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Monday, April 21, 2008
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Environmental News Network: "The first, single, comprehensive online database of land conservation in America was unveiled today by the Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national conservation organization. The website, www.ConservationAlmanac.org, is the definitive source of information about land conservation at the state and federal level, including acreage protected and dollars spent. TPL created the Conservation Almanac as a direct response to the numerous questions posed by policy makers, members of the media, and conservation leaders about the growing field of land conservation in America. The data has taken five years to collect and will be updated as new information becomes available."
Category: Colorado Water
5:59:06 PM 
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The USGS has recognized the Animas River Stakeholders Group with a Department of the Interior Cooperative Conservation Award today. From the press release:
The Animas River Stakeholders Group was recognized with the Department of the Interior's Cooperative Conservation Award today for significant improvements to water quality and aquatic habitat in Colorado's Animas River watershed. The award recognizes the strength of collaborative activities such as those of the ARSG. This group brought together perspectives from local stakeholders, including land owners and mine operators, with those of Federal and State agencies. The ARSG helped to bring about consensus among the diverse stakeholders on complex and costly cleanup efforts by providing a regular forum to explain the science behind decisions and organizing resources for voluntary mine reclamation. As part of the ARSG effort, scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey studied the geology of the watershed and the effects of historical mining on water and sediment quality and aquatic and riparian habitat. Research results were recently published and used to identify cost-effective strategies to prioritize restoration of individual abandoned mine sites. "The Animas River watershed is one of many in the Western U.S. where historical mining has left a legacy of acid mine drainage," said USGS Director Mark Myers. "This watershed, which reaches across 145 square miles of Colorado's San Juan Mountains, is rich in mineral deposits, recreational opportunities and historic interest. Through the collaborative efforts of the ARSG, people will be able to appreciate the area's beauty and opportunity, and better define environmental impacts from previous mining activity."[...]
An overview of recent USGS studies, "Environmental Effects of Historical Mining in the Animas River Watershed, Southwestern Colorado," is available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2007/3051/. The complete USGS report, "Integrated Investigations of Environmental Effects of Historical Mining in the Animas River Watershed, San Juan County, Colorado," is available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1651/.
Category: Colorado Water
5:57:47 PM
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Mercury in the environment is an increasing problem. Here's an article about a new program for recycling compact fluorescents and thermostats from Xcel and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, from The Denver Business Journal. From the article: "The light bulbs and thermostats can be dropped off at any Ace Hardware location in Colorado. The retailer has 104 locations in the state. Although the light bulbs use less energy, the drawback is they contain small amounts of mercury. The recycling program is for individuals only, not for businesses."
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
5:52:54 PM
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We heard that Governor Ritter signed HB 08-1280, Protect Leased Instream Flow Water Right, today.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Here's the Politics West coverage.
Category: Colorado Water
5:39:33 PM
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This is cool. Colorado Trout Unlimited is using their weblog to recap each month's activities. We'd like to see some links for background. In the weblog world links are golden.
Category: Colorado Water
5:33:29 PM
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Here's an update on Arkansas Valley Native's attempt to join the lawsuit against Reclamation and Aurora over their long-term contract, from The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:
A group of Arkansas River water users took issue Friday with a position taken by the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Aurora in a water lawsuit. The users, in business as Arkansas Valley Native, told a judge they object to an assertion those three litigants made earlier this week in a court filing about the lawsuit. In the lawsuit, the water district is asking a U.S. District Court judge to overturn a 40-year contract between Reclamation and Aurora for storage and exchange at Lake Pueblo, part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project...
The district, Reclamation and Aurora stated in the earlier court filing they agree that the contract would not decrease water supply from the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project to beneficiaries of the project or change "the allocation of project water supply to any project water users." The three litigants made the assertion as part of purported "undisputed facts" in their joint filing earlier this week. The Arkansas Valley Native water users group contended in a court filing Friday the contract "would cause a material change in the operations of the Fry-Ark Project and would violate" the law that authorized the project...
Arkansas Valley Native stated in the new filing that the contract authorizes Aurora to store nonproject water in project facilities, such Lake Pueblo, and to use project water stored in reservoirs north of Buena Vista. Under a paper exchange of water specified in the contract, Aurora would "book over" its water stored in Pueblo Reservoir to Reclamation, and the bureau would "book over" to Aurora water from the project reservoirs north of Buena Vista. The Arkansas Valley Native group contends the exchange of water would allow Aurora to export Fry-Ark Project water from the Arkansas River basin to the South Platte River basin. Aurora's water from the reservoirs north of Buena Vista is put into the South Platte River for the Denver suburb to use. Arkansas Valley Native alleges Aurora's export of water from the Arkansas basin "will diminish the physical supply of water above Pueblo Reservoir" and "will remove high quality water from the Arkansas River Basin, causing a diminution in water quality both upstream and downstream of Pueblo Reservoir." Arkansas Valley Native is waiting for a decision by Chief Judge Edward Nottingham on its request to intervene in the lawsuit, joining the water district as a plaintiff. In Friday's filing, the Arkansas Valley Native water users ask Nottingham, if he allows them to intervene in the case, to strike the purported "undisputed facts" from the filing earlier this week by the three litigants.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.
Category: Colorado Water
6:31:36 AM
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Here's a report from yesterday's Crystal River Kayak Races, from The Glenwood Springs Post Independent. From the article:
For the 44th time in as many years, Colorado Rocky Mountain School treated kayakers and canoers to a good time at its Crystal River Kayak Races on Sunday. Sunny skies and relatively warm, gusting winds served as the backdrop for a day of slalom racing, which began at noon under the Crystal River Bridge in Carbondale. The PVC pipe slalom gates swayed in the wind -- adding to the course's degree of difficulty -- as the day's action began. Shooting into the water one a time, riders carefully weaved through each gate -- some requiring boaters to thread while traveling downstream and others upstream. Participants spanned the likes of competitive high schoolers -- CRMS students prominent among them -- and community members of all ages and skill levels. The Crystal River Races were the third in the five-race Colorado High School Whitewater Cup Series.
Category: Colorado Water
6:15:08 AM
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© Copyright
2008
John Orr.
Last update:
5/1/08; 7:45:32 AM.
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