Coyote Gulch

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Iraq
Juan Cole: "Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told Bush Friday by video conference that the US could not use Iraqi territory or airspace to attack neighboring Iran. He basically told Bush to suck it up and negotiate with Ahmadinejad. It is amazing what $70 billion a year in petroleum revenue will do for a prime minister's self-esteem. Al-Maliki met with top Iranian leaders in Tehran recently and appears to have reassured them that Washington would not be allowed to use Iraq as a springboard for an assault. Although some are wondering if al-Maliki is making a declaration of independence from the US, in fact he is just continuing the policy of Iraq's ruling Shiites since 2005 of seeking good relations with both Washington and Tehran."
"2008 pres"
7:53:13 AM

Eastern Colorado slipping into drought?

Here's an update on eastern Colorado's moving back into drought, from The Sterling Journal Advocate. From the article:

The Sterling area did receive a little more precipitation in June than it did in the extremely dry previous month of May. But total precipitation for June was still only a fraction of the average, measuring just .78 of an inch. The 30-year average for June in this area is 2.74 inches. And with only small amounts of precipitation falling here over the past several months, the total for 2008 continues to drop farther and farther behind the average. As of June 30, the year-to-date total was 2.54 inches. The average for the first six months of a year is 8.18 inches. So far this year, precipitation is 31 percent -- less than one-third -- of that average...

Some of the areas near Sterling, especially east and south of town, have fared better. At Crook, the total precipitation for the year has measured 6.97 inches, much closer to the 30-year average. Considering how dry it has been, water levels in northeast Colorado reservoirs are not as low as might be expected. As of June 30, North Sterling Reservoir was 70 percent full. After heavy water usage for irrigation during the spring, in early June the reservoir was able to partially refill by diverting some water from the South Platte River. Manager Jim Yahn reported at the North Sterling Irrigation Company Board meeting in June that water was started in the inlet canal June 5. Although the South Platte did not experience high runoff from snowmelt, as did many other rivers in the state, it was high enough that North Sterling was able to continue taking in water for several days, which helped raise the supply. On June 30, water levels at Prewitt and Jumbo reservoirs were higher than North Sterling's 70 percent. Prewitt stood at 77 percent full that day, and Jumbo was at 85 percent.

More drought news from The Pueblo Chieftain. They write:

The U.S. Drought Monitor this week shows some parts of the state entering moderate to severe drought conditions. "We are seeing rangeland health deterioration such as we saw during the 2002-06 drought years," says John Knapp, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Area Conservationist in La Junta. "Due to the dry winter and continued dry spring, we are seeing very poor forage production on much of the rangeland in Southeastern Colorado."

Because of a high snowpack and imports from the Western Slope, irrigation operations have not suffered as much as rangeland. Forage production depends entirely on natural moisture, Knapp said. "Prescribed grazing management is key," Knapp said. "Prescribed grazing management means proper stocking, according to the amount of forage on offer to your livestock, and scheduling rotational grazing that allows the plants the opportunity to grow or regrow before being grazed." The dry winter and spring have caused notable declines in production from cool-season grasses, while perennial warm-season grasses are not fully recovered from the previous drought in most areas, Knapp said. Before the rangeland can recover, enough rain must fall for plants to achieve a full array of leaves and rebuild their greatly depleted root systems.
"colorado water"
7:39:42 AM

Doug Monger: We're willing to work with you, but this is water we're talking about here

Here's an update on the proposed Yampa Straw, from The Steamboat Pilot & Today. From the article:

Conceptual plans for the nearly $4 billion project were introduced in 2006. But officials at the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, which services eight counties on the Front Range and in northeastern Colorado, have announced they will not pursue the plan in the near future -- but it might be advanced by other agencies. Original plans for the project called for at least one reservoir to be built north of Maybell in Moffat County. It would store water that would be pumped more than 200 miles east across the Continental Divide to a lake north of Denver. The plans included three proposed pipeline routes that all would have passed through Routt County. An engineering study for the entire project had an estimated completion date of 2023.

Carl Brouwer, project manager with the Northern Colorado district, said last week that his office is busy with other projects and will not be pursuing action in the near future...
[Routt County Commissioner Doug Monger] said he has three issues: if water rights for such a pumpback are granted now, there will not be enough remaining for future growth needs in the Yampa Valley; the impact of the pumpback on local, endangered fish; and the effects of the pumpback on recreation in downstream areas, such as Dinosaur National Monument. Monger said his message to the water boards was, "We're willing to work with you, but this is water we're talking about here."

Ken Brenner, a former Steam boat Springs City Council president and now a candidate for the state Senate, was less flexible about the idea. "The big elephant in the middle of the room is if there is any water, period. I am one of the folks over here who is certain there is not," he said, referring to water allocations mandated by the 1922 Colorado River Compact. Because water rights are based on the year they were established, if a pumpback pipe line was created on the Yampa, it would impact any future claims on Yampa River water, in Steamboat Springs or elsewhere. Eric Wilkinson, general manager of the Northern Colorado district, said he still is giving presentations to interested water groups such as the Colorado Water Conservation Board. It is the same presentation given to local groups in the past, and no changes have been made. The board may choose to pursue the project or call for more detailed surveys after the presentation. Wilkinson said he does not expect any progress on the pumpback for at least one or two years.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
"colorado water"
7:30:12 AM

Southern Delivery System

Here's an update on Colorado Springs' proposed Southern Delivery System from The Colorado Springs Gazette. From the article:

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation recently released written comments after conducting six public meetings and extending the comment period for 45 days through June on the project's Draft Environmental Impact Statement...

Unless a significant impediment arises, the bureau is expected to issue a decision early next year, which would clear the way for construction to begin on the 43-mile pipeline that would supply water by 2012 to Colorado Springs, Fountain, Security and Pueblo West...

Springs Utilities' analysis of the comments found 78 favored the city's preferred alternative. It was the highest number of favorable comments for any one of the seven options. Thirty-one favored a plan that would draw water from below where Fountain Creek flows into the Arkansas River, the proposal favored by many in Pueblo, including pipeline opponent Pueblo Chieftain publisher Bob Rawlings. Doubts were raised by several, including residents of Colorado Centre Metropolitan District east of the city, who fear that Jimmy Camp Creek Reservoir, to be built in northeast Colorado Springs, poses a flood threat. Councilman Tom Gallagher faulted the project for needing 683 megawatt hours of power per day by 2046, almost as much as is now generated for the entire city. "They should have looked at the method that didn't require pumps," he said, referring to a gravity siphon system that would work "just like taking gasoline out of somebody's gas tank." Asked why he filed comments critical of the city's proposal, Gallagher said, "My job is to support the people of this community for the best long-term solution." Utilities officials counter that the preferred option uses less power than other alternatives. Fort Carson didn't oppose the pipeline but noted two of the seven alternatives that would cross the post failed to adequately study the project's impact on wildlife and other natural resources. The Army also noted no formal written agreements are in place regarding the Army's ability to accommodate the project.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
"colorado water"
7:19:44 AM

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