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Tuesday, October 24, 2006
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eMaxHealth.com: "Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) should be considered emerging environmental contaminants with more research devoted to the mechanisms by which they spread, scientists say in a report scheduled for the Dec. 1 issue of the semi-monthly ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology. Colorado State University's Amy Pruden and colleagues reached that conclusion after a study that documented occurrence of tetracycline and sulfonamide Antibiotic resistance genes in irrigation ditches, river sediments, and other spots in the environment in northern Colorado. They detected tetracycline resistance genes in treated drinking water, suggesting that it may be a pathway for spread of Antibiotic resistance genes to humans."
Category: Colorado Water
6:36:35 AM 
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The Mountain Mail: "Chaffee County's water right for recreational-level flows through the whitewater parks in Buena Vista and Salida was finalized Friday when Water Division 2 Judge Dennis Maes signed the decree in Pueblo. The action put to rest months of back-and-forth negotiations between Chaffee County and almost 20 objectors in the case, who eventually agreed to terms and avoided litigation in water court...
"The county wanted to protect its boating and tourism industry. Particularly, commissioners aimed to ensure adequate flows for the FIBArk festival and fledgling Paddlefest event in Buena Vista. In doing so they gave significant concessions to the future water needs of Front Range cities such as Aurora, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. The county's decree calls for flows of 1,800 cubic feet of water per second as measured at the Wellsville gauge for the eight days that encompass FIBArk and Paddlefest. The 1,800 cfs is the largest RICD decree in Colorado. During the remainder of June, the county can call for 1,400 cfs, then 700 cfs for the rest of the summer and 250 cfs during the fall and early spring. However, as part of the negotiations, Chaffee County agreed to a reduced call to accommodate the future exchange needs of several Front Range municipalities. The reduced call can take RICD flows to as low as 1,200 cfs during June. But that can be reduced even further during or after especially dry years when municipalities are attempting to recover reservoir storage. During those recovery years, the RICD call can be cut to 1,500 cfs during FIBArk and Paddlefest and 1,000 cfs during the rest of June except weekends, which can't be reduced to less than 1,100 cfs. There are more than 100,000 acre-feet of Front Range exchanges the county gave up its right to object to as part of the negotiations. But the decree stipulates the Front Range cities, either singularly or cumulatively, can't operate future exchanges in a way that reduces the RICD call below the above listed minimums...
"Colorado Springs secured consideration for the biggest future exchange during the RICD negotiations, stipulating that the county can't object to up to 50,000 acre-feet of exchanges and possible diversions out of the valley. The Lower Arkansas Water Conservancy District got consideration for 35,000 acre-feet in a planned water leasing program of agricultural water. The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District negotiated consideration for 19,000 acre-feet, Pueblo got 15,000 and Aurora got 10,000. The Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District retained its right to object to all future exchanges, and Scanga said it likely will...
"Another aspect of the RICD settlement is a strengthening of the flow program, which historically was a voluntary agreement among water providers to maintain at least 700 cfs in the river from July 1 to Aug. 15. The RICD agreements make the flow program a five-year rather than a year-to-year commitment. A committee that will meet periodically to help administer the RICD and flow program flows also came out of the negotiations."
Category: Colorado Water
6:32:03 AM
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According to the Pueblo Chieftain contract talks between Aurora and the Bureau of Reclamation over water from the Fryingpan-Arkansas project will start tomorrow. From the article, "The Bureau of Reclamation is confident of its authority and the process it is using to issue a contract to Aurora to store and exchange water for the next 40 years. Questions about the contract have been raised in the past week in regards to the process, protection of ongoing agreements and Reclamation's authority to contract with entities outside the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, which the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project was constructed to benefit. On Monday, the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District formally drafted a resolution suggesting the Bureau of Reclamation reschedule contract negotiations after public comments are heard on a draft environmental impact statement. Reclamation runs the processes concurrently so the contract can be adjusted to reflect concerns raised during the environmental assessment, spokeswoman Kara Lamb said Monday. Contract negotiations will open at 9 a.m. Wednesday at a meeting in the Occhiato Ballroom in the Student Center at the Colorado State University-Pueblo. Comments on the draft environmental assessment continue through Nov. 9...
"In the new contract, Aurora is seeking 40 years of excess capacity storage of up to 10,000 acre-feet in Lake Pueblo, as well as the ability to move 10,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Pueblo in a paper trade to the upper reservoirs. Aurora pays about twice the rate as Fry-Ark members to store water and if reservoirs fill, its water is the first to spill. The Southeastern district and Kansas have raised questions about whether the draft environmental assessment does enough to recognize previous restrictions on Aurora exchanges, which were enumerated in a five-year environmental assessment on excess capacity contracts up to 80,000 acre-feet in Lake Pueblo."
Category: Colorado Water
6:22:22 AM
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Colorado Springs wants to raise wastewater fees, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette. From the article, "The wastewater increase - 9.2 percent for residential users and 6.6 percent to 10.6 percent for nonresidential users, depending on usage level - is needed to fund the department's ongoing systems upgrade, officials say. Spills in recent years sent millions of gallons of sewage into local waterways, including Fountain Creek, resulting in record fines and repairs dictated by the state. The city is focusing on trouble spots, such as pipeline creek crossings and unsecured manhole covers - both of which have been the cause of sewage spills. Another project will contain and divert spills from Fountain Creek."
Category: Colorado Water
6:06:46 AM
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According to the Denver Post 50 farmers continued to irrigate this summer after their wells were shut down in the spring. From the article, "About 50 northern Colorado farmers have defied orders to turn off their groundwater pumps and now may face fines, state engineer Hal Simpson says. For the past two years, Simpson has ordered about 2,000 well shutdowns for farmers who failed to prove they could replace their withdrawals from underground aquifers linked to the South Platte River. Many farmers in Weld, Adams and Morgan Counties obeyed Simpson's order and watched as their crops withered and died. But apparently not everyone. Simpson said utility records show that several farmers turned on their groundwater pumps despite his orders. This week, the state engineer's office will begin notifying the pumping scofflaws, who will have to answer to a Greeley water court judge...
"Tom Cech, director of the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District, said he was stunned some of the district's members had private investigators traipsing around their property. Cech said that perhaps it's time that irrigators along the South Platte find ways to balance their competing water demands rather than battling it out in court."
More background here.
Category: Colorado Water
5:55:37 AM
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© Copyright
2006
John Orr.
Last update:
12/29/06; 12:22:08 PM.
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