Tuesday, February 20, 2007

New EIS for Glen Canyon Dam According to the Outdoor Newswire the Bureau of Reclamation is drafting a new EIS for the operation of Glen Canyon Dam. From the article, "In an attempt to comply with a settlement agreement reached last September between environmental groups and the Department of Interior, the Bureau of Reclamation has begun the scoping process for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the operations of Glen Canyon Dam called the Long-Term Experimental Plan. According to John Weisheit of the Utah-based river restoration group Living Rivers, the world-renowned Colorado River ecosystem in Grand Canyon National Park has been deteriorating for more than four decades due to the upstream operations of the 700-foot-high Glen Canyon Dam. Beaches, endangered native fish and archeological sites have all disappeared as cold, nutrient-depleted water is released at the whims of dam operators on a daily basis, replacing the gradual seasonal fluctuations consistent with the Colorado River's natural hydrology. Within ten years after the dam's completion, strong public outcry forced the Bureau of Reclamation (BoR) to begin exploring mechanisms to alter Glen Canyon Dam's operations to reverse its detrimental effects on Grand Canyon National Park ... "According to Weisheit, there already exists an abundance of scientific understanding regarding how dam operations must change, much of from the first Glen Canyon Dam EIS completed in 1995, if Grand Canyon's river ecosystem is to be protected, The problem, according to Weisheit, is that these recommendations are not being followed by the stakeholder group put in charge of implementing the regulations, under the auspices of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program." Category: Colorado Water 6:02:09 AM     Box Elder Creek aquifer? Here's an update on the efforts by the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District's attempts to get a new groundwater basin declared for Box Elder Creek, from the Denver Post. From the article, "Northern Colorado farmers who are trying to prove they aren't sucking down the South Platte River have lost one round in their protracted fight to keep irrigating Front Range cropland. A hearing officer for the state groundwater commission recommended last week denying the farmers' petition to designate about 300,000 acres in Weld, Adams, Arapahoe and Elbert counties as a groundwater basin... "Several ditch companies fought the farmers' proposal to designate the Box Elder Creek groundwater basin. Aurora, Greeley, Sterling, Denver Water and Denver International Airport opposed the designation. Aside from the impact on the South Platte, some foes argued they don't want to live under the regulatory scheme that a groundwater designation would create." Here's the coverage from the Greeley Tribune. They write, "Irrigation well owners in central Weld County have lost their first battle. Jody Grantham, hearing officer for the Colorado Ground Water Commission, has recommended a petition to designate Box Elder Creek a designated ground water basin be denied. The designation would have allowed well owners in the area to pump wells without having to replace the water those wells use back to the South Platte River... "The Box Elder petition was filed by the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District and John Moser, a well owner in the basin, which runs from Kersey south to the Black Forest near Colorado Springs. Grantham heard testimony through a nine-day period in January. The petition sought designation for an area from about four miles south of the South Platte River near Kersey extending south for about 56 miles. There were 25 entities that filed objections to the petition... "Citing Colorado water law, Grantham said the evidence 'clearly shows the primary source of water (in Box Elder Creek) to be tributary return flows from seepage, canal leakage and field irrigation resulting from decreed tributary waters that are imported from the South Platte River.'" More Coyote Gulch coverage here. Category: Colorado Water 5:43:57 AM     Whitewater park for Glenwood Springs? Here's an update on Glenwood Springs' proposed whitewater park from the Glenwood Springs Post Independent (free registration required). From the article, "Last week, council voted unanimously to endorse a letter to Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) emphasizing the city's flexibility regarding water rights associated with its park. The letter is intended to assure the state that the park shouldn't get caught up in the kind of water rights controversies that have erupted regarding whitewater parks in other parts of Colorado. 'We'd rather spend the money on actually building the whitewater park than on legal fights over it,' Merritt said. The Colorado River benefits from reliable flows thanks in part to a senior right used to operate the Shoshone hydroelectric plant in Glenwood Canyon. Some concerns have arisen because of Xcel Energy's agreement to use less than the plant's full water right to benefit Denver in times of drought. However the Colorado River's flows also are enhanced by water it carries to meet senior rights of agriculture in the Grand Junction area. Christensen said one benefit of the city's decision to build the park in West Glenwood rather than further upstream is that it also is below the confluence of the Roaring Fork River. Park advocates originally had hoped to build the park on the Colorado River in downtown Glenwood but the Hot Springs Lodge & Pool feared it could jeopardize the shallow hot springs aquifer beneath the river. GOCO funds outdoor projects with state lottery revenues. Christensen said it's become apparent that the battle over recreational water rights "can be sort of like an anchor" on whitewater park requests made to GOCO... "Besides serving on council, Merritt is chief engineer of the Glenwood-based Colorado River Water Conservation District, which looks after water interests in the Colorado River Basin in western Colorado. He said Colorado's legislation sought to find middle ground on the recreational water rights issue, and the Colorado Water Conservation Board has been concerned that proposed recreational water rights fall in that middle ground and don't cause problems in administration and development of other water rights. Glenwood doesn't plan to waive its ability to seek such rights. But its letter will acknowledge the controversial nature of them and state that the city's focus is on building a park, and it is willing to negotiate over water rights. Merritt said existing water in the Colorado River should be adequate to meet the Glenwood park's needs throughout the kayaking season. That includes later in the summers when flows in whitewater parks in some communities usually are too low." More Coyote Gulch coverage here. Category: Colorado Water 5:36:33 AM

© Copyright 2007 John Orr. Last update: 3/1/07; 6:56:23 AM.