Sunday, June 4, 2006

Denver Water still pushing conservation (and regulation) Denver Water is pushing a new conservation plan along with regulations and home inspections, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "Denver Water has drafted a $400 million conservation plan that aims to cut annual water use 22 percent - or 16.7 billion gallons - during the next 10 years. The plan relies on ramping up existing programs - such as homeowner rebates on low-flow toilets and efficient clothes washers - and launching some new initiatives. "Among the new measures being proposed are: Establishing a water-efficiency rating system for new construction. If builders don't meet certain standards, the utility might refuse to hook up a new home to the water system. Initiating water audits of existing homes before they are sold and requiring the replacement of leaky faucets, shower heads and toilets. The utility also might require home owners to replace inefficient fixtures. Requiring the installation of low-flow urinals in new commercial buildings. The three initiatives make up about a third of the reduction target. Other measures - such as adding irrigation water meters and removing park lawns - are aimed at Denver Water's municipal and commercial customers... "The plan - which may need Denver-area municipalities to pass ordinances - will be unveiled to the public this summer and then presented to the utility's board in August. Real estate agents and homebuilders say they need more information before they can judge the plan, which is still under development... "Denver Water may need legal backing from the municipalities it serves to require home sellers to replace inefficient fixtures, board members say. The utility may ask metro- area governments to consider adopting ordinances tailored to the conservation plan, Gardener said. The utility is arranging to make a formal presentation to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and the City Council, according to Andrew Wallach, an assistant to the mayor. While Hickenlooper has said publicly that he supports increasing the city's water conservation, local leaders need to understand the plan's details before taking action, Wallach said." Category: Colorado Water 8:34:53 AM     Arkansas valley water exchanges Here's an update on the Arkansas Valley Conduit from the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article, "Proposed exchanges that would aid a drinking water conduit for communities east of Pueblo are facing less opposition in water court than exchange filings by Colorado Springs and Aurora. Two exchange applications by the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District would transfer up to 20,000 acre-feet annually into Lake Pueblo and 19,600 acre-feet into Turquoise and Twin Lakes to benefit the Arkansas Valley Conduit... "Southeastern filed the applications in February and amended them in March after Colorado Springs and Aurora broke a 'gentleman's understanding' not to file for exchange rights in December, Steve Leonhardt, Southeastern's attorney, said when he announced the filing in January. While the Colorado Springs and Aurora exchanges each drew court filings from more than 30 parties, Southeastern's applications have only half as many objectors. Both cities and the district are objectors in each of the others's cases, a situation that could lead to an exchange 'ladder' similar to a landmark agreement in the 1980s... "...the Southeastern exchanges are all in Fryingpan-Arkansas Project facilities, which are operated by the Bureau of Reclamation partly under guidelines developed by the Southeastern District. The water rights envisioned for exchange in the conduit are not yet owned by Southeastern, but could be those already owned by conduit participants. Nearly all of the objections are standard water court objections meant to assure other water users their rights are not injured, water quality is preserved and measurement of flows is accurate. However, some go beyond the standard. The most unusual request is by High Line Canal, which asks for online posting of exchange information by the Water Division 2 Engineer's office. The most common themes for objectors are that the requests are speculative or violate the Arkansas River Compact... "Governmental entities are typically exempt from the state's anti-speculation doctrine, which the Southeastern District argued as grounds to throw out High Plains A&M's 2004 application to change the use of water rights it held on the Fort Lyon Canal. High Plains is selling those rights to Thornton water developers Pure Cycle Corp. Southeastern's application would not violate the compact, Leonhardt said." Category: Colorado Water 8:16:13 AM     Farm disaster on the South Platte Here's an article about the farmers that are not being allowed to irrigate from wells in the South Platte river aquifer, from the Denver Post. They write, "The towns of Boulder, Highlands Ranch and Sterling said in a letter that the emergency plan offered no assurance the farmers whose wells pump water from an aquifer and draw down the South Platte River would replace enough of that water... "The plan would have delivered about 10,000 acre-feet of water to replace water used by about 200 Eastern Plains farms in Adams, Morgan and Weld counties. The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District had agreed to exchange water from Windy Gap Reservoir near Granby for an emergency supply of Big Thompson River water... "...the family stands to lose much more because the water it had been relying on for decades may never be available again... "Already, for-sale signs are up in abundance. But property that was worth $400,000 for 160 acres just three years ago won't sell for a fraction of that amount, [Glen Kobobel] said. Cattle rancher Gary Weibert said he will soon have to sell off cows because he won't be able to grow feed for the animals. He stands to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many farmers are losing everything, he said... "After the 2002 drought, river users successfully sued to stop the well owners. A 2003 state law required them to come up with a permanent plan by this year to replace the water they pumped. While the central district's temporary plan was rejected this year, the district will present its permanent plan in February, Hertzke said. The district's strategies include building new reservoirs and purchasing water rights from towns." Category: Colorado Water 8:06:21 AM

© Copyright 2006 John Orr. Last update: 12/29/06; 11:44:26 AM.