Saturday, March 24, 2007

Global warming: The Earth is a beautifully complex system The Rocky Mountain News is running a preview of the report Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability due out April 6th. From the article, "Everyone on the planet will be touched by global warming, but the poorest nations may be hardest hit because they lack the resources to adapt to the harmful changes ahead, Boulder climate researchers say. Consider Bangladesh, a country of 147 million people packed into a mostly flat delta region slightly smaller than Iowa. As the world warms, sea levels could rise 2 feet, or more, by 2100. "Even a rise of one foot will put a huge amount of that entire country under water permanently," said geographer Susi Moser... "A summary of the new 20-chapter report will be presented April 6 in Brussels, Belgium. Specific findings are embargoed until then, but NCAR researchers agreed to talk in general terms about some of the topics addressed in the report... "The upcoming report is not all doom and gloom. There's still time to avert some of the most damaging impacts of climate change, if the world's nations act soon to reduce emissions of heat-trapping 'greenhouse' gases such as carbon dioxide, the NCAR researchers say. 'The question is, 'What are we going to do to slow down global warming so that we give ourselves a chance?' [NCAR sociologist Paty Romero Lankao] said. 'We need to contain the impacts, so that we can adapt.'" Category: 2008 Presidential Election 6:27:45 AM     NCRS: Conservation grants application period extended The Natural Resources Conservation Service has extended it's deadline for application for conservation grants, according to the High Plains/Midwest AG Journal. From the article, "The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service has extended the sign-up period for the 2007 Conservation Innovation Grants to April 13, from the initial deadline of March 30. An availability of up to $800,000 for proposed projects in Colorado will be funded through CIG. Individual applications will be awarded up to $75,000 through a statewide competitive grants process for improving conservation practices in Colorado... "The purpose of CIG, a component of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies while leveraging federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection, in conjunction with agricultural production. Applications will be accepted from eligible entities, including federally-recognized Indian tribes, state and local governments, non-governmental organizations, and individuals for competitive consideration of grant awards for single or multi-year projects, not to exceed three years. Applications should demonstrate the uses of innovative technologies or innovative approaches to address a natural resource concern or concerns in one or more of the six priority natural resource concern areas in Colorado, which are: water resources, soil resources, atmospheric resources, grazing land and forest health, energy conservation and renewable energy sources, and wildlife habitat... "Applications must be received in the Colorado NRCS State Office, Room E200C by 4:30 p.m. (MST), April 13. Written applications should be sent to USDA NRCS c/o Tim Carney, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs, 655 Parfet Street, Room E200C, Lakewood, CO 80215." Category: Colorado Water 5:55:57 AM     Farm disaster on the South Platte The Fort Morgan Times is running a recap of the meeting this week up in Wiggins with Governor Ritter. From the article, "Gov. Bill Ritter will not simply sign an executive order opening up use of wells along the South Platte River, although he said he understands the urgency of the matter, at least until he's checked the legality of such a move. Wiggins area farmer Lance Kaufman had asked if Ritter could issue an executive order by April 15 so that growers could start planting, which was one of several suggestions by presenters at the Northeastern Colorado Town Meeting Thursday in the Wiggins Event Cemter on solutions to what they called the 'water crisis' in the area. Ritter promised a crowd of about 700 that he would look into the possibility of an executive order, but made no promise on actually doing it... "Representatives of several groups made suggestions on what to do about the shutting of wells and the consequent economic impact, which they pointed out would affect the state as well as the region. Among those ideas which received standing ovations were: Allowing all wells drilled before 1969 to continue pumping; Streamlining the Water Court so it does not take years to settle issues; Forgiving past river depletions by at least a two-year moratorium; Establishing a panel to review and recommend methods to simplify and modernize water law with the use of up-to-date science; Returning control to the state water engineer from the Water Court; Helping the lower reaches of the South Platte to develop water districts and water authorities; Creating local partnerships among water users; Consider use of county 1041 authority... "Ritter said he would meet with his advisers next week to begin to address the situation immediately, but what form that would take is uncertain. One thing he said was he would not make a decision based only on the these presentations. He wants to find everyone who has to 'be at the table' to solve the problem." "Ritter agreed it is right to put together a group to consider how the law impacts agricultural water use and its economic effect in rural areas. 'This is a statewide conversation,' he said, adding other areas like the Arkansas River growers are also affected by water law. He also said he understood the seeming inefficiency of the water courts when everyone who can object to a use does object... "Ritter said his commitment to renewable energy depends on keeping land in production for biofuels, and this is a matter of national security in trying make the U.S. energy independent. He also noted agriculture is a $16 billion annual industry in Colorado with 155,000 employed just counting farmers and ranchers, not those who are impacted indirectly... "Although the direct loss of tax collections in Morgan County are not too high this year -- a $55,000 loss to county government and $100,000 to school districts -- that is just the beginning, said Morgan County Assessor Bob Wooldridge. The years 2007 and 2008 should be 'at the point of no return' if this situation continues. Many have not reduced their assessed value to dryland levels, so the impact is not yet felt, but that cannot continue, he said. He expects the final numbers from 2006 will show 45,000 acres no longer listed as irrigated land, Wooldridge said. In terms of cash flow in the county, that amounts to a loss of $38 million-$40 million, he said. 'It's starting to really affect our local economy,' Wooldridge said. Loss of production and tax collections are just one part of the impact of lost water. If growers cannot produce cattle and dairy feed, it will hurt feedlots, dairies and factories, since the price of hauling in feed from other areas is prohibitive, he said. If there is no feed, it could mean the loss of economic bulwarks such as Cargill Meat Solutions, Leprino Foods and the Dairy Farmers of America milk drying plant, Wooldridge warned. Five Rivers feedlot, formerly known as the Monfort lots, are rumored to be considering cutting back from 100,000 head to 50,000 head, said Don Jones, president of the Morgan County Economic Development Corp. Board of Directors. Loss of farmer sales is also hurting agricultural businesses such as implement dealers and seed sales. Ron Graff of M and M Cooperative said it has lost $14.9 million in fertilizer, seed, chemical and fuel sales in the past six years with the loss of the GASP and Central wells and expects to lose another $2.6 million from the loss of the Orphan Wells of Wiggins shutdowns... "'Legal costs are astounding, with some Northeast Colorado communities spending in excess of $500,000 a year to protect or enhance water resources,' [Brush City Administrator Monty Torres] said. The City of Brush had to increase water rates by 31 percent last year to cover legal, engineering and administrative costs associated with water, he said. This is all a pattern of 'ruthless legal policy' by large cities such as Boulder, Centennial and Highlands Ranch, which have bigger cash reserves to tap for legal maneuvers, Jones said." Category: Colorado Water 5:46:22 AM     Snowpack: It's 'crazy warm' Here's a report on snowpack from the Colorado Springs Gazette. From the article, "Colorado's mountain snowpack, which provides drinking water for the Front Range cities, has plummeted during the recent warm and dry spell, dropping from 85 percent of normal to 77 percent in the past week... "...snowpack in the Arkansas River Basin, which includes Colorado Springs, is at 93 percent of average. According to a report Colorado Springs Utilities officials released last week, the reservoirs that provide drinking water are at 82 percent of capacity. It was 68 percent at this time last year... "The Gunnison River Basin is at 73 percent, while basins in southwestern Colorado are at 62 percent." Category: Colorado Water 5:22:08 AM     Fry-Ark space for Aurora? The final EA for Aurora's 40 year contract with the Bureau of Reclamation for a Fry-Ark water exchange has resulted in a "finding of no significant impact," according to the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article, "The finding means there will not be a full environmental impact assessment for the contract and the final contract will likely be signed. The decision was announced by Bureau of Reclamation spokeswoman Kara Lamb late Friday. She could not be reached for further comment. The action comes just days after U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, D-Colo., asked Reclamation to do a full environmental impact statement on the Aurora contract... "U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., has stated flatly that he does not believe Reclamation has authority to issue the contract under the 1962 Fryingpan-Arkansas Act, which was primarily intended to provide water for cities, farms and industry in the Arkansas Valley. Reclamation officials have used federal laws passed in 1902, 1939 and the Fry-Ark Act as the grounds for issuing a contract with Aurora. They also cite past contracts as justification. Aurora intends to use 10,000 acre-feet of storage in Lake Pueblo on an 'if-and-when' basis, the same way it has used annual contracts since 1986. It also may exchange up to 10,000 acre-feet annually from Pueblo to Twin Lakes in a paper trade with Reclamation. An acre-foot is 325,851 gallons... "The contract is expected to generate about $45 million for Reclamation over its lifetime, and the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District will receive about $24 million under a 2003 intergovernmental agreement. Aurora payments to Reclamation will help pay off the costs of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project. The Southeastern district reached the agreement after initially challenging Reclamation's authority to contract with Aurora in 2001. Southeastern officials also challenged Reclamation's authority in 1986, when it first began issuing one-year contracts to Aurora." Interested readers should be able to download a copy of the EA here. It's not up there as of this morning. If you're in a hurry, Coyote Gulch received a copy from Reclamation yesterday evening. Send email to Coyote Gulch [AT] Mac [DOT] com and we'll forward you a copy. Category: Colorado Water 5:11:42 AM

© Copyright 2007 John Orr. Last update: 4/1/07; 9:51:15 AM.