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Tuesday, July 1, 2008
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From The Pueblo Chieftain: "As spring runoff continues at full tilt, the Bureau of Reclamation is confident it will bring over the 100,000 acre-feet of water it estimated was available to Arkansas Valley users back in May...Last week, [Roy Vaughan, head of the Pueblo Reclamation office] surveyed the collection system in the Fryingpan River drainage basin, and said there still appears to be plenty of snow to melt...At the bottom of some canyons, there was as much as two feet of snow. The Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, which Reclamation operates, can continue to divert water as long as the Thomasville Gauge on the Fryingpan River remains above certain levels. Today, the minimum standard at Thomasville dropped to 100 cubic feet per second, but the gauge was reading closer to 650 cfs, Vaughan said. That means not only snowmelt, but rainwater from summer storms may still be diverted. So far, about 60,000 acre-feet of water has been diverted, with the Boustead Tunnel, which carries water from the collection system into Twin Lakes, running at full capacity, non-stop, for more than two weeks...In May, the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District allocated more than 83,000 acre-feet of water - a little more than 34,000 acre-feet to cities and almost 49,000 acre-feet to agriculture. Because of transit loss and certain water delivery obligations, the amount allocated is usually about 15 percent less than the amount imported. However, because water brought into the basin can be reused, about 17,000 acre-feet of return flows from agriculture were also allocated. Cities pay a higher premium and individually account for their reuse of imported water."
Category: Colorado Water
7:31:18 AM 
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From The Boulder Daily Camera: "After years of work, plans to clean up century-old mining waste in Boulder County at the Captain Jack Mill Superfund Site and the Argo Mine -- both of which dump a potpourri of heavy metals into the Lefthand Creek watershed -- have been completed and are available to the public for comment."
More from the article:
Thanks to local, state and federal officials along with some of the mine owners, many of the major mines -- including Burlington, Slide, Golden Age and Evening Star -- have been cleaned up in the last decade, according to the Lefthand Watershed Oversight Group. But rainwater and snowmelt running through old tailings piles mine shafts at the Argo mine northwest of Jamestown and the Captain Jack site south of Ward can still contaminate the creek. The Lefthand Creek drains the water around Ward before joining James Creek, which along with its main tributary, Little James Creek, catches the runoff around and above Jamestown. Eventually, the creek flows northeast past Niwot before joining St. Vrain Creek south of Longmont.
The preferred cleanup for the Argo Mine, which will be managed by Boulder County with the help of an EPA brownfields grant, involves scraping up the old tailings piles and mixing them with a mush of cement and lime, which neutralizes pH, and dumping them into the gap in the earth where the metals were scraped out. At the Captain Jack site, which includes the White Raven mine, the Captain Jack Mill and the Big Five tunnel, the preferred plan is to consolidate all the waste on-site and cap it to prevent runoff. Captain Jack is a federally listed Superfund site administered by the federal government and overseen by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. "We hope to get started in August," said Barry Shook, who's heading up the Argo project for the county.
Category: Colorado Water
7:20:17 AM
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From The Pueblo Chieftain: "Standing in the auctioneer's booth at the La Junta Winter Livestock auction barn, longtime rancher and auctioneer John Campbell has had to watch as pen after pen of cattle are steered into the ring and sold - two or three months ahead of their normal auction time. Late spring and the summer months, Campbell says, usually are a slow time for cattle sales, but little rain and high temperatures have left acres of rangeland and pastures in poor condition. 'The conditions are making it so ranchers are selling more pairs (cattle and calves) at a time when we don't usually see these sales. It's all drought related,' Campbell said Monday."
Category: Colorado Water
7:13:25 AM
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Here's an update on Nestle Water's plans for the water from the Hagen Spring, written by Bruce Lauerman, the Natural Resources Manager for Nestle Waters North America, in The Mountain Mail. From the article:
To meet consumer demand for bottled water in Colorado and neighboring states, Nestle Waters trucks bottled water to this region from Southern California. We have been exploring options allowing us to transport water to Denver from Chaffee County or other in-state locations, to reduce truck miles, fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Nestle Waters is entering the second year of evaluation of a potential spring-water development project near Nathrop. In May 2007, Nestle Waters purchased and optioned 130 acres along the Arkansas River below Fisherman's Bridge. The land contains a number of natural springs and includes nearly a mile of frontage on either side of the river within Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, and significant bighorn sheep habitat on Sugarloaf Mountain. Before our involvement, most of the land was listed for sale, and was recently under contract by a residential developer. If our project continues, Nestle Waters will keep the land essentially undeveloped, preserved as open space, to protect the watershed of the springs.
The project contemplates sustainable, safe pumping of as much as 200 acre-feet of groundwater annually, or approximately 0.3 cubic feet per second (three-tenths of a cfs). Compared to the average measured spring flow of about 4 cfs, proposed withdrawal is relatively small. Impact on the Arkansas River wouldn't be measurable, even during low flow. No neighboring wells would be affected. During operation, hydrologic and environmental conditions would be continually monitored. The data will be available to the public.
To protect other water-right owners on the Arkansas River, Colorado Water Court and the State Engineer must approve a 100-percent augmentation plan for the project. We have been working to develop partnerships within Chaffee County to solicit input on the proposed project. The Colorado Division of Wildlife has indicated it would have no adverse impact on wildlife or the environment. Colorado Trout Unlimited indicated to us they don't anticipate harm to fish population or habitat.
Water would be conveyed by buried pipeline to U.S. 285. A small, well-screened load station would transfer water to tanker trucks for delivery to Denver. The trucks are similar to those seen daily in Chaffee County which haul milk, fuel and a variety of other liquids commonly used by Coloradans. The proposal is for as many as 25 trucks per day. A traffic impact study will be conducted and we expect it will show the increase in truck traffic and associated emissions would be negligible...
We expect to submit permit applications to Chaffee County soon, and look forward to the process to demonstrate Nestle Waters' commitment to "doing the project right," by identifying and mitigating potential adverse impacts. Our preliminary scientific research indicates this will be a low impact project. We will continue working with stakeholders, including neighbors, regulators and local leaders, to determine how our project can be improved to best meet needs of the community. Compared to the real development pressures the area is experiencing, we believe our project could be one sustainable alternative for preserving and protecting Chaffee County.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Category: Colorado Water
7:06:44 AM
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Here's an article about Reclamation's risk assessment for the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel, The Rocky Mountain News. From the article:
The report by the Bureau of Reclamation stands in sharp contrast to declarations in February that spread panic in the working class mountain town. Even critics of the federal response to the issue now seem satisfied that no disaster is likely...
The Bureau of Reclamation concluded a major blockage in the tunnel is "longer and stronger" than previous estimates. That means water backed up behind it isn't enough to push through the debris and gush into town. "The bottom line is, the Leadville community, the trailer park (near the tunnel's entrance) - those folks are safe," said Michael Ryan, Great Plains Region director for Reclamation, an agency that oversees numerous federal water projects in the West. The report is replete with technical documents and includes comments from a consultant review board, made up of three engineers independent of BOR. The board, which included an engineer from Leadville, found the government's conclusions "reasonable and well-supported."[...]
Federal and state agencies had always been skeptical of a crisis, the chances of which, some officials said publicly, was overblown. Leadville officials were also critical. They accused county commissioners of grandstanding and failing to consult with the town before declaring an emergency and setting off panic. Hickman and Wiens defended their approach Monday. They said their concern was based largely on an EPA memo signed by regional administrator Robbie Roberts in late 2007 that first suggested the possibility of a blowout of the drainage tunnel. Later, Roberts said he didn't know if such a blowout could really occur. "Even after reading this (summary of the new BOR report), I would not have done anything differently," Hickman said, pointing to the warnings in the EPA letter. "I won't mess with people's lives."
Hickman noted that without the ruckus, "we probably never would have had this report," and the agencies wouldn't have started addressing the issue. Indeed, all the noise generated loads of media attention, followed by government action. The EPA has spent nearly $5 million to drill a well into the mine pool and siphon water out, then pipe it to a BOR treatment plant. Several members of Colorado's congressional delegation also jumped into the controversy. In June, the U.S. House approved a bill by Reps. Doug Lamborn, a Republican, and Mark Udall, a Democrat, that would give the Bureau of Reclamation responsibility to remove and treat water backed up inside the mine tunnel. In the Senate, Sen. Ken Salazar is working on similar legislation.
More coverage from The Pueblo Chieftain. They write:
Reclamation's report determined the pressure in the tunnel would not be sufficient to move material blocking the tunnel. It also says the higher water levels do not pose a threat to the surrounding hillsides east of Leadville...
Reclamation was evaluating the risk from cave-ins along the tunnel prior to the emergency declaration, but accelerated its timetable. The risk assessment is similar to evaluations of dams and was reviewed by scientific peers.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.
Category: Colorado Water
6:57:27 AM
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Telluride just won the right to condemn the land in the valley just below the town. Now they're looking to protect the associated water rights by improving the irrigation system in the area, according to The Telluride Watch. From the article:
Restoration of the Valley Floor irrigation system to working condition will begin as early as this week after town council gave the project its approval at last Tuesday's meeting. The project is being undertaken primarily to protect valuable water rights won by the town with its recent acquisition of the property through condemnation, said Town Manager Frank Bell. According to Colorado law, water rights may be lost if the water is not used. "I'm very concerned that the longer we go without using it in some fashion the more likely it is to be challenged by another user," Bell told council last week. "We want to show we're putting forth a good faith effort to maintain those water rights." Rights, he said, that are worth millions of dollars and contributed to the lofty purchase price of the land...
Mill and Eider Creeks are the primary water sources for the Valley Floor irrigation system, which fell into disrepair after years of disuse while the Town of Telluride fought to win the 572-acre parcel located just outside its boundaries during a legal battle ultimately decided by the Colorado Supreme Court in June. The system has three canals through which the flow of water is controlled by a system of head gates and weirs. "You have to maintain it constantly because it gets sedimented in," said Bell, explaining that the first task will be to dig out the head gates. Additionally, the canals, which are no longer at even heights, must be leveled to allow water to flow, and their caved in banks repaired. "There's a lot of digging to be done and most of it is handwork," said Bell, estimating that cleaning the head gates and leveling the canals will take between two and three weeks. Once the system is working, which Bell said could be in about four weeks, the town will periodically test it throughout the remainder of the summer.
Category: Colorado Water
6:48:07 AM
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FromThe Summit Daily News: "University of Colorado scientists will closely track water quality in Silverthorne's North Pond after a fish kill last autumn was attributed to a lack of oxygen in the water. The popular fishing hole hasn't been the same since, according to Marshall Wilson, who recently sent an e-mail to the Summit Daily outlining his concerns...Town engineer Bill Linfield said Silverthorne recently contracted with the University of Colorado's Center for the Study of Limnology to monitor the pond."
Category: Colorado Water
6:40:17 AM
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From The Sky-Hi Daily News: "Disruption of water service recently to some Moraine Park users has focused attention on the system's dependability. A few of the 50 homeowners who use Moraine Park water supplied by Paul Geisendorfer's private water system are feeling as though their water woes are being ignored. By Monday, at least 10 residences on Avenue A had been without water since Saturday, according to Moraine Park's licensed water operator Todd Conger of Water Dog LLC...System owner Jean Geisendorfer of Colorado Springs, Paul's wife, says the problem stems from summer use taxing the system, not an undiscovered leak. Two weeks ago Saturday a leak was located and repaired, and water pressure was returned to more than what the state required. Jean said the pressure was checked Monday morning to confirm."
Category: Colorado Water
6:30:13 AM
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From The Aspen Daily News: "Despite warnings from the city's water department about an inefficient delivery system and harmful environmental effects, as well as references to studies that fluorinated water can cause bone cancer, the Aspen City Council decided at a work session Monday that fluoride will continue to be added to the city's water supply. The council was considering a proposal from the water department to stop adding about 30 pounds of powdered fluoride each day to the water supply, which brings the amount of fluoride in Aspen tap water to about 0.9 or 1.0 parts per million. Aspen water has a natural fluoride concentration of about 0.3 or 0.4. The council decided that there was not enough "compelling evidence" to reverse 40 years of public policy in Aspen, as the city started adding fluoride to the local water supply in 1967."
Category: Colorado Water
6:23:26 AM
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Here's a recap of yesterday's sessions of the Western Governors Association in Jackson, Wyoming, from The Casper Star Tribune. From the article:
[Brad Udall, director of the Western Water Assessment] urged the Western Governors' Association to move as quickly as possible toward developing large-scale, regionwide water conservation plans, as the most viable way to avoid a serious water shortage crisis. Udall's address kicked of the morning's discussions at Teton Village here, on the second day of the annual governors' conference. "We now know and have known for quite a while that climate change will fundamentally change the water supply," Udall said. "If we want protect the values of the West that we all love, we have got to get serious about water conservation."
Water conservation has a two-fold efficiency benefit, Udall told the gathering, because the production, purification, pumping, delivery and home heating of water uses enormous amounts of energy. If states and municipalities can reduce their water consumption levels, they'll also significantly reduce overall energy consumption, he said. A couple of emerging technologies could help create new sources of fresh water -- including desalinization and purification systems that allow water to be reused locally -- but the best, most achievable and effective way people can increase water supplies is to stop wasting so much, Udall told the governors. Even though people who aren't growing crops need only about a gallon of water a day, per individual, to survive, non-farming citizens in the West use, on average, 150 gallons of water per person per day, he said. One of the primary reasons for this level of consumption, Udall said, is that water is simply too cheap, and the price is not in line with the value of the resource...
Duane Smith, executive director of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, told the governors that fundamental changes need to me made to the mission statements of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, in order to make it a priority for these federal agencies to work with states on their water plans. Currently all federal involvement and planning is done on a project-by-project basis, with no thought to the overall water picture, he said. Smith urged the governors to push for Congress to make the necessary changes on the federal level...
Smith helped write the report, which the governors unanimously adopted, titled "Water Needs and Strategies for a Sustainable Future." [pdf] The report calls for improved collaboration among the states and the federal government on water policy, and offers strategies for regionwide planning...
In a discussion following presentations on the report, Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter said the challenges of the West's scarce water supply have been ignored for "far too long." The region needs, among other things, a better understanding of the total water inventory available, and scientists need to get a better handle on the relationship between streams, runoff and groundwater, Otter said. "We've got to know what we have in order to know if we can sustain that growth," Otter said...
Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal noted that water conservation makes a lot of sense, but implementing conservation plans on the state and local level can be a struggle, because water policy is based on a historical premise of utilization, rather than conservation. The challenge, both Freudenthal and Udall noted, is that in order to shift toward water conservation throughout the West, there will have to be a fundamental shift in perceptions about water. The historical legal framework for water use in states such as Idaho and Wyoming required farmers to use all of the water they were allotted or lose some of that allotment in the future.
Category: Colorado Water
6:19:18 AM
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Former U.S. Senator Hank Brown brings us all up to date on some of the history that led to a Wild and Scenic designation for the Poudre River in an opinion piece in The Fort Collins Coloradoan. He writes:
By 1982, negotiations on the [Wild and Scenic] designation of the Poudre had been at a standstill for about a decade. Both the environmental groups and the water users had the ability to stop a bill, but to achieve a designation required them to work together. Our negotiations required four years to complete, but agreement was finally reached, allowing the designation to go through. The negotiations involved Larimer and Weld counties as well as Fort Collins and Greeley. In addition, all of the agricultural water users and environmental groups were part of the negotiators. The compromise had the support of all of the environmental groups and most of the agricultural groups, as well as the cities and counties.
The designation of parts of the river forced the water users to surrender several of their most economical sites for water storage in the main channel of the river. They finally agreed to this because they were assured that off-channel sites and other less economical on-channel sites would be preserved for water storage. Everyone involved clearly knew that future water storage was needed and was part of the compromise. To deny the permits for a reasonable off-channel storage site in an area that was not designated would clearly violate the compromise. It is possible that some of those voicing concern about an off-channel site were not aware of the commitments the cities and environmental groups made in the negotiations. If permits are denied for the water storage, it will make it far more difficult in the future to achieve agreements that will benefit the environment.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.
Category: Colorado Water
6:03:39 AM
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© Copyright
2008
John Orr.
Last update:
8/1/08; 10:46:48 AM.
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