Don't forget the last installment of the series Wringing Water from the Rocks Tomorrow night at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Reaching For Common Ground: Sharing Perspectives & Possible Solutions for Regional Water Supply Challenges. You will get a chance to ask all the tough questions you've been storing up over the summer. Mayor Hickenlooper will lead a panel discussion.
Here's the Coyote Gulch coverage of the series, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.
Here's an in-depth look at Aurora's (sometimes adversarial) relationship with the Arkansas Valley from the Rocky Mountain News [September 26, 2005, "Rocky Ford finds an unlikely savior"]. From the article, "For two decades, locals have been writing Rocky Ford's obituary, bemoaning the town's drawn-out death at the hands of Aurora, the thirsty behemoth that critics blame for buying up the town's irrigation water and draining the region of an agricultural heritage dating to the 1870s. But in a turn of events as unpredictable as the summer rains, some now credit Aurora with breathing new life into the land with a number of initiatives, including leasing water instead of buying it as a way to keep fields in farming, replacing dried-up cropland with native grasses, shoring up Rocky Ford's property tax base and installing high-efficiency irrigation systems."
Be sure to read the whole article.
Here's a seven part article about Aurora and the Arkansas Valley from the Rocky [July 11, 2005, "Dividing the waters"]. You can download the full article in pdf format.
Meanwhile, it looks like Aurorans' water rates may increase 12%, according to the Rocky Mountain News [September 25, 2005, "Aurora water users may see 12% hike"]. From the article, "Monthly water bills in Aurora could increase by about 12 percent next year - roughly $5.61 more a month for the average household. Today, city leaders will consider raising water bills to generate millions of dollars to 'drought-harden' the water system. The money would go toward a project designed to increase the city's water supply within five years - something leaders say is vital because the recent drought proved current sources weren't adequate."
Colorado Springs and Pueblo are sparring over pollution in Fountain Creek and a proposed water pipeline from the Arkansas River to Colorado Springs, according to the Denver Post [September 26, 2005, "Pueblo crying foul on water"]. From the article, "Fountain Creek has become the latest flash point of a strained relationship between Colorado Springs and Pueblo - two cities that frequently have sparred over water. The tensions culminated over the summer when Pueblo District Attorney Bill Thiebaut threatened to sue the Colorado Springs water utility over pollution violations linked to the creek. A decision on the lawsuit is expected to be made by early October...The two cities also are at odds over a controversial $940 million water project, which many in Pueblo believe is Colorado Springs' attempt to sustain its booming population by sucking the Arkansas River Valley dry. The 43-mile pipeline, known as the Southern Delivery System, would allow Colorado Springs to pump water it owns in the Pueblo, Twin Lakes and Turquoise reservoirs. The water is expected to create a 40-year supply for Colorado Springs and El Paso County."
Now for some good news. The Colorado Division of Wildlife is using trees from the Hayman burn to restore trout habitat, according to the Denver Post [September 26, 2005, "This month, hundreds of trees killed by the Hayman fire are becoming a boon to trout in a degraded stretch of creek in the Tarryall State Wildlife Refuge. The project, called 'Trees for Trout,' will improve stretches of both the Tarryall and Elevenmile creeks this year."
Category: Colorado Water
5:55:55 AM 
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