Thursday, November 3, 2005

Colorado River Overdeveloped? Water officials across the west are waking up to the fact that the Colorado River can't deliver as much water as is allocated by the Colorado River Compact. From the CBS4Denver article, "Some Colorado River experts worry a new federal process aimed at figuring out how to operate Lake Mead and Lake Powell in times of drought is being overly generous in its assumptions of how much water is available. They caution the overestimate could cause problems in the future, echoing the mistake the West's water honchos made in the early 1920s when they divided up the river's water during a time of plenty. Years after the 1922 Colorado River Compact, the document that divided the water among seven western states, officials discovered the allocation was much higher than the river's historical flow. The result was a serious water deficit that left water lawyers in the 21st century to figure out the mess." Thanks to the New West for the link. Category: Colorado Water 11:42:19 PM     Genesee Dam Opposition Surface water is the best hope for sustainable water supplies here in Colorado. The Genesee Water and Sanitation District is hoping to build a new storage facility up Bear Creek to meet future water needs. The Denver Post is reporting that Jefferson County planners oppose the current proposed location [November 3, 2005, "Jeffco planners oppose site for Genesee reservoir, dam"]. From the article, "The Jefferson County Planning Commission unanimously defeated a proposal Wednesday night to build a reservoir and dam proposed by the Genesee Water & Sanitation District on the north side of Colorado 74 between Kittredge and Idledale. In turning down the request, commissioners cited the detrimental visual impact, the failure to explore alternative sites and the large size of the reservoir. Under consideration was a 125-acre-foot reservoir with a dam that is 100 feet high and 500 feet wide. A parade of Bear Creek Canyon residents called it a 'monster' and 'a horrible degradation of the canyon.' Since the drought of 2002, the district has explored options for ensuring an adequate supply of water for its 1,415 households in a 3,000-acre area between Interstate 70 and Bear Creek. Even though the commission turned down the site request, the Genesee Water & Sanitation District's board could legally override the decision." Category: Colorado Water 5:55:41 AM

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