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Saturday, October 4, 2008
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From The Crested Butte News: "The Crested Butte Land Trust, the High Country Citizens' Alliance and local property owners in the Trapper's Crossing subdivision have all filed statements of opposition in the Gunnison District Water Court over the filing by U.S. Energy of its conditional water rights. The town of Crested Butte decided not to file such a protest. "While we are not a political organization we are land owners and land stewards," explained Crested Butte Land Trust Director Ann Johnston. "This is in no way a political statement. We just want to be kept in the loop and want to protect our water rights and wetlands." The Land Trust owns hundreds of acres of property that could be impacted by water being diverted for a mine. The Land Trust owns the wetland parcel just north of Crested Butte on Highway 135 that is fed by the Slate River and it owns a major parcel east of Kebler Pass near the Y-intersection with Kebler Pass Road and the turn to Irwin...
In a legal notice published August 15 in the Crested Butte News, U.S. Energy described water rights in the Slate River and Carbon Creek, along with dams resulting in an Elk Creek Reservoir and a Carbon Creek Reservoir. The dam for Carbon Creek would be 115 feet high and 990 feet long and hold 1,000-acre feet of water. The Elk Creek reservoir would be 220 feet high and 960 feet long with a total capacity of 1,600-acre feet. In order to fill those reservoirs, U.S. Energy would take water out of Carbon Creek, Elk Creek, and the Slate River.
High Country Citizens' Alliance Water Program Director Steve Glazer said HCCA is acting in a bit of a watchdog role. "We want to be assured the applicant will provide strict proof that they are in compliance with Colorado water law," he said. Glazer explained that while it used to be pretty easy to go through this due diligence procedure, "the bar has been raised through court rulings in the last ten years. There is a so-called 'can-and-will' doctrine they have to live up to now. They have to show they can do the project and that they will do the project. They have to show real intent," he said. "The bar used to be very low but that has changed. It's not as easy as it used to be." Under the court procedure, Glazer said it is expected that a judge will refer the issues with U.S. Energy and those filing statements of opposition to a water referee. That referee will attempt to reconcile issues between opposers and the applicant...
Mayor Alan Bernholtz said he had talked to the town's water attorney and was told that it was clear the town had senior groundwater rights and there were probably better places to spend their money over the water issue. Belkin said it simply wasn't the right place to make a case for such matters. "It is important to realize this is a very narrow topic and not the place to bring up other issues," he again emphasized. "There will be better opportunities in the future for the town." Bernholtz agreed saying, "This isn't the proper venue. That doesn't mean we won't do everything we can to protect our water but this doesn't appear to be the place." The rest of the council agreed and they passed a motion directing their attorney to not pursue the matter.
Thanks to The Water Information Program for the link. More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Category: Colorado Water
9:45:31 AM 
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From The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel: "A continuing state investigation into the contamination of drinking water this spring at a cabin northwest of Parachute has resulted in the discovery of a second spring in the area that has been tainted by benzene. That led to new citations against four oil and gas companies alleging they failed to report the discovery quickly enough. It also has led to a fifth company, OXY USA WTP LP, being cited as a possible contributor to the second spring's contamination."
More from the article:
Debbie Baldwin, environmental manager for the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, said OXY was issued a notice of alleged violation because it has oil and gas operations in a drainage above the second spring. However, the state doesn't think any of its operations contaminated the first spring where benzene was found. In that case, De Beque resident Ned Prather became sick May 30 when he visited his cabin and drank water from the spring. Water tests found unsafe levels of cancer-causing benzene, thought to be the result of oil and gas development. The COGCC issued notices of alleged violations against Williams Production RMT, Marathon Oil Co., Petroleum Development Corp. and Nonsuch Natural Gas. Those citations were based only on the proximity of the four companies' wells to the cabin and the known geological and hydrological information for the area. Testing of water monitoring wells in the area has yet to prove that any of the companies was responsible for the contamination. However, that testing did lead to benzene being found in the second spring, which feeds a stock pond on Prather's property. Baldwin said the delay in reporting the finding to the state and to Prather was a matter of "several days," and probably resulted in part from poor coordination between the companies as they processed data from consultants doing the testing.
Williams spokeswoman Susan Alvillar said timely communications between companies is difficult. But she said another factor was that the benzene showed up in a third test after the spring tested negative twice before, and the companies wanted to confirm the positive test before reporting it. She said Williams disagrees with the COGCC on what constitutes timely reporting. More water testing is being planned to try to determine the sources of the benzene contamination, but Baldwin said finding answers is difficult because groundwater movement in the area probably is controlled by fractures in bedrock.
Category: Climate Change News
9:29:06 AM
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Here's a look at pervious concrete installations and applications from ArticleXplosion.com. From the article:
Pervious concrete is a mixture of coarse aggregate, cement and water. It contains little or no sand. The cement and water create a thick paste binding the aggregate particles together, but with many voids and spaces between them. This creates a system of highly permeable, connected voids, usually 15% to 25% of the structure, that drain very quickly. Pervious concrete allows 3 to 8 gallons of water to pass through each per square foot of material per minute, although the formulation can be changed to double that amount if needed.
The strength of pervious concrete is limited due to the high porosity, but it has sufficient strength for many applications such as hardscaping, low volume pavements, alleys and driveways, low water crossings, parking lots, sidewalks and pathways, patios, etc.
Pervious concrete has the capability to help recharge groundwater and reduce stormwater runoff. By doing so, it reduces the need for retention ponds, swales and other stormwater management techniques.
An excellent example of the use of permeable concrete comes from the City of Chicago. The city contains 1,900 miles of public alleys, the equivalent of 3,500 acres. Most have neither drainage structures or a connection to the sewer system. After years of degradation, localized flooding became a problem. As a result, the City developed the Chicago Green Alley Program to use and promote best management practices in stormwater management. The goal was to address drainage issues without costly sewer infrastructure improvements.
To accomplish it's goal, the Green Alley Program combined sustainable building techniques such as recycled materials, reflective pavements, energy efficient lighting and permeable paving to reduce the amount of stormwater runoff put into the stormwater sewer system by 80%, reduce localized flooding, and reduce the urban heat island effect.
Light colored, pervious concrete, made with recycled materials, was chosen as a component of this program for it's durability and environmentally sustainable properties. In this situation, pervious concrete allows stormwater runoff to percolate into the soil and reduce the stormwater load going into the City's sewer system.
Engineers and architects are beginning to view pervious concrete as the preferred method of managing stormwater. The ability to manage stormwater on confined commercial sites without retention or detention facilities, also gives developers an advantage. Residential developers are also beginning to find ways to use pervious concrete to make their projects greener while reducing costs. Rather than pay for infrastructure to move stormwater to retention facilities, these developers can allow nature to replenish the water table directly. The reduction or even elimination of retention facilities allows these developers to lower costs while providing extra room for green space.
In Michigan, a homeowner had a poorly constructed driveway which caused minor flooding in the garage. The traditional solution would be to rip out the entire driveway, regrade and reinstall. The contractor involved however, suggested removing only 1/6 of the driveway near the garage and putting in pervious concrete to solve the problem. The water that would have flooded the garage now flows down through the permeable concrete into the soil below. This solution cost only a fraction of the cost of the alternative.
Acceptance of pervious concrete has been widespread. The EPA now recommends pervious concrete as a Best Management Practice for the management of stormwater runoff on a regional and local basis. In addition, the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) now has a National level program in place to certify contractors in the installation of pervious concrete.
Category: Colorado Water
9:22:17 AM
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State Engineer, Dick Wolfe, was interviewed recently, by The Yuma Pioneer. From the article:
The Pioneer has asked him a few questions in regards to the potential $20 million buyout of the senior surface water rights along the North Fork of the Republican River. The Yuma County Commissioners and Yuma County Water Authority are proposing a $15 million bond issue (the other $5 million coming from the Republican River Water Conservation District for a 20-year lease on the surface water), which also entails the formation of the Yuma County Water Authority Public Improvement District. The bond issue and formation of the PID are on the ballot in the forms of Questions 5B (bond issue) and 5C (formation of PID).
Wolfe Interview
- What do you see as the state's role in the proposed buyout?
Wolfe: Our role has been to facilitate a dialogue between the buyers (YCWA), the lessees (RRWCD), and the sellers (surface water right owners). We continue to interact with all parties to finalize the agreements that details the terms and conditions of the lease and buyout if the bond issue is approved in November.
- Do you support the buyout plan? Why or why not?
Wolfe: Yes, I do support the buyout plan because it is a local solution to a local problem. It also represents the best option to resolve this long standing dispute that has not been resolved by litigation. Our office desires to establish a long-standing relationship with the stakeholders in the basin to address long-term sustainability of the water resources while meeting our compact obligations.
- If voters don't approve the ballot questions in November pertaining to the buyout, and the case proceeds forward in the legal system, is it realistic that the municipal wells of Wray, Eckley and Yuma could be curtailed?
Wolfe: All wells within the Plaintiff's proposed curtailment zone are subject to curtailment, including municipal wells. We would work closely with these entities to develop augmentation plans to prevent total curtailment, which may only allow base use for drinking and sanitation purposes. One other potential option to avoid curtailment is for these entities to compensate the surface water users for the amount of their impact.
- Has curtailment of municipal wells ever happened to a Colorado town before? If so, please explain any details you might have.
Wolfe: We have issued orders to curtail domestic and municipal uses throughout Colorado, most recently with two orders within the past year, one in the South Platte basin and one in the Arkansas River basin. These orders were issued because these entities had not demonstrated that they had sufficient replacement water to prevent injury to senior surface water rights and to maintain compact compliance.
- Does lack of approval from Kansas and Nebraska of the compact compliance pipeline have any bearing on the Pioneer/Laird surface water purchase?
Wolfe: First, we anticipate approval by Kansas and Nebraska of the Compact Compliance Pipeline. We must remind everyone that the Compact Compliance Pipeline is for compact compliance and the buyout is a resolution to settle the lawsuit filed by the Pioneer and Laird surface water users.
- If the lawsuit were to move forward, and Pioneer/Laird was to be successful in its petition, how do you see that impacting Yuma County's economy?
Wolfe: Based on studies that I have seen from Colorado State University, the economic impact from the potential curtailment of approximately 1,300 wells would be significant. I believe the buyout represents the most cost effective solution to resolve this long-standing conflict.
Republican River Compact update
The Pioneer and Laird ditches buyout is a separate issue from the Republican River Compact, though of course the two intertwine. The Pioneer asked Wolfe a couple of questions in regards to the Republican River Compact since we had the opportunity.
- Where are we at in regards to pipeline approval from Kansas and Nebraska?
Wolfe: We have been meeting about every couple of weeks with our counterparts in Nebraska and Kansas to address specific concerns they have with our proposed Compact Compliance Pipeline. We are now developing proposed terms and conditions for a proposed resolution that must be adopted by the Republican River Compact Administration (RRCA). We hope to have the proposed resolution ready very soon. We will seek input and buy-in with the appropriate stakeholders in the basin prior to approval by the RRCA.
- Where are we at in regards to the Bonny Reservoir situation? What are your thoughts on that?
Wolfe: We continue to look for alternatives to keep Bonny Reservoir a viable reservoir for recreation and wildlife opportunities while allowing for the optimum use of ground water within the basin. Due to the below average precipitation over the last several years and the fact that we are not in compact compliance, all inflow into the reservoir must be released for the foreseeable future. The net effect on the reservoir is a reduction in storage due to evaporation of approximately 200-300 acre-feet per month on average. The current storage in Bonny is approximately 8,000 acre-feet. These steps have been taken to minimize our compact compliance deficit and potential claims by Kansas for monetary damages. Due to recent rainstorms and the releases made since I issued my order on August 14, there has been sustained flow at the Benkelman gage on the South Fork, which has not occurred for over three years. Colorado gets 44.4% credit for its allocation for all water that makes it to this gage. This credit, along with the reduction in evaporation, allows Colorado to reach compact compliance sooner and reduces the potential monetary damages we would have to pay for being out of compliance.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Category: Colorado Water
9:12:42 AM
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From The Pueblo Chieftain: "Colorado Springs and the Bureau of Reclamation are looking at a 40-year agreement that would ensure the city's diversions from the Blue River do not interfere with a federal power project. Reclamation has issued a draft environmental assessment on the proposal by Colorado Springs to provide sources of substitute water and repayment for interference with power generation at Green Mountain Reservoir.
More from the article:
In dry years, Colorado Springs and Denver Water - which gets water from Dillon Reservoir, also upstream of Green Mountain - are obligated to provide substitution water. Shortages occurred four times between 1964 and 2000, but more frequently in the drought years since then. Shortages came in 2001, 2002 and 2004 and were threatened in 2003 and 2005. In past years, the shortfalls of water were accounted for with annual agreements. A 2003 agreement between Colorado Springs, Denver Water, the Colorado River District, the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District and others would add Wolford Mountain Reservoir and Homestake to Upper Blue River and Williams Fork Reservoir as sources Colorado Springs could draw on for substitution. Homestake, operated jointly by Colorado Springs and Aurora, could provide flows downstream of Green Mountain. Colorado Springs stores some water in Wolford under an exchange agreement. The power interference section formalizes an existing agreement.
Category: Colorado Water
8:56:25 AM
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From The Hub: "Due to the enormous amount of sediment created by this year's snow runoff, a section of the Uncompaghre River cutting through the Town of Ridgway has re-channeled itself. The problem is, the rechannelization has occured in the most unfortunate of places [^] where the town's water system discharges its effluent - forcing town officials to spend a considerable amount of time, energy, and yes, money, to correct the situation...For the past month the town has pulled out, using heavy CATs and other digging equipment, tremendous amount of rock and sediment. Clifton said for the eight years he's been in town, he'd never seen anything like it. There was more than enough, he said, to use for the town's new tennis court facility as a base."
Category: Colorado Water
8:43:54 AM
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Alamosa inked an agreement for managing their water system with the state this week. The agreement comes after the salmonella outbreak last spring. Here's a report from The Pueblo Chieftain:
The city signed off on an agreement with the state Wednesday laying out water testing, monitoring and chlorination requirements in the wake of the March salmonella outbreak. "There is absolutely no question that the steps that are included in this consent order are minimum steps we would take with or without a consent order," said Public Works Director Don Koskelin.
The agreement with the Colorado Department of Health and Environment is part of the fallout from the waterborne salmonella outbreak that sprung from the municipal water supply, sickening 423 and causing one death. The consent order requires the city to chlorinate its water at a level between one and two milligrams per liter at the point of entry. The city, which had never chlorinated its water before the salmonella outbreak, currently chlorinates it at 1.9 milligrams per liter. Koskelin hopes to incrementally lower the level to the bottom end of the state-required scale within the next two weeks. The consent order also requires the city to submit at least 10 total coliform samples per month. The tests are often used as a preliminary indicator of contamination.
Additionally, the city will begin use of heterotrophic plate count tests and must submit at least 10 such samples per quarter. Koskelin said the new test was more accurate, although it was vulnerable to false positives. That, however, could be remedied by simply conducting more tests. Since the outbreak, the city has sent 40 water samples per month to the state health department. The adoption of the new test may put the city a step ahead of the Environmental Protection Agency, which may require water providers to begin using the test, City Manager Nathan Cherpeski said...
By the end of the year, the city must submit inspection and maintenance plans for its storage tanks and another set of plans for pipe segments deemed vulnerable to line breaks. Koskelin said he believed one of the storage facilities - the Weber Reservoir, which is now used only for lawn irrigation - was the likely source of the outbreak. He said the covered reservoir, which sits at ground level, was more susceptible to groundwater infiltration. Its location on the north side of town fit with a general pattern of infection that spread from north to south during the initial stage of the outbreak. While Koskelin stressed that his view of the likely cause was only his opinion, the state is currently working on a report to identify the cause, according to the consent agreement.
As part of the consent order, the city adopted an ordinance that would require the installation of back-flow preventers at all service connections. The type of back-flow preventer required would be determined on a case-by-case basis by the city's utility manager. The city's work will start with service hookups at commercial sites and eventually turn toward residential hookups, focusing primarily on irrigation.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Category: Colorado Water
8:33:33 AM
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Property owners met Thursday night in Swink to get the latest information on conservation easements, in light of the shenanigans brought into view by the state of Colorado and the Internal Revenue Service last year, according to The La Junta Tribune Democrat. From the article:
As controversy continues to swirl around Colorado conservation easements, approximately 30 landowners met once again in Swink, Thursday evening, hoping to find support as they battle to save their properties. Currently a number of landowners in Colorado are in long-running negotiations with the Internal Revenue Service, fighting to retain land valuation claimed on tax credits they received after placing an easement on their land which would forever restrict future development.
Placing an easement originally appeared to be a clear-cut, if somewhat complicated procedure. Land trusts were formed to accept and hold development rights and as part of the process, these trusts provided what was perceived to be sound recommendations of professionals and services to be used. By 2003 large numbers of easements were being placed on properties all over the state of Colorado including agriculture land in the southeastern part of the state. These easements were successful in tying water rights to the land keeping water in the Arkansas Valley. The easements also prevented mining gravel along the river and stopped development of what some call "40-acre weed patches," or loosely managed and maintained housing developments like those found near Yoder, Peyton and Calhan.
So, while easements accomplished a purpose in one sense they also failed miserably for some in other aspects. In exchange for giving up development rights a landowner was entitled to receive a tax credit equivalent to what they would be losing by forever relinquishing those rights. This amount was established by a qualified appraiser. Once the easement was accepted by a land trust, proper paperwork was filed with the appropriate county before a tax credit was issued from the State of Colorado. That credit was then sold by a broker, at a discount, to an entity that could utilize a large tax credit. Money was exchanged and the deals appeared to be final. Months, even years later, some of these landowners found themselves being audited by the IRS, their land valuation now in question. Those being audited claim their only options have been to continue on in the audit process which is an emotionally and financially draining experience or settle with the IRS for a reduced valuation. Settling would mean the landowner owes the buyer of the tax credit money since their valuation would be reduced. In many cases tens of thousands of dollars, even hundreds of thousands, would be owed ensuring bankruptcy and permanent loss of the land these property owners were trying so valiantly to protect in the first place.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Category: Colorado Water
8:25:27 AM
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From The Delta County Independent: "The Project 7 Water Authority recently placed second in a taste test for water utilities in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming at the American Water Works Association Rocky Mountain Section's annual conference in Colorado Springs. Thirteen utilities submitted samples for tasting by a panel of five judges that included news media and water taste test professionals. Samples were rated based on appearance, smell, taste and overall impression. Project 7 provides drinking water to the City of Delta, as well as Tri-County Water Consrvancy District, Chipeta Water District, Menoken Water District, the Town of Olathe and the City of Montrose...Project 7 competed against Aurora Water, City of Pueblo, Centennial Water & Sanitation District, City of Boulder, City of Loveland (third place), Colorado Springs Utilities, Donala Water & Sanitation District, Denver Water (first place), Parker Water & Sanitation District, Raton, N.M., Water Works, Sangre de Cristo Water Division in Santa Fe, N.M., and South Adams County."
Category: Colorado Water
8:15:30 AM
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From The Vail Daily: "Concrete retaining walls are being built along the Eagle River to prevent contaminated rock from sliding down a hillside and into the water. The work is taking place in a steep canyon south of Minturn, near the defunct Eagle Mine. The walls, which will replace decaying wooden fences called 'cribbings,' will be 17 feet tall and several hundred feet long."
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Category: Colorado Water
8:02:28 AM
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From The Fort Collins Coloradoan: "The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (NCWCD) recently offered a field day at their headquarters in Berthoud...[Northern] offers programs and research efforts designed to help farmers reap higher yields using less water. Today, these water conservation efforts extend to urban landscape water use as well. It is also involved in expanding its distribution of clean hydropower from its water distribution facilities."
More from the article:
Many homeowners and gardeners can benefit from visiting their educational backyard at their Xeriscape Plaza in the Conservation Gardens. The plaza is divided into eight display areas -- ornamental, native plant, yucca garden, perennial garden, water-wise landscape, KIS landscape, prairie landscape and southwest landscape. Gardeners will appreciate the clear labeling of plants, turf and even gravel. The displays remind people about the fundamentals of conserving water in landscapes, including, planning and design, creation of practical turf areas, proper plant selection, appropriate soil improvement, utilization of mulches, efficient irrigation and proper maintenance. The district began focusing on urban landscape water conservation with a pilot study in 1993 and information on turf and landscape irrigation became part of its programming in 1994. The gardens are open to the public and offer interpretative materials that can be accessed via cell phone. The district is located at 220 Water Ave. in Berthoud. The phone number is 532-7700 or at www.ncwcd.org.
Category: Colorado Water
7:54:06 AM
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From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb): "Now that we are into fall, demands for water off the Big Thompson River have been dropping. [Friday] and through the weekend, we will be releasing about 80 cfs from Olympus Dam to the Big T.
"At Horsetooth, the water elevation continues to drop at a rate of several inches a day. Earlier in the week, the elevation was declining at about 6 inches a day. Yesterday and today and possibly through the weekend, it is closer to about 3 inches a day. No water is coming in. About 150 cfs is currently going out. Our current elevation is 5385. That means that for this weekend, your best bet for a boat ramp will be the large 6-lane ramp in the South Bay."
Category: Colorado Water
7:46:20 AM
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Colorado Springs Utilities has removed plans for a reservoir on Jimmy Camp Creek as part of their proposed Southern Delivery System, according to The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:
The reservoir, which would interfere with paleontological, cultural and wetlands, was replaced by a 30,500 acre-foot terminal storage reservoir on Upper Williams Creek, about 6 miles south of the Jimmy Camp Creek site. The Upper Williams Creek site also reduces the potential of waterfowl interfering with aircraft, since it is farther from the airport, according to the report. The new alignment of the proposed action, along with changes to six other alternatives, are examined in a supplemental information report to the draft environmental impact statement for Southern Delivery System. The new report was issued Friday and comments will be accepted on it for 45 days.
"The issues were clear from the studies," said John Fredell, SDS project director. Colorado Springs Utilities last month began acquiring land for SDS, and was looking at a site for a treatment plant that would work either with the Jimmy Camp Creek or Upper Williams Creek site. The issues generated significant comments during the public review of the draft EIS, but that's not what changed the project, Fredell said. "In the end, it's our decision. They (Reclamation and other agencies) told us what they thought and we concurred," Fredell said. In particular, the Army Corps of Engineers, which issues permits for activities within the Fountain Creek drainage channels, said there was insufficient information for approval of the Jimmy Camp Creek site.
A second 28,500 acre-foot reservoir to regulate return flows on Fountain Creek would be built about 5 miles south on Williams Creek, but the return flows would be shifted to Fountain Creek via a 4-mile pipeline in order to reduce impacts on Williams Creek below the reservoir. Reclamation will have a public hearing on the report 6-9 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Pueblo Convention Center, 320 Central Main St...
The 187-page supplemental report also includes new water quality information for Fountain Creek, the Arkansas River and Western Slope basins that would be affected by SDS.
It specifically looks at selenium and E. coli concentrations on Fountain Creek, and reflects a change from the original report after Colorado Springs last year shelved plans to build a new wastewater treatment plant at Clear Springs Ranch, south of Fountain.
From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):
A new report, the Supplemental Information Report, from the Draft Environmental Impact Statement process on the proposed Southern Delivery System is now available...
The Supplemental Information Report reflects changes in the proposed action and other changes relevant to environmental concerns, including changing Jimmy Camp Creek Reservoir to Upper Williams Creek Reservoir in the proposed alternative and the new water quality analysis.
The release of this report officially closes the extended water quality public comment period. It also opens a new public comment period for the Supplemental Information Report. Public comments must be received no later than November 24, 2008. We will have a public hearing in Pueblo at the Pueblo Convention Center (320 Central Main Street) on Wednesday, October 29.
Here's the Reclamation press release:
Reclamation Announces New Report, Public Comment on SDS
Reclamation announces the release of the Supplemental Information Report on the proposed Southern Delivery System Draft Environmental Impact Statement. This report is available at www.sdseis.com and is open to public comment for a 45-day period ending on November 24, 2008. Reclamation will also host a public hearing in Pueblo, CO on October 29, 2008. fax (970) 662-3212 email klamb@gp.usbr.gov
The Supplemental Information Report provides additional effects information in light of changes to the alternatives and additional analyses since the DEIS was issued. This report has been prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act. Comments on the DEIS and Supplemental Information Report will be addressed in the Final EIS.
For additional information please contact Kara Lamb at (970) 962-4326 or email klamb@gp.usbr.gov.
Participants in the proposeds Southern Delivery System plan to hold informational meetings about Pueblo County's concerns for the project, according to The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:
The meetings will be hosted by Colorado Springs, Security, Fountain and Pueblo West.
The first meeting will be Oct. 16 at Lake Pueblo State Park in the visitor center auditorium. It will look at the impacts of the project within state park boundaries. An open house will be from 5:30-6:30 p.m., followed by a presentation and question-and-answer session from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Other meetings include:
Pueblo West impacts will be examined Oct. 23 and 27 at VFW Post 5812, 127 E. Spaulding Ave., Pueblo West. The open house begins at 5:30 p.m. and public meeting at 6:30 p.m.
Fountain Creek impacts will be examined Oct. 30 at El Pueblo History Museum, 301 N. Union Ave. The open house begins at 5:30 and the public meeting at 6 p.m.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.
Category: Colorado Water
7:42:54 AM
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John McCain was in Pueblo yesterday trying to drum up votes in his attempt to save a state that went large for President Bush in 2004. The Pueblo Chieftain reports, "The McCain campaign withdrew from Michigan earlier this week, conceding that state to [Barack] Obama. But both camps are going all out to win Colorado, which President Bush won in 2000 and 2004. The most recent polls indicate it's a virtual dead heat here between McCain and Obama. Which is why McCain came to Pueblo for an almost unheard of GOP whistle-stop in a Democratic stronghold. The senator's quick sense of humor is well-known and he used it to dismiss one local issue quickly in his 25-minute speech. Joking that Arizona is grateful - "Thank you, thank you, thank you" - for the drinking water that comes from Colorado rivers, McCain said, "I will never seek to renegotiate the Colorado River Compact.'"
More coverage from The Rocky Mountain News: "After praising Palin, McCain almost immediately addressed water, a matter he's been talking about in Colorado ever since he told the Chieftain this summer that he thought the 1922 Colorado River Compact should be 'renegotiated' over time. That comment drew fire from his critics in a state that fears it could lose water to downstream states. Democrats pounced on it and area Republicans warned him to back off of it. He did so quickly, and has been emphasizing ever since that he has no desire to change the compact. He did it again Friday, noting 'water is too precious,' and thanking Colorado for the water it provides Arizona via the snowmelt that fills the Colorado River."
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Category: Colorado Water
7:25:47 AM
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© Copyright
2008
John Orr.
Last update:
11/1/08; 7:43:25 PM.
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