Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Texas: Edwards aquifer 1 mulch fire 0 Water Tech Online: "San Antonio Water System (SAWS) trustees have voted to shut off water that since December has been used to fight a large mulch fire, fearing that the nearby Edwards Aquifer, which supplies water to 1.7 million people, could be contaminated." Category: Colorado Water 6:46:40 PM     Snowpack Here's an update on snowpack from the Longmont Daily Times-Call. They write, "The statewide snowpack is 9 percent off its historical average for Feb. 1, despite heavy snowfalls east of the Continental Divide, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Mike Gillespie, a snow-survey supervisor for the NRCS, said the state has had an unusual trend of large snowstorms hitting the Front Range and Eastern Plains instead of the Western Slope... "Snowpack in the South Platte River Basin, which covers central and northeastern Colorado and provides much of Longmont's water, is 114 percent of average, the highest in the state. In the Yampa and White River Basin in northwest Colorado, which includes Steamboat Springs and Craig, the snowpack is 68 percent of average, the lowest in the state. The Colorado River Basin, from which Longmont gets nearly half its water, is at 91 percent of average." How is the snowpack in southwest Colorado? Here's an update from the Durango Herald. They write, "The federal Natural Resources Conservation Service measured the lowest snowpack percentages in the state in the Yampa and White River basins, which decreased from 86 percent of the 30-year average a month ago to 68 percent of average on Feb. 1. The San Juan/Animas/Dolores drainage was only slightly better off at 76 percent of average. The good news is that the area's snowpack is nearly half again as deep as it was at this time last year. But even with the snowfall and the positive snowpack trend, Southwest Colorado's water concerns likely will continue in 2007... "Snowfall across most of Colorado's mountains during January was below average. That has led to decreases in the snowpack percents in most of the major river basins, but they generally remain wetter than Southwest Colorado. As of Thursday, statewide snowpack was 91 percent of average. These same readings last month were 96 percent of average, reflecting the dry January conditions across Colorado's mountains, Green said. For most of the state's major river basins, this month's snowpack percentages decreased by 10 to 15 percentage points from the Jan. 1 measurements. The only exception was across the southwestern mountains, where conditions remained nearly the same or increased slightly over those from last month. This unusual phenomenon is the result of a storm pattern that has brought a series of the winter storms across northern New Mexico and produced a number of upslope storms in eastern Colorado, according to the Conservation Service. Meanwhile, most of Colorado's mountains have been missed by this storm track." Category: Colorado Water 6:40:30 AM     New rules for mercury emissions From Environment Colorado: "Today, the Air Quality Control Commission voted unanimously to adopt new rules that will reduce mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants 90% by 2018. The rules stem from a hard-fought agreement negotiated among environmental groups, public health officials, local governments, and utilities... "Specifically, the new rules will do the following: require two largest coal-fired power plants and emitters of mercury pollution, the Pawnee and Rawhide energy stations, to begin clean-up immediately and reduce mercury pollution 80% by 2012; require all coal plants to reduce mercury pollution 80% by 2014, and then 90% by 2018; prevent coal-fired power plants in Colorado from selling mercury pollution 'trading credits' to other polluters and encouraging mercury 'hot spots' to stay polluted." Category: Colorado Water 6:34:29 AM     CWCB to study RICDs? The Colorado Water Conservation Board is asking for some dough to study recreational in-channel diversions, according to the Aspen Times (free registration required). From the article, "The issue of recreational water rights for kayak parks and other in-channel uses just won't go away. In the latest twist, the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) is seeking $150,000 from the state Legislature to study the recreational in-channel diversions, also known as RICDs in shorthand water parlance. The bill is set for a hearing this week, and while critics of the proposed study say taxpayers shouldn't foot the bill for a 'whitewash' study that won't be subject to rigorous scrutiny, the CWCB's Ted Kowalski said the intent is to try and find ways to establish objective criteria for recreational water uses. At issue once again is the ability of towns like Breckenridge, Silverthorne, Golden and Vail to claim river flows for whitewater kayak parks, and how those water rights may affect upstream users. A series of court rulings and state laws during recent years have provided an outline, but perhaps not definitive guidance as to how much water towns can claim -- or how much they need -- for such facilities... "Agreeing on some ground rules could save taxpayers money in the long run, by preventing applications for recreational water rights from ending up in a long, drawn-out court battle, as has happened in several cases, notably in Gunnison. 'There should be some commonalities we can agree on without arguing each and every one in court,' Kowalski said. Additionally, Kowalski said a second part of the study is aimed at taking a look at whether the exercise of some of the existing recreational water rights have had any impact on upstream water users. It's not clear exactly if, or how often, the exercise of those rights has resulted in curtailment of an upstream water right, he said, explaining that such information would be useful to the CWCB in its administration of stream flows... "'This is a wolf in sheep's clothing,' said attorney Glenn Porzak, who has represented mountain communities like Breckenridge on recreational water rights issues. Porzak said existing court rulings and legislation provide all the guidance needed to administer the recreational flows. In a set of talking points issued to bolster the argument against the CWCB study, Porzak's law firm claims the CWCB has demonstrated a 'huge bias' against recreational flows by opposing every RICD claim. Last year's Senate Bill 37 on recreational flows limited the CWCB's authority over the flows, and Porzak said the latest study proposal is directly at odds with the legislation. By 'undermining the comity and compromise struck in the last legislative session,' the latest bill could spark another legislative battle, Porzak said. According to Porzak, the CWCB has no role in determining the 'reasonableness' of flow rates. Under SB 37, that authority is specifically reserved to the water court, and each case must be looked at individually." Category: Colorado Water 6:28:05 AM     Denver Water and Western Slope water users hire mediator Denver Water and water officials from the rainy side of Colorado have hired a mediator to help settle long standing disputes over management, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "Locked in an almost two-year standstill, Denver Water and a coalition of Western Slope water users have hired a Washington, D.C., mediator to prod stalled water-sharing talks. The two factions hope the mediator will be able to help them avoid litigation and reach agreement on some long-standing conflicts between the state's largest water provider and water users in Grand, Summit, Eagle and Mesa counties. 'I think everyone feels like this is the best way to negotiate complex, multi-part disputes,' said David Little, Denver Water's manager of water resource planning. 'We're very optimistic.' Little said that Denver Water and the Western Slope group will split costs associated with the employment of John Bickerman, who will travel to Colorado next week to begin mediation... "In May 2005, a coalition of Western Slope water users with what was billed as a 'global solution' aimed to protect their supplies while giving the utility a chance to develop more projects in the high country. The proposal, the details of which remain under wraps, marked the first time various Western Slope factions had come together to negotiate. It was supposed to usher in a new era of Colorado water talks. Water users on both sides of the Continental Divide, however, say some of the same complex, contentious water projects that have tripped up both sides for decades are proving just as difficult this time around... "Among the sticking points are future allocations from the Green Mountain and Wolcott reservoirs. Under one proposal, Denver Water would get a portion of the water stored in the federally owned Green Mountain reservoir. Two-thirds of it currently goes to the Western Slope. A pipeline would be built to ship water from Green Mountain to Denver Water's Dillon Reservoir. In exchange, the Western Slope might augment its supply from a new reservoir to be built near Wolcott in Eagle County." Category: Colorado Water 6:18:16 AM     John Singletary: Every water tap we lose out of our basin is one we will never have U.S. Congressman John Salazar is working on storage legislation for the Lower Arkansas River Valley, according to the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article, "Water users who thought they were investing in water storage want to see more guarantees for future space in Lake Pueblo under proposed federal storage legislation. U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., who has proposed the legislation, is more concerned about guaranteeing a future for rural communities... "Salazar's legislation, still in its draft form and not submitted as a bill, would remove language about the Preferred Storage Options Plan developed over the past 10 years by the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District. Members of the Southeastern committee, meeting with Pace Tuesday, were concerned that agreements reached in negotiating PSOP would be honored in the new legislation. There were also questions about how the new bill would be treated in a new, nine-party intergovernmental agreement still being negotiated... "Salazar specifically wrote legislation to include the interests of the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District and Pueblo County, which are not parties to previous IGAs, [Sal Pace, Salazar's district director] said. 'If a bill looks like the 2003-04 version, the congressman will not support it,' Pace said. 'If the parties come together with the Pueblo County Commissioners and the Lower Ark, the congressman has said he will support it.' For the past two years, the Lower Ark district has negotiated with eight other parties over PSOP legislation." Category: Colorado Water 6:03:25 AM     CRWCD water issues workshop The Colorado River Water Conservation District is, "presenting another in its series of Colorado Mountain College-hosted water issues workshops from 6:30-8:30 p.m. today at the Colorado Mountain College Glenwood Center", according to the Glenwood Springs Post Independent (free registration required). They write, "The Colorado River District is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. It was formed in 1937 to counterbalance Front Range diversions of Western Slope water. In 2007, the same pressures continue with active projects that, if approved, would divert more water to the east side of the Continental Divide. For more information, call Pokrandt at 945-8522, ext. 236, or e-mail edinfo@crwcd.org. The workshop is designed for people who want to attain a basic understanding of water law and current events. The cost is $10. Call 945-7481 to register." Category: Colorado Water 5:52:20 AM

© Copyright 2007 John Orr. Last update: 3/1/07; 6:53:21 AM.