use, if more homes were to access the plant, he said. In addition, to access the pipeline, it would likely require a trip back to water court, he said, due to the specifics of its water decree that denotes where water is removed and returned for that district. The district is, at the moment, involved in two separate legal disputes involving a homeowner association and private landowner. A Park County judge could make a final ruling on one of the cases, between Will-O-Wisp and Magness Landholdings and involving land condemnation, on Feb. 15 at the courthouse in Fairplay. From The Delta County Independent, "Planning and design are moving forward on the Town of Orchard City's proposed 750-acre-foot raw water storage reservoir, town officials report. A preliminary feasibility study was completed last year by Smith Williams, the consulting engineering firm the town has retained. Last month, the state controller's office authorized release of a $480,000 grant for detailed design engineering study of the project that when completed will be the basis for putting the project out to bid, said Orchard City Mayor Tom Huerkamp during a recent trustee meeting. The $480,000 grant comes through the State's Water Basin Ronundtable process. It is being matched with $200,000 cash from the town." "colorado water" 10:12:24 AM

HB 08-1137 Representative Sonnenburg lost his fight this week to limit Department of Wildlife land and water purchases. Here's an update on HB 08-1137 from The Sterling Jounal Advocate. They write: District 65 Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg and several of his Sterling-area constituents were unable to convince a Colorado House committee this week that the Division of Wildlife is out of control with a land grab and needs more legislative oversight. "We need some accountability so we know what's going on with this agency." -- Jerry Sonnenberg, 65th District Representative, R-Sterling The House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee voted 5-8 against Sonnenberg's House Bill 1137, which would have required legislative approval before the DOW could buy any more land out of private ownership. Had it passed the House, the Senate sponsor would have been District 1 Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray. Supporters of Sonnenberg's bill, however, were outnumbered by several state Wildlife Commissioners and representatives of numerous sportsmen's groups, who said buying land is sometimes the only option to preserving critical habitat for species conservation, hunting, fishing and observing wildlife. Commission vice chair Claire O'Neal of Holyoke said the state already has a "comprehensive accountability process in place" for both conservation easements and outright purchases of land. She counted seven layers of review before land purchases finally are approved by the Legislature's Capitol Development Committee. "Easements are the preference of both the GOCO (Greater Outdoors Colorado) and species conservation program, but we don't want to take any tools out of the toolbox," O'Neal said. "Please don't tie our hands with this bill." More Coyote Gulch coverage here. "colorado water" 9:58:34 AM

Pourdre River, Horsetooth Reservoir, Carter Lake, Boyd Lake, Lake Loveland and Big Thompson River to 303d list? From The Fort Collins Coloradoan, "State water quality regulators next week will likely add portions of the Poudre and Big Thompson rivers, as well as Carter, Loveland and Boyd lakes, to a list of water bodies failing to meet clean water standards, largely because of mercury pollution from power plants. The decision sets the stage for either deciding how to improve and clean up the water bodies or changing the standards. If regulators eventually decide the waters need to be cleaned up, millions of dollars might have to be spent upgrading water-treatment plants. More from the article: However, just developing regulations specifying how clean a water body needs to be can take up to 13 years. "It's identifying those water bodies where water quality improvement is needed," said Paul Frohardt, administrator of the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission. "We don't know the answer to the question. We're just identifying the problem." Carter, Boyd, Loveland and Horseshoe lakes are all expected to be added to the water quality commission's so-called 303(d) list because federal officials have warned that people should not eat fish caught there because of high levels of mercury. Horsetooth Reservoir, already on the list for lacking oxygen in some areas, is being added again because of mercury concerns. The reservoir draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually... A portion of the Poudre River, from the Monroe Canal to Shields Street, is being added because of concerns about pH levels and elevated levels of copper. Copper is toxic to aquatic life, Frohardt said. Werner said the elevated levels of copper in that section of the Poudre were likely the result of Northern's efforts to control algae in its canal connecting Horsetooth Reservoir to the river. Northern Water this year began phasing out copper sulfate, which kills algae, and is now using hydrogen peroxide, Werner said. Too much algae in a waterbody can significantly decrease the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, making it harder for fish to live. Werner said Northern stopped using copper sulfate because it recognized it was contributing to the problem in the Poudre. Copper sulfate has long been used as an algae control agent by the water district, he said... Another portion of the Poudre, from Box Elder Creek east to the South Platte River, is already on the list because of elevated levels of selenium, common in agricultural runoff. "A lot of times these are long-term challenges," Frohardt said. "It doesn't mean that nobody is going to do anything for 13 years. The high-priority water bodies are addressed much more quickly than that." If the commission adds the local waters to the list, water quality regulators with the state will develop "total maximum daily load" standards for each body, setting out levels of permissible pollutants. Regulators will then begin developing plans to limit the pollutants, clean up the water or change the standards. "Sometimes you decide that the standard probably should be different," Frohardt said. "colorado water" 8:53:00 AM

© Copyright 2009 John Orr. Last update: 3/14/09; 10:07:43 PM.