Thursday, July 17, 2008

Dry Gulch Reservoir update Here's Part I of The Pagosa Daily Post's series Lots of Water, Lots of Debt. Here are a couple of excerpts: Early on in the meeting, the subject of the controversial Dry Gulch Reservoir reared its head. Businessmen Mike Heraty and Steve Van Horn, the first two speakers to step up to the podium, thanked PAWSD for the recent reductions in its Water Resource Fee impact fees on commercial development. The water district shifted from using a "per Equivalent Unit" calculation to a calculation based on water meter size and number of fixtures; the new fee schedule appears to greatly reduce the amount of the fees PAWSD will charge a typical new business starting up in Pagosa Springs. Van Horn wanted to go a bit deeper into the subject, however -- specifically, into the amount of debt that PAWSD is accumulating as it tries to fund over $150 million in reservoirs, treatment plants and pipeline upgrades connected using its Water Resource Fee -- and without, so far, any voter approval. "It looks like PAWSD has about $25 million in revenue bonds, that we are going to have to pay back through revenues. Now, with very little revenue coming in -- other than our water fees, actually, paid by our water bills -- and if the revenue does not come in to take care of that debt, I'd like to know how much our fees are going to have to be increased in order to take care of that debt. What is the worst case scenario, if we have the same economic conditions going on two years from now?" More Coyote Gulch coverage here here. "colorado water" 7:23:04 PM

Northern Integrated Supply Project Here's a background piece about Glade Reservoir and the proposed Northern Integrated Supply Project, from Fort Collins Now. From the article: By now, the multitudinous concerns about Glade Reservoir have included ill effects on fish and other wildlife, water use that will turn the summer Cache la Poudre River into a trickle and impacts on the region's economy. But two other, potentially more costly concerns have, so far, only been raised among city of Fort Collins staff. City water managers worry that if Glade is built, exchanges between its waters and those in Horsetooth Reservoir could degrade the city's drinking water supply. And if the river's flow is substantially diminished -- which the Army Corps of Engineers said in its draft environmental impact study that it indeed would be -- the city could be forced to upgrade its wastewater reclamation facilities... A pipeline might one day be built -- though not right away -- that would connect Glade to Horsetooth and allow the transfer of 2,500 acre-feet of water, on average, from Glade to its older cousin. That could complicate matters for people like Kevin Gertig, water resources and treatment operations manager, and other workers who ensure Fort Collins has one of the cleanest and tastiest water supplies in the country... And there may be lingering effects far beyond those controlled at the city water treatment facility on West Laporte Avenue: those on the economy. High-quality, particulate-free water is a key ingredient for microbrews and microchips, hence the region's attractiveness to companies like Anheuser-Busch, New Belgium, Intel and Hewlett-Packard. It's not clear how those companies could be affected, but people in city government are talking about it. "There is a potential that this could increase their pre-treatment costs," Gertig said. "They have to refine it more, a microbrewery or a microprocessor; each one is a little different. This can affect that if it changes, because more than likely, they have designed their facilities with a certain baseline."[...] Gertig and others contacted for this story repeatedly stressed that the city's concerns deal with the draft environmental assessment, which is under public review until Sept. 13. The city as a whole has not formally taken a position on the project... The main worry for the city's drinking water surrounds the organic compounds that dissolve into the Poudre along with the snowmelt that feeds it. Because Glade will fill with Poudre peak flow water, which comes with fast spring snowmelt, there will be more pine needles and other forest detritus going into the river's headwaters in Rocky Mountain National Park. Depending on scarcity and a Byzantine system of water exchanges, a pipeline might one day be needed to transfer Glade water into Horsetooth. The Glade water would likely have more total organic carbon -- the dissolved form of that piney debris -- than Horsetooth is used to having, and therefore more than the city's water treatment facility is used to having. Horsetooth is filled by the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, which brings water from the Colorado River back across the Continental Divide through a massive series of tunnels and pumps. (Northern Water was formed to manage the reservoirs and ditches created under the project.) That water is usually cleaner than the water in the Poudre, at least in terms of dissolved organic material. In fact, it's so clean that it is mixed with the city's supply of Poudre water during the spring and summer runoff, to dilute those organic materials inside the city's other water supply. Historically, total organic carbons, or TOCs, have not been a problem; the city can remove 65 percent of them at a basic water treatment facility. If it wasn't treated, drinking water would have a slight tint to it -- Gertig compared it to water with a tea bag dunked in it and removed immediately. The remaining 35 percent is cleaned up through a chemical treatment process involving chlorine. But that's where problems start. Some pretty advanced organic chemistry is involved here, but basically, chlorine plus organic compounds equals disinfection byproducts, which can be cancer-causing in large quantities. To be clear, the quantities involved here are in the parts per billion, but the city would like to see those numbers stay as low as possible... Brian Werner, spokesman for Northern Water, said water officials are working with Fort Collins and understand why city leaders are concerned, but he believes it may be moot. "We don't think we're going to have to build the Glade-to-Horsetooth pipeline. It is in the EIS because it is possible," he said. "The city is worried that if we do, we're going to introduce lower quality water into Horsetooth. But it's not in our best interest to degrade the quality of water in Horsetooth Reservoir. Horsetooth is our reservoir." What's more, a NISP participant, the Fort Collins-Loveland Water District, takes water from the reservoir right by Fort Collins' outtake pipe, so they wouldn't want a dirty Horsetooth, either, Werner said. But he added that he understands why city officials are concerned. "I do know it is an issue. We're not minimizing this. What we are saying is that we think this is one we can work around. There are solutions and mitigations that would take care of Fort Collins," he said... The city has two facilities that treat municipal wastewater, one on Mulberry Street and one off East Drake Road. The Drake facility discharges its treated water into Fossil Creek Reservoir, which ultimately connects to the Poudre, but it has the ability to go straight to the river; the Mulberry facility discharges directly into the Poudre, just east of Old Town. If the river has substantially less water in it to mix with the discharge, the city would have to build more advanced wastewater treatment systems at great expense to taxpayers, according to city documents. Werner said those are issues that still need to be discussed. More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here. "colorado water" 7:12:16 PM

Great Sand Dunes National Park water right? From: The Valley Courier: "The federal government's right to the water under the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve will be the subject of a trial beginning July 28 in Alamosa. "Robbins said Cotton Creek Circles' attorneys told proponents of the Sand Dunes' water claim that if Cotton Creek lost its appeal on the confined aquifer rules case its attorneys would agree to stipulate to a water decree for the park. Cotton Creek lost the case but over the course of the last month decided it would go forward with its challenge to the government's claim for a Sand Dunes water right, Robbins said. "The Sand Dunes trial will begin on Mon., July 28, and may last 1-3 weeks. Water Judge O. John Kuenhold will hear the case." More Coyote Gulch coverage here. "colorado water" 6:40:36 PM

Energy policy: Oil Shale Ken Salazar (via The Washington Post): "The governors of Wyoming and Colorado, communities and editorial boards across the West agree that the administration's headlong rush is a terrible idea. Even energy companies, including Chevron, have said we need to proceed more cautiously on oil shale. With more than 30,000 acres of public land at their disposal to conduct research, development and demonstration projects (in addition to 200,000 undeveloped acres of private oil shale lands they own in Colorado and Utah), they already have more land than they can develop in the foreseeable future." Here's the link to my Examiner column on oil shale earlier this year. "cc" 6:20:21 PM

Quagga mussel larvae found in Lake Granby Here's an update on the discovery of quagga mussel larvae in Lake Granby, from The Sky-Hi Daily News. From the article: Samples were taken close to Granby Dam in early July. Veligers, or the larval stage of the quagga mussel, were initially identified by microscopic analysis. The finding was followed by DNA testing, and an additional independent lab confirmed the presence of quagga mussel DNA in the samples, according the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW)... The unique arrangement of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project -- with the Colorado River flowing out of Lake Granby, and reservoirs Lake Granby and Shadow Mountain interconnected with natural Grand Lake -- compounds the problem. Water flows from Lake Granby through Shadow Mountain into Grand Lake to a 13-mile tunnel that deposits water on the East Slope. Boaters have the ability to travel from Shadow Mountain Reservoir to Grand Lake. "We don't know at this point whether they'll spread from lake to lake," said DOW spokesman Tyler Baskfield, adding that calcium levels of lakes and natural barriers can play a roll in reducing the mussels' ability to spread... The Lake Granby larvae were detected during a state and federal initiative that took place to gather more information about the presence of invasive mussels in Colorado, according to the DOW. Lake Granby is the highest-elevation water body in which the mollusks have been found... Officials say the discovery steps up the need to develop a protocol for each of the Colorado-Big Thompson reservoirs and the lake, which are overseen by the DOW, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. Boaters at Lake Granby especially are reminded to make sure they "Clean, Drain, and Dry" their boats when they leave the lake. The DOW advises that all boaters should be prepared to have their boats inspected prior to launching at some of the Colorado water bodies. Check with the managing entity to see what boating regulations are in place and receive updates on local conditions. More Coyote Gulch coverage here. "colorado water" 6:12:06 PM

Republican River Water Conservation District board meeting Here's a recap of Tuesday's meeting of the Republican River Water Conservation District (RRWCD) board, from The Sterling Journal Advocate. From the article: In addition to hearing an in-depth report on the proposed Republican River Compact compliance pipeline to Nebraska, the Republican River Water Conservation District (RRWCD) board considered several in-house issues at its quarterly meeting here Thursday. Katie Radke from the State (water) Engineer's office reported that RRWCD may have to pay for an environmental assessment before implementing the second stage of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Since the program is designed to retire more irrigated acres in the basin, the environmental study will be needed, she said. Board members voted to set a $35,000 limit on paying for the assessment... RRWCD statehouse lobbyist Scott Miekeljohn spoke to the group about the effort that was needed to find legislative support for the state grants that were obtained to pay for the pipeline project. He also said that lobbyists from eastern Colorado have to be constantly alert as to what some legislators may try to do with the state's water. Many don't understand anything about the water problems, he said... Murphy also gave a report on the organization's Web site, saying that it was not designed to be really user-friendly. It is hard to keep it current, he said. Instead of being able to go in and make needed changes, Tier I, the company that developed the Web site, has to be contacted. They don't seem to want to be bothered with making small changes, Murphy added. Murphy has checked into the cost of having a user-friendly Web site designed, and estimated it would cost between $14,000 and $20,000. Board members agreed something needs to be done so the Web site can be updated as needed to make it useful. They voted to have Murphy get a definite cost for a new design and bring the information to the next quarterly meeting in October. The board should start a weblog. They're designed for easy publishing. We'll help any water organization start a weblog. Drop us a line at coyotegulch [AT] mac [DOT] com. Here's an update on The Republican River Compact Compliance Pipeline, from The Sterling Journal Advocate. From the article: The 12-mile pipeline planned for delivering well water from the Republican River Basin in Colorado to the Nebraska state line falls a little short -- not in length, but because it does not adequately compensate Kansas on the South Fork of the Republican. At their quarterly meeting here Thursday, board members from the Republican River Water Conservation District heard from Jim Slattery, owner of Slattery Aqua Engineers, that the proposed pipeline to carry water to the North Fork of the Republican River won't satisfy all compact requirements. RRWCD has secured water rights to provide water for the pipeline from deep irrigation wells in the Republican River Basin. The amount of water the pipeline would deliver is enough to meet the basin-wide total. But the compact is written so that a percentage of the water owed by Colorado must flow through the South Fork of the Republican into Kansas. The amount is adjustable between the north and south forks, but a basic percentage is required from each fork. Still not compensated will be between 2,000 and 2,500 acre feet of water per year that Colorado will owe Kansas on the South Fork... RRWCD plans to go ahead with the proposed pipeline to deliver water to Nebraska, but will still need to find a way to compensate Kansas. One way that has been discussed is to drain Bonny Reservoir, located along the South Fork; then evaporation from the reservoir would no longer be charged against Colorado. On Jan. 22 this year, RRWCD signed the second of two contracts to purchase designated ground water rights that will produce nearly 15,000 acre-feet of water per year for the compact compliance pipeline... Also on Jan. 22, the Colorado Water Conservation Board voted unanimously to approve a $60 million loan application by the RRWCD with a 2 percent interest rate over 20 years, to finance the pipeline project. To assure the Colorado Water Conservation Board that the RRWCD could repay the loan, the RRWCD board of directors voted to increase 2008 use fees from $5.50 to $14.50 per irrigated acre on irrigation diversions... The Republican River Water Conservation District was created by the Colorado General Assembly in 2004 to assist the state in complying with the limitations of the Republican River Compact. The RRWCD is managed and controlled by a 15-member board of directors. It includes all of Yuma and Phillips counties and the portions of Sedgwick, Logan, Washington, Lincoln and Kit Carson counties that make up the Republican River drainage basin. Surface water with measurable live flow within the district includes the Arikaree River and the North Fork and South Fork of the Republican River. The Ogallala Aquifer underlies most of the district. From it, water is pumped to the surface for irrigation, municipal, industrial and domestic use. In October 2004, the RRWCD Board created the Republican River Water Conservation District Water Activity Enterprise. A water use fee was assessed on all irrigated acres within the district and on municipal and commercial uses, as well as a fee for evaporation from Bonny Reservoir. These funds are used to offer incentives for water rights to be voluntarily retired, which will reduce consumptive use of water within the district. Money from federal programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), a voluntary land retirement program, is also used. More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here. "colorado water" 5:31:15 PM

Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel update From The Leadville Chronicle: "In a conference call on July 8, the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) spoke with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), regarding the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel (LMDT). The commissioners and federal agencies discussed current conditions at the LMDT and the water treatment plant nearby, where water has been getting pumped for over three weeks now. Bill Murray of the EPA spoke of a much anticipated response to the BOR's July 2 Risk Assessment of the LMDT, which found very little risk involved with the site that is currently under a state of emergency. Murray said a report commenting on the Risk Assessment is due to be released by the EPA on August 25." More from the article: Murray also reported that a permanent pump for the LMDT is on order and has not yet been received. Mike Collins, with the BOR, reported that about 1,900 gallons per minute are currently being treated at the LMDT treatment plant. He confirmed that the water levels in the Leadville Mine Pool have remained steady at approximately 186 feet, which reflects no change in the mine pool since the BOR began pumping water out of the LMDT in mid June... Commissioner Ken Olsen questioned the EPA's failure to run a dye test on the Leadville mine pool to determine where exactly the water within the pool seeps and drains out. The EPA performs dye testing in appropriate areas, such as the Salida/St. Elmo/Chalk Creek area in Chafee County, where there is an 'extended site inspection' due to concern that contaminated water is seeping into the Arkansas River. The EPA has insisted that dye testing is an expensive and involved process not yet in the scope of their budget for the LMDT. CDPHE, the EPA and the BOR reported that the $4 million committed to this project is spoken for at this point, especially with the clean up efforts that are just beginning. Olsen replied that he plans to do a rudimentary dye test himself, and report his findings before seeking additional funding for the tests from the EPA. The EPA was supportive of this. More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here. "colorado water" 6:31:41 AM

Rules for Rio Grande Groundwater Subdistrict #1 From The Valley Courier: "On the job less than a year, new Colorado State Engineer Dick Wolfe is preparing to follow up on a warning the San Luis Valley has heard for some time - well regulations. 'We know we need to get them in place,' Wolfe said during the quarterly meeting of the Rio Grande Water Conservation District on Tuesday in Alamosa. He said although he expects the rule-making process to take about a year, he wants to be in a position to act as quickly as possible following a proposed trial this October over the Valley's first water management sub-district plan...The first water management sub-district, under the auspices of the Rio Grande Water Conservation District, encompasses the closed basin area of the Valley and is designed to help bring the Valley's aquifer system back into balance through a pay-to-pump concept." More Coyote Gulch coverage here. "colorado water" 6:25:21 AM

Energy policy: Geothermal From The Aspen Daily News: "City of Aspen officials have identified five spots in town where an exploratory geothermal well could be drilled. The city has also applied for geothermal water rights for underground stores of water that would be used in the system, making Aspen the first municipality to take advantage of a new state law: The Colorado Geothermal Act. The city hopes to create a public utility that would harvest geothermal heat from under ground and distribute it to downtown Aspen buildings. Preliminary studies show that as much as 1 million square feet could be heated "at a cost competitive with natural gas," according to a city press release...As a network of 19th century mining tunnels runs underneath Aspen's streets, and as those tunnels are filling up with water, a proposed city geothermal system would tap into those waters, which provide a more efficient heating source than solid ground...Aspen...sits on top of a geological phenomenon called the 'Aspen Anomaly,' which refers to an area stretching from approximately Leadville to Paonia where the earth's crust is thinner than in other areas. Thinner crust means warmer underground temperatures than might be expected otherwise." More coverage from The Aspen Times. They write: The geothermal heat would work by taking the steam and hot water produced in the earth's core and using it to heat a glycol-based solution that circulates through buildings to heat them. Customers would pay according to the thermal units of energy used as the heated liquid goes by their building. Electricity is still be needed to move the water. Five locations have been identified for possible test wells, according to Overeynder: in Wagner Park, at the base of Aspen Mountain, Smuggler Park, Ajax Park and near the Cowenhoven Tunnel, according to Overeynder. All are on city-owned land or city-owned right-of-ways, except the latter, he said. It is on the edge of a right-of-way and might require land acquisition. The wells will be underground, but Aspen residents can expect an impact during the drilling process. All are the sites are near mined areas, but not in them, he said. Actually drilling into mined areas complicates matters, said Overeynder. However, the city wanted to drill near the mining sites because anecdotal evidence suggested they might hold geothermal activity. Miners used to work in shifts because it was too hot to spend any extended length of time in the mines, according to Overeynder. Overeynder expected the cost of the geothermal energy to be competitive with natural gas. In Pagosa Springs, he said, the energy is sold at 75 percent of natural gas rates. However, he acknowledged that customers with existing natural gas heating systems will need to make infrastructure changes in order to be able to use the geothermal energy. If underground Aspen proves to be a good geothermal source, the city may create a "heat district" like its current electric and water districts, he said. Or it may decide to develop a joint venture with a private company... The city plans to drill the test well in 2009, and it is still determining the cost of that well and looking for funding from places like the Governor's Energy Office. The well will be drilled as deep as 3,000 feet -- double the depth of historic mines. Depending on what is found, the city might proceed to drill wells at up to five sites. Ultimately, said Overeynder, the city wants to find a well or combination of wells that will produce 5,000 gallons per minute of 140-degree water. More Coyote Gulch coverage here. "cc" 6:13:43 AM

Lake County to join Lower Ark? From The Pueblo Chieftain: "Lake County Commissioners have delayed asking voters to join the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District until next year. "We were rapidly running out of time to start the petition process," said County Commissioner Mike Hickman on Wednesday. "It was a case of too much, too soon and too quickly." Lake County has been considering which conservancy district to join since voters asked commissioners in 2004 to look into joining a group to advance the county's water interests. Although the headwaters and major mountain reservoirs of the Arkansas River are in Lake County, it does not have a voice in water court, augmentation plans or water acquisition strategies afforded by conservancy districts. In 2006, the commissioners decided to pursue joining the Lower Ark district, after also looking at the Upper Arkansas and Southeastern Colorado water conservancy districts, citing common interests despite geographical separation." "colorado water" 6:08:46 AM

Fountain Creek management The Corps of Engineers has finished their study of Fountain Creek, according to The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article: The Corps released the draft of its report on projects designed to improve flood control and water quality in the Fountain Creek watershed. The report - the last step in the Corps' $3 million Fountain Creek Watershed Plan - was presented in Colorado Springs to a technical advisory committee made up of area planners and stormwater officials. The Corps previously signed off on other portions of the plan that looked at hydrology, structures and the shape of Fountain Creek. As well as defining what Fountain Creek looks like, the watershed study looked at nearly 50 projects along the creek and determined which of them might qualify for federal funding help. A prioritized list of 13 projects were given in a more detailed review that was the topic of Wednesday's report. The dam or series of dams on Fountain Creek was ruled out by the Corps on the basis of cost versus benefits, Corps Project Manager Gary Rutherford told the committee. The Corps looked at a site just north of Pueblo. It was the least expensive of three potential sites first considered by the Corps after the 1965 flood on Fountain Creek. A basic flood- and sediment-control dam would cost $186 million, but would provide only $22 million to $26 million in flood protection benefits, the Corps reported. The price tag also does not include costs for relocation of Interstate 25, railways and homes and businesses. The analysis did not look at a multipurpose dam on Fountain Creek. U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., has introduced a bill to look at multipurpose projects - a dam or series of dams that would provide flood control, recreation and water storage - on Fountain Creek. The Corps supports improving the Fountain Creek levees through Pueblo, which were built in the 1980s to protect the city from up to 100-year floods. The Corps said the amount of sedimentation through Pueblo is greater than expected when the levees were built, which over time would reduce flood capacity to below the 100-year level. The Corps is open to assisting on projects such as dredging, sediment removal or channelization, Rutherford said. The federal government could pay up to 65 percent of the cost. The Corps also would be open to looking at the other projects elsewhere on Fountain Creek, which include off-channel flood detention, wetlands, bank stabilization and channelization, either on a case-by-case basis or as part of a comprehensive master plan, Rutherford said. More Coyote Gulch coverage here. "colorado water" 6:04:38 AM

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