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Friday, October 10, 2008
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The Pueblo Chieftain has a report on the drought discussion yesterday at the Governor's Conference on Managing Drought and Climate Risk. From the article:
Colorado first developed a drought response plan in 1981 - one of only three in the nation at the time - and revised it three times between 1986 and 2001. When the drought of 2002 hit, however, the state could do little more than react to the emergencies caused by the drought. "Many erroneously consider drought a rare and random event," State Engineer Dick Wolfe said Thursday at a statewide conference on climate change. "We must realize it's a hazard of nature." Colorado revised its drought plan a year ago, but already is working on the next version, due in 2010, that will incorporate future growth, local drought plans and changes in climate.
Even then, the state may just be coping with the effects of a drought rather than coming up with more water in times of need, Wolfe admitted. "We have to prepare for drought and understand the changes that are needed," Wolfe said. "Communities had to take severe measures in 2002...Even those communities that thought they were in a position to be prepared were caught by the magnitude of the 2002 drought."[...]
There is the opportunity to construct more water storage in Colorado. Currently, there are 7 million acre-feet of storage built in the state, but there are 16 million acre-feet of conditional storage rights, Wolfe said. There is also a growing interest in recharging depleted aquifers and building underground storage. "You have to have the water and the money to construct these," Wolfe said. "What is lacking is the information about where do we spend our last dollars to locate the best sites."[...]
The greatest impacts of drought for Colorado fall into four categories: meteorological, agricultural, hydrologic and socioeconomic, Wolfe said. A meteorological drought could mean a poor winter snowpack or no rain in summer. In agriculture, drought can mean the lack of rain at the right time for crops or poor soil moisture. Hydrological drought means lower water tables, depleted reservoirs and the effects on land use. The socioeconomic impacts occur as communities cope with lower crop yields, reduced recreation activities or other effects on the local economies...
The next update of the state's drought plan will incorporate new information, including the doubling of the state population by 2050, climate change and response plans by local community. The plan also will try to develop an early warning system, although the science is still difficult to translate into practical terms..."A lack of planning results in an emergency," Wolfe said.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Category: Colorado Water
6:46:48 AM 
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From The Valley Courier: "Rio Grande Basin Division Engineer Michael Sullivan this month moves into the second-in-command position with the Colorado Division of Water Resources. His appointment as deputy state engineer is bittersweet for Sullivan, 50, who has worked for the water division in the San Luis Valley for the past decade. "It's challenging," the new state appointee said on Thursday. "There's a lot of water issues that will be very interested to work on, and I will still get to work in the Rio Grande a bit. I just don't get to live here. I really liked living down here, liked the people. That's going to be the toughest thing.'"
Category: Colorado Water
6:32:01 AM
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Residents of Grand County are generally not in favor of diverting more water from the Fraser and Colorado River to supply the unbridled growth on the east slope. Here's a recap of last night's public meeting for the Windy Gap Firming Project, from The Sky-Hi Daily News. From the article:
Threats to the region's coveted natural resource, water, occupied the minds of dozens of Grand County citizens Thursday as they defended why East Slope users should not be allowed to siphon more under the Continental Divide. "I can say, a great deal more conservation needs to take place on the Eastern Slope," said Grand Lake resident Sylvia Hines, who vacationed at Grand Lake every summer since the 1930s and lived in Fort Collins for 36 years.
Representatives from some of the East Slope cities that seek more Fraser/Colorado river water to satisfy impending growth also gave testimony...
But not long after their testimonies, others pointed out that cities such as Broomfield and Loveland still supply water to customers using a flat rate structure, meaning residents pay the same amount no matter how much water they use...
Grand County citizens made known that ever-present diversions already are affecting fish quantities and habitat in the Colorado River. "The Colorado River system is already stressed," said Mitch Kirwin, proprietor of the fishing shop Mo Henry's in Fraser. "Our economy is tied to our ecology." Kirwin called for "reverse action" if possible, rather than "no action" as listed in a draft environmental impacts statement (EIS) analyzing proposed delivery projects. The EIS's "No action" would still expand an eastern-side reservoir and divert up to twice what is currently diverted in an average year.
And many Grand Lake-area residents said they worry about how current water delivery is impacting lakes. Gay Shaffer told U.S. Bureau of Reclamation comment-takers that she has spent 73 summers on Grand Lake and has witnessed lake damage firsthand brought about by Colorado-Big Thompson pumping. More Windy Gap water diversion would mean poorer water quality for it and Shadow Mountain Reservoir...
Most of the 47 comments in the assembly of 140 people, compared to 64 EIS meeting attendees in Greeley on Tuesday, called for an extension of the EIS comment period long enough for data from Grand County's Stream Management Plan to be included, improved conservation for East Slope users, and greater consideration of Denver's firming project that would also impact Grand County's rivers.
Here's a summary of expected impacts for the project:
According to the Draft EIS:
- The fish habitat would decrease under all alternatives with more water taken from Grand County rivers. The greatest change would occur under the "action" alternative of the Windy Gap Firming Project, in which rivers may see a 24 percent decrease in adult rainbow trout habitat just upstream of the Williams Fork confluence four out of 10 years.
- There would be no adverse impacts to spring spawning rainbow trout and fall spawning brown trout.
- Willow Creek fish habitat would decrease and, worst case scenario, the rafting industry in Gore Canyon could take a major economic hit.
- Grand Lake would also see a greater decrease in water clarity as phosphorous and chlorophyl concentrations in Shadow Mountain Reservoir and Grand Lake increase from more water traveling through the water-delivery system.
- Since levels on Lake Granby would decrease, accessibility to boat ramps at Arapaho Bay, Stillwater and Sunset would diminish, but lower levels are unlikely to impact fish.
- Fish habitat will be enhanced in the Big Thompson River, St. Vrain Creek, Big Dry Creek and Coal Creek on the east side.
- Kayakers in Byers Canyon would not see fewer days in the first 30 years of the project. After that, the season's kayaking days would be reduced by eight days per year. If no action is taken, kayaker days in July would be reduced on St. Vrain Creek.
- All the alternatives would generate additional hydropower revenues for Western Power Administration, ranging from $850,000 to $1.4 million.
- With or without the project, construction jobs will be created on the East Slope. If Chimney Hollow Reservoir is not built, Ralph Price Reservoir will be enlarged at a cost of $31 million.
- Enlargement of Ralph Price Reservoir would consume 77 acres of elk and mule deer habitat.
- Construction of Chimney Hollow would eat up 810 acres of elk and mule deer winter-range habitat as well as black bear territory.
- It's estimated a new Chimney Hollow Reservoir would attract 50,000 visitors annually.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.
Category: Colorado Water
6:27:12 AM
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© Copyright
2008
John Orr.
Last update:
11/1/08; 7:56:06 PM.
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