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Tuesday, December 18, 2007
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Here's the San Luis Valley view of the task forced tacking a streamline of Colorado water court procedures from The Valley Courier. From the article:
Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey this week appointed Water/District Judge O. John Kuenhold of Alamosa to a newly created Water Court Committee of the Colorado Supreme Court. The chief justice signed an order earlier this month authorizing the establishment of the committee and on December 11 appointed 21 members including Kuenhold, a water and district judge in the 12th Judicial District serving the San Luis Valley. The judge will serve on the committee through August of next year.
"Water resource and usage issues are of utmost importance to all Coloradans," Mullarkey said. "I have empowered a committee of the court to review water court processes and identify ways in which we may improve them." Mullarkey added she was confident this committee would work hard in the coming months to identify the issues most critical to the fairness and efficiency of the water court process and make recommendations. The committee is charged with: reviewing the water court process; identifying possible ways through rule and/or statutory change to achieve efficiencies in water court cases while still protecting quality outcomes; and ensuring the highest level of competence in water court participants. The committee cannot alter or impair existing water use rights of any agencies or individuals. Mullarkey's order requires the committee to make its recommendations to her by August 1 of next year. She will then make the report available to the Colorado General Assembly and Governor Bill Ritter...
Attorney David Robbins who serves as counsel for the Rio Grande Water Conservation District will also serve on the 21-member committee. Other members include the new State Water Engineer Dick Wolfe as well as recently retired State Engineer Hal Simpson; Justices Greg Hobbs who will chair the committee and Michael Bender; Water Referee Lain Leoniak; State Court Administrator Jerry Marroney; Retired Water Judge Rebecca Kourlis; Casey Shpall from the Office of the Colorado Attorney General; Deputy Director for Water from the Colorado Department of Natural Resources Alexandra Davis; Water Division II Division Engineer Steve Witte; Colorado Water Conservation Board Executive Director Jennifer Gimbel; Water Engineer Doug Clements; Robert Sakata and Bill Trampe, water rights owners/users; and water attorneys Sherry Caloia, Mark Hermundstad, Andy Jones, Michael Shimmin and Jim Witwer.
Thanks to SLV Dweller for the link. More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Category: Colorado Water
7:17:38 PM 
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From The Rocky Mountain News, "A move to slow oil shale development in northwestern Colorado appeared successful as the U.S. House was expected to vote on a spending bill that removed a 2008 deadline for the federal government to issue commercial leasing rules. U.S. Sen Ken Salazar and Reps. John Salazar and Mark Udall, all Colorado Democrats, placed language in the bill that prohibits the Bureau of Land Management from issuing any final regulations for oil shale leasing or offering any leases during fiscal year 2008. Under current law, BLM must issue leasing rules and move to a commercial leasing program before the end of 2008."
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
7:04:45 AM
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Here's an article about a new report about the impact of climate change on urban water supplies from The Environmental News Network. From the article:
Warming of the earth's atmosphere will continue to put mounting pressure on America's drinking water sources, leading to diminishing supplies in some regions and flooding in others, according to an analysis released today by the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), a nonprofit organization of the largest publicly owned drinking water systems in the United States. AMWA's report, Implications of Climate Change for Urban Water Utilities, forecasts the likely impacts of climate change on water supplies in different regions of the U.S., such as an accelerated hydrologic cycle of evaporation and precipitation, water contamination, rising sea levels and pressure on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The report is available for viewing and download at AMWA's new climate change webpage, www.amwa.net/cs/climatechange...
This report shows that climate change may pose great challenges to delivering limited amounts of clean and safe water to a rapidly growing population," added VanDe Hei. Among the actions that the report suggests water systems take to prepare for the impacts of climate change are vulnerability assessments to identify short-term adaptation needs; cooperative planning and modeling efforts among utilities to devise strategies addressing likely regional water resource issues; and efforts by utilities to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions. "The ramifications identified in the report point to at least two key needs," said VanDe Hei. "Scientific research is needed to better understand the impacts of climate change on existing fresh water resources and to help develop and assess the affordability of alternative water sources -- such as reuse, recycling, conservation and desalination...In addition, an increased federal investment in water infrastructure is needed to help offset the costs of new supply development and capital projects to ensure that all Americans continue to have access to safe and affordable drinking water," she said.
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
6:57:52 AM
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From The Environmental Protection Agency, "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered the Avondale Water and Sanitation District to restore a segment of the Arkansas River it damaged in Pueblo County, Colo. The Avondale Water and Sanitation District constructed a channel approximately 40 feet wide by 400 feet long through a sandbar in the Arkansas River and illegally discharged the dredged material on both sides of the new channel within the banks of the river. The District also illegally constructed a berm across the existing channel of the river northwest of the Avondale Road bridge. The District took these actions without a permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, despite being informed by the Corps of the need to obtain a permit. The Federal Clean Water Act prohibits discharges of dredged or fill material unless authorized by a Corps permit. The EPA order requires the Avondale Water and Sanitation District to remove all unauthorized material placed into the river and to restore the river to pre-impact conditions."
Category: Colorado Water
6:43:08 AM
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Here's an article from U.S. Senator Wayne Allard's staff from The North Denver Tribune. They write:
U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.), the leading Republican on the Senate Interior Appropriations committee, announced today that he has secured $7,785,400 in funding for Colorado as a part of the 2008 Interior Appropriations Bill. The bill also includes $300 million for wildfire prevention efforts in Colorado and $229 million in funding for the Payments-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILT) program...
The following projects for Colorado were also included in the bill at Senator Allard's request: $1.7 million for the American Water Works Research Foundation in Denver; $590,000 for the State and Tribal Assistance Grants program to fund drinking water upgrades associated with the Arkansas Valley Conduit; $984,000 for the State and Tribal Assistance Grants program to improve wastewater and drinking water systems in Idaho Springs; $393,000 for the State and Tribal Assistance Grants program to upgrade wastewater systems in Bayfield; $344,400 for the State and Tribal Assistance Grants program for drinking water upgrades in Manitou Springs.
Category: Colorado Water
6:38:35 AM
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© Copyright
2008
John Orr.
Last update:
1/1/08; 1:24:01 PM.
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