WATER MAY BE DEFINING ISSUE OF GLOBAL WARMING IN THE WEST
The Rocky Mountain West is one of the United States’ most arid regions, and a region where population increases are exploding, making the management of increasingly scarce water of utmost importance, and an area where global warming may have its most profound impact. Salt Lake Tribune; Aug. 8 <http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4149629>
WATER LIKELY TO RIVAL ENERGY AS AN UPCOMING BIG BUSINESS
As urban areas around the world continue to expand, existing water systems become more outdated and pollution ever more present, the freshwater industry is expected to grow to at least $150 billion by 2010. New York Times; Aug. 10 <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/10/business/worldbusiness/10water.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin>
COLORADO FARMERS WHO LOST THEIR WATER PLOT THEIR NEXT MOVE
A property rights activist told a group of eastern Colorado farmers who had lost their water rights to senior rights holders and metro users in Denver that they would find no success in filing a takings case and should instead form coalitions and file lawsuits. Boulder Daily Camera (AP); Aug. 21 <http://www.dailycamera.com/bdc/state_news/article/0,1713,BDC_2419_4932239,00.html>
COLORADO FARMERS ASK GOVERNOR TO AUDIT WATER USE
Farmers in three Colorado counties said they had heard that Front Range cities that hold senior water rights, are unnecessarily hoarding water in violation of water laws, and asked the governor to intervene. Denver Rocky Mountain News; Aug. 25 <http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4943483,00.html>
INTERIOR SUES WATER COMPANY OVER BREACH IN COLORADO PARK
The U.S. Interior Department has filed suit against a Fort Collins-based water company because the agency alleges that a breach on one of the company’s water canals damaged the headwaters of the Colorado River and other high landscapes in Rocky Mountain National Park. Denver Post; Sept. 1 <http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4270027>
NEW STUDY SHOWS BOULDER CREEK COULD EASILY FLOOD
New stream flow studies on Boulder Creek were conducted after some thought that last year’s study underestimated the potential of a 100-year flood on Boulder Creek, which runs through residential areas and near the University of Colorado campus, and preliminary findings from the update double the predicted possible stream flows. Boulder Daily Camera; 8/1 <http://www.dailycamera.com/bdc/county_news/article/0,1713,BDC_2423_4885107,00.html>
COLORADO RAFTING INDUSTRY POSTS GAINS FROM LAST YEAR
The commercial river rafting industry in Colorado showed significant gains over last year, but industry leaders aren’t sure whether it will be a record year, or just a good one. Aspen Daily Times; Aug. 23 <http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20060823/NEWS/108230040>
COLORADO TOWN, FEDERAL OFFICIALS REVIVE PROPOSAL FOR WHITEWATER PARK
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has opened bids for the building of a fish passage on the Colorado River at the mouth of De Beque Canyon in Colorado, and Palisades officials said they’re hoping to add a whitewater park to the project. Grand Junction Sentinel; Aug. 31 <http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/08/31/8_31_1a_whitewater_park.html>
LAS VEGAS, N.M., LIFTS WATER RESTRICTIONS
The reservoirs that provide water for this northern New Mexico city have filled, prompting the city to lift water restrictions. Santa Fe New Mexican, 8/15 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/47929.html> <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/48232.html>
N.M. OFFICIALS PONDER RELEASES FROM NEAR-CAPACITY RESERVOIRS
Santa Fe officials said recent downpours have filled the New Mexico city’s reservoirs to near capacity, causing a shift from drought management to flood management. Santa Fe New Mexican; 8/24 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/48272.html>
N.M. GOVERNOR CALLS FOR ‘BIG IDEAS’ TO SOLVE STATE’S WATER WOES
Gov. Bill Richardson has already declared the 2007 session of New Mexico’s Legislature to be the “Year of Water,” and he recently urged water-policy makers to propose far-reaching ideas to come up with innovative ideas to address the state’s water problems. Santa Fe New Mexican; Aug. 16 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/47959.html>
N.M. WATER REPORT LAYS OUT CHALLENGES AHEAD
A final report issued by the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer adds climate change to the list of challenges faced by state, city and county water managers and policy-makers, and urges regional water planning, increased efforts to gather water data and collaboration between all water users. Santa Fe New Mexican; Aug. 22 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/48190.html>
AGENCY IMPROVES FISHERY AT NEW MEXICO RESERVOIR
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish has recently made improvements to the Santa Rosa Hatchery in hopes of creating a popular warm-water fishery for largemouth bass, walleye and catfish. Albuquerque Journal; Aug. 3 <http://www.abqjournal.com/go/480792go08-03-06.htm>
N.M. PLANS REINTRODUCTION OF RIVER OTTERS THIS FALL
Public response to New Mexico’s plan to reintroduce river otters into the Rio Grande north of Taos and in the upper Gila River downstream of Gila Hot Springs has been overwhelmingly positive, and conservation and sportsmen groups have pledged to help raise the $1,000-per-otter cost and to help find the otters. Albuquerque Journal; Aug. 25 <http://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/487053nm08-25-06.htm>
N.M. LAWMAKERS PRESSURE CONGRESS FOR WATER-RIGHTS SETTLEMENT
U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said Congress has set aside billions of dollars to settle water-rights cases in other Western states and should be able to find $1 billion to fund Indian water-rights settlements in New Mexico over the next two decades. Santa Fe New Mexican; Aug. 8 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/47570.html>
N.M. AGENCIES WRANGLE OVER WATER RIGHTS
New Mexico State Lands Commissioner Pat Lyons said that land granted to the state by Congress came with water rights attached, but the Office of the State Engineer said Congress never intended to attach those rights. Albuquerque Journal; Aug. 9 <http://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/482596nm08-09-06.htm>
HOPES OF COLORADO RIVER WATER EVAPORATE
Those hopes, like the snow on top the Rocky Mountains, are rapidly evaporating. The critical April-through-July runoff period in the mountains, which provides most of the water going to the river, is more than 25 percent off the average. The disappointing results make this the sixth year of the last seven in which flows were significantly below average. Las Vegas Sun, 7/30 <http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/lv-other/2006/jul/30/566619559.html>
POWER GENERATION TIED TO SUPPLIES OF WATER
As interstate disputes over the Colorado River and other water fights loom large in future years, power-supply problems promise to be twice the headache. Arizona Daily Star, 8/14 <http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/142002>
WYOMING RANCHERS PLAGUED BY DROUGHT
Wyoming ranchers say they have tried everything to survive the ongoing drought that has forced many to cut their herd size in half, and one economist suggests that ranchers should better coordinate the schedule in which they cycle cattle to take advantage of price fluctuations. Casper Star Tribune; Aug. 11 <http://www.trib.com/articles/2006/08/11/news/wyoming/c3e2f9d5b8844b83872571c700030032.txt>
DROUGHT, DRY SOIL HURTING CROPS
Agricultural officials say some places in Montana have seen negligible amounts of rain since April, and crops in these places aren’t fairing well as soil moisture is all but gone. Billings Gazette (AP); Aug. 11 <http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/08/11/news/state/55-dry-soil.txt>
CENTRAL IRON HEARING CENTERS ON LAKE POWELL
The biggest concern raised by residents at the Central Iron County Water Conservancy District’s budget hearing on Tuesday surrounded the Lake Powell pipeline. St. George Daily Spectrum, 8/17 <http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060817/NEWS01/608170319/1002>
AGREEMENT FOR THE ARIZ. WATER SETTLEMENTS ACT APPLAUDED
U.S. Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) applauded the signing of the Master Agreement for the Arizona Water Settlements Act of 2004 by Interior Department Secretary Dirk Kempthorne. Douglas Daily Dispatch, 8/23 <http://www.douglasdispatch.com/articles/2006/08/23/news/news4.txt>
ARIZONA’S CITIES DRAIN STATE’S RIVERS
Arizona’s cities get their water from two sources, reservoirs behind dams on the state’s rivers and aquifers that feed streams and springs that feed the rivers, and for more than 100 years, the state has considered rivers a resource to be parceled out, setting in motion a process that is drawing the life out of those rivers. Arizona Republic; Aug. 6 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0806rivers-main0730.html>
ARIZONA’S RIVERS RUNNING DRY
The Verde River is Arizona’s only river that runs on its own from beginning to end, but now even that river is starting to run dry as thousands of unmonitored wells suck groundwater from it. Arizona Republic; Aug. 7 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0807a-riversCP-0807.html>
WATER-GUZZLING INVASIVE SPECIES DRY UP ARIZONA RIVERS
Thirsty tamarisk line the banks of the Little Colorado River in Arizona, providing visible evidence of the damage wrought by invasive species on Arizona’s fragile riparian areas. Arizona Republic; Aug. 8 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0808rivers-littlecolorado.html>
INDUSTRY HAS RUINED MOST OF ARIZONA’S RIVERS, ESPECIALLY THE GILA
The destruction of Arizona’s rivers is expressed most dramatically through the story of the Gila River, which was once a mighty river system but is now little more than a contaminated collection of disconnected, de-watered waterways. AZ Republic; 8/9 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0809rivers0809NEW.html>
ARIZONA RIVERS NOT COMING BACK TO LIFE
The Santa Cruz River once sculpted both the landscape and culture of Arizona, but now all that is left of it are remnants of its past work, and efforts to revitalize the river are spirited, but of little effect. Arizona Republic; Aug. 10 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0810rivers-a1blomo-0810.html>
EVEN DAMAGED RIVERS CAN BE PLACES OF REFUGE FROM CIVILIZATION
The Bill Williams River is an often-overlooked refuge for people and wildlife, allowed to flow naturally, and a laboratory for biologists and ecologists. Arizona Republic; 8/11 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0811rivers-a1blomo-0811.html>
INFLATABLE DAMS UNDER STUDY
Local governments are considering building inflatable, rubberized dams along the Santa Cruz and Rillito rivers, to capture rainwater runoff and treated sewage effluent. Arizona Daily Star, 8/2 <http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/metro/140413>
QUALITY OF LIFE AT ISSUE ON WATER REGULATIONS
Building contractors and developers such as Castle & Cooke aren’t averse to conservation infrastructure such as pre-plumbing homes for graywater reuse. Sierra Vista Herald, 8/7 <http://www.svherald.com/articles/2006/08/07/local_news/news4.txt>
ARIZONA TOWN WANTS TO LIMIT BUILDING UNTIL WATER SUPPLIES CONFIRMED
Payson Mayor Bob Edwards said an in-depth investigation of the water supply for the Arizona town is needed and has proposed a 250-unit-per-year construction limit until that investigation can be completed. Payson Roundup; Aug. 7 <http://www.paysonroundup.com/section/frontpage_lead/story/24608>
DESERT’S RIVERS CAN BE REVIVED
OPINION – Rivers relinquish themselves to the demands of agriculture, industry and other human enterprises. Scientists are realizing how intimately the future water supply depends on recognizing the needs of nature itself. But rivers cannot speak. Arizona Daily Star, 8/6 <http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/140692>
GROUPS, STATE WORK TO PRESERVE WHAT’S LEFT OF ARIZONA RIVER
Despite the destruction and de-watering of most of the San Pedro River in Arizona, there are still some bright spots along its 140-mile course that offer hope for wildlife. Arizona Republic; Aug. 13 <http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0812rivers-sanpedro0805.html>
RAINFALL DROPS TUCSON WATER USE BY 17 PERCENT
Abnormally high rainfall pushed down Tucson Water customers’ use by more than 17 percent in July. <http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/metro/141965>
LAS VEGAS AGENCY PAYS $22 MILLION FOR RANCH
Southern Nevada water officials are defending the decision to pay $22 million to a land and water development company for a 7,150-acre ranch and its water rights in rural White Pine County. KLAS, 8/12 <http://www.klastv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5279395&nav=168Y>
LDS CHURCH WADES INTO LAS VEGAS WATER PLAN
The Mormon Church owns a 40,000-acre ranch in Nevada’s White Pine Valley, and is a senior water-rights holder in Spring Valley, from where the Southern Nevada Water authority wants to pump groundwater for use by Las Vegas, but church authorities have asked that the Nevada state engineer not approve the plan until a U.S. Geological Survey study of groundwater resources is completed. Salt Lake Tribune; Aug. 18 <http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4200545>
UTAH, NEVADA RANCHERS JOIN LAWSUIT OVER LAS VEGAS WATER DEAL
More than 50 ranchers and business owners from Utah and Nevada filed a lawsuit in Nevada state court to allow more protests to be filed against Southern Nevada Water Authority’s plan to pipe groundwater pumped from an aquifer on the Nevada-Utah border to Las Vegas. Salt Lake Tribune; Aug. 24 <http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_4229133>
UTAH, NEVADA LAWMAKERS DISCUSS VEGAS’ GROUNDWATER PLAN
About a dozen state lawmakers from Nevada and Utah met on the border of their states to discuss the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s plan to pump groundwater from the Snake Valley to Las Vegas, and most of those in attendance agreed the plan should be put on hold until the federal government finishes its analysis of groundwater supplies sometime next year. Salt Lake Tribune; Aug. 30 <http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_4259014>
SDCWA DEEP-SIXES SEAWATER DESALINATION PLAN
In an abrupt move, San Diego County’s regional water supplier deep-sixed its dreams of turning seawater off Carlsbad’s coast into drinking water, refusing to certify its own $1.8 million environmental study, and choosing to end five years of haggling with the private company studying the idea. NC Times, 7/28 <http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/07/28/news/coastal/3_04_017_27_06.txt>
THREE MILLION FISH DIE AT SALTON SEA
A harbor overflowing with dead, rotting fish drove off boaters, fouled the air and provided what could be a whiff of the future for life in the murky depths of the Salton Sea. The Desert Sun, 8/3 <http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060803/NEWS0701/608030315>
MONO LAKE: WATER’S ARISING
Thirty years ago, a dozen students from Stanford University, UC Davis and elsewhere camped at ancient Mono Lake for more than two months, conducting the first ecological survey of California’s largest lake, which was dying as a result of massive water diversions to Los Angeles. San Francisco Chronicle, 7/30 <http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/07/29/MONOLAKE.TMP>
GROUPS SAY WETLANDS PRECLUDE DEVELOPMENT OF WYOMING SITE
A proposal to build a 22-lot development on 51 acres of land near Sheridan has prompted a round of protests from neighbors, who say the soils won’t support the planned septic systems, but the developer said opponents just want to keep the area open space. Billings Gazette; Aug. 1 <http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/08/01/news/wyoming/30-protest.txt>
WATER BATTLES CONTINUE BETWEEN MONTANA AND WYOMING
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation has asked Wyoming officials to release more water in the Tongue and Powder rivers, claiming Wyoming is using too much; the ongoing dispute is tied to the Yellowstone River Compact signed in 1950. Billings Gazette (AP); Aug. 2 <http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/08/02/news/state/55-water.txt>
WYOMING DENIES MONTANA’S REQUEST FOR MORE WATER
The Wyoming state engineer said drought had left the state with no water to release to comply with a 1950 agreement between Wyoming and Montana to share Yellowstone River water, but Montana officials disagreed and are reviewing their options. Helena Independent Record (AP); Aug. 18 <http://www.helenair.com/articles/2006/08/18/ap-state-mt/d8jii0to0.txt>
PUMPS START MOVING CBM WATER THROUGH WYOMING PIPELINE
Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal started the pumps on a 48-mile pipeline that will move water discharged during coalbed methane operations in the Powder River Basin to Midwest, where the water will be reinjected into the Madison aquifer. Casper Star-Tribune; Aug. 24 <http://www.trib.com/articles/2006/08/24/news/casper/83c4fdfca08c7194872571d40002869a.txt>
THIRSTY TREES SOP UP SALTY COALBED METHANE WATER IN WYOMING
An Oklahoma-based company with coalbed methane operations in Wyoming planted 2,100 poplar trees on three acres in Johnson County to help sop up the salty water discharged during drilling operations, and the trees are thriving. Casper Star-Tribune ((Gillette) News-Record); Aug. 28 <http://www.trib.com/articles/2006/08/28/news/wyoming/a45d381f8f953359872571d70020f639.txt>
ANGLERS TO BE COMMENDED FOR OPTING TO GIVE UP PASSION DURING HEAT
Anglers in western Montana are displaying a welcome focus on the long-term as they heartily are complying with voluntary and mandatory fishing restrictions due to the extreme heat and low water conditions, especially those who depend on fishing for their livelihood. Missoulian; Aug. 2 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/08/02/opinion/opinion4.txt>
ABOUT 50 MONTANA MOUNTAIN LAKES RESTOCKED WITH CUTTHROATS
State biologists used helicopters to stock about 50 mountain lakes around Montana with 100,000 cutthroat trout fingerlings. Montana Standard; Aug. 14 <http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2006/08/14/outdoors_top/20060809_outdoors_top.txt>
MONTANA UPS DAILY LIMIT OF LAKE TROUT TO 50 ON FLATHEAD LAKE
In an effort to make a dent in removing the 250,000 catchable lake trout in Flathead lake, which threaten the native trout population, Montana officials have increased the limit of keepable fish from 20 to 50 per day, but some say that will have little effect on the introduced species. Billings Gazette (AP); Aug. 29 <http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/08/29/news/state/57-trout.txt>
USFS, VOLUNTEERS WORK TO RESTORE MONTANA CREEK
Decades ago, men seeking gold tore through Eustache Creek in Montana’s Ninemile Valley, and now a crew of U.S. Forest Service workers and volunteers, with the aid of a deft backhoe operator, are putting the creek back together again. Missoulian; Aug. 22 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/08/22/news/top/news01.txt>
WORK BEGINS ON WATER PROJECT FOR MONTANA CITIES, RESERVATION
Work began on the construction of a 50-mile pipeline on Montana’s Hi-Line that will pipe water from Lake Elwell to the Rocky Boy’s Reservation and provide water to 18 cities, towns, counties, water districts and colonies in Hill, Liberty, Chouteau, Pondera, Teton, Glacier and Toole counties, and the reservation. Great Falls Tribune; Sept. 1 <http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060901/NEWS01/609010313/1002>
IDAHO LAKE TO BE DRAINED, POISONED TO KILL NON-NATIVE FISH
Idaho officials plan to drain Deer Creek Reservoir and then poison it to remove golden shiners, a non-native fish that threatens trout and kokanee salmon and that could escape into larger reservoirs, where such measures won’t work. Idaho Statesman; Aug. 29 <http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060829/NEWS06/608290339/1056>
IDAHO FARMERS SIGN DEAL TO LET LAND GO DRY FOR 15 YEARS
The Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program is a $258-million joint program between Idaho and the federal government that pays farmers, who depend on groundwater to irrigate, to take their land out of production for 15 years. Twin Falls Times-News; Aug. 7 <http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2006/08/07/news_topstory/news_topstory.1.txt>
BPA, IDAHO TRIBE WRANGLE OVER SALMON HATCHERY
Nez Perce tribal officials accused the Bonneville Power Administration of dragging its feet on a $16.4 million chinook salmon hatchery near Lostine, Idaho, that has been in the works for decades, but BPA officials said a recent court decision calls into question whether the dam would truly help wild salmon recovery. Twin Falls Times-News; Aug. 2 <http://www.magicvalley.com/news_other/news_idaho/?storyid=/dynamic/stories/I/ID_CHINOOK_HATCHERY_IDOL->
IDAHO JUDGE SAYS HIS WATER DECISION STANDS
The Idaho Department of Water Resources said it would appeal a district court judge’s decision on administration of ground and surface water after the judge ruled in June that Water Resources Director Karl Dreher’s exercise of water law ignored the state’s first in right, first in time premise on water rights. Twin Falls Times-News; Aug. 9 <http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2006/08/09/news_topstory/news_topstory.1.txt>
IDAHO FARMERS SAY SUN VALLEY HOMEOWNERS STEALING WATER
The water master for the irrigation district near Sun Valley and Ketchum said trophy home owners are illegally siphoning irrigation water that belongs to farmers and using the water to fill fish ponds and to keep their lawns green. Idaho Statesman (AP); 8/23 <http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060823/NEWS06/608230349>
IDAHO RESIDENTS KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON IMPENDING WATER RULING
If the Idaho Supreme Court doesn’t put a lower court ruling regarding water rights for municipal and agriculture on hold, then Water Resources could be forced to turn water off to a handful of Idaho towns and cities and turns the pipes off for about 55,000 acres of farmland. Twin Falls Times-News; Aug. 29 <http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2006/08/29/news_localstate/news_local_state.1.txt>
IDAHO NEEDS TO EDUCATE EVERYONE, EVEN THE RICH, ON WATER RIGHTS
Recent news that some of the more affluent residents of Idaho’s Sun Valley were taking water they aren’t entitled to proves that the state should do more to inform everyone about water rights and conservation efforts. Twin Falls Times-News; 8/30 <http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2006/08/30/news_editorials/opinion_editorials.1.txt>
GENETIC TESTING TO HELP ANGLERS, FISH
As part of a pilot program funded by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, trollers are clipping a piece of pectoral fin from each fish they catch and sending it to the Hatfield Marine Science Center for DNA testing that shows within 48 hours what river basin it came from. <http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=11065>
SYMPATHETIC EARS HEAR TRIBES’ CALL FOR REMOVAL OF KLAMATH RIVER DAMS
The Yurok and Karuk tribes in California and the Klamath tribes of Oregon rallied in Portland to have the four lower Klamath River dams removed to restore salmon populations, and the new president of PacifiCorp, the power company that owns the dams, said he was open to the idea, so long as his customers weren’t affected. New York Times; Aug. 3 <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/03/us/03fish.html?_r=2&ref=us&oref=slogin>
TEXAS DROUGHT LOSSES TOP $4 BILLION MARK
Texas’ drought losses have reached an estimated $4.1 billion, eclipsing the $2.1 billion mark set in 1998, according to Texas Cooperative Extension economists. Southeast Farm Press, 8/24 <http://southeastfarmpress.com/news/082406-texas-losses/>
DROUGHT, WATER WORRIES CLOUD SKIES FOR U.S. FARMERS
As the United States bakes in one of the hottest summers since the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s, drought from the Dakotas to Arizona through Alabama has sharpened the focus of farmers on their lifeline: water. <http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=11114>
DROUGHT DEVASTATING RANCHES, FARMS IN PLAINS STATES
The drought in the Plains states, including eastern Montana and Wyoming, is burning the agriculture business there, as ranchers have no grass in the pastures and no water in the watering holes, and some say this is the worst drought since the Dust Bowl in the 1930s. New York Times; Aug. 29 <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/29/us/29drought.html?_r=2&ref=us&oref=slogin&oref=slogin>
OILSANDS INDUSTRY STRAINS ALBERTA’S WATER RESOURCES
Three years of drought, a booming population and increased oilsands production have all exacted a toll on Alberta’s water resources, and the government has set a goal of improving water efficiencies by 30 percent by 2015. Another in a series on oilsands production. Edmonton Journal; Aug. 1 <http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=5739fbb5-6b86-410d-b949-6dfd606c27c7>
IRRIGATION NEEDS DRAWS ALBERTA RIVER DOWN TO LOWEST LEVEL IN 5 YEARS
Flows in Alberta’s Bow River that runs from Bow Glacier in the Rockies to where it joins the Oldman River west of Medicine Hat have only been as low as they are now just nine times over the past 91 years of record-keeping, a marked difference to just six weeks ago when a high streamflow advisory was issued for the river. Edmonton Journal; Aug. 10 <http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=b4186f2f-5566-42f2-a763-557bff56e120&k=89478>
ALBERTA PROMISES FARMERS $261 MILLION IN DROUGHT AID
The Alberta government issued an agriculture disaster declaration, opening the door to $261 million in government aid for farmers hit with yet another disastrous drought. Edmonton Journal; Aug. 20 <http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/business/story.html?id=d958cb67-e13f-4aaf-81be-e206e404c8c2&k=97287>
DROUGHT TO SHUT DOWN CANADIAN RAIN FOREST RESORT
A well-known resort town in a Canadian Pacific rain forest must shutter its hotels and businesses this week because a prolonged drought has slashed water supplies, officials said. <http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=11168>
ALBERTA SHUTS OFF NEW WATER REQUESTS FOR 3 RIVERS
The Alberta government said no new water licenses will be issued for the Bow, Oldman and South Saskatchewan rivers, a move praised by environmental groups but raised doubts of large industrial users about the future of their water supplies. Calgary Herald; Aug. 31 <http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=ae831802-18da-45c1-ab53-63bb35c3e950&k=58941>
WATER CRISIS DOESN’T CARE IF COUNTRIES ARE RICH OR POOR
Industrialized nations must make drastic policy changes if they wish to maintain water supplies, warns the World Wildlife Fund. In cities from Seville to Sydney to Sacramento, water has become a hot political issue as supply declines thanks to everything from global warming to wetlands loss. A report by the International Water Management Institute also said that a third of the world faces water shortages; water use has increased by six times in the last century and will double again by 2050, mostly from agricultural use. WWF suggests a combination of solutions — conserving, repairing infrastructure, reducing pollution, and requiring agriculture interests in rich countries to pay more for water and be held accountable for efficient use — but noted that implementing common-sense measures “in the face of habitual practices and intense lobbying by vested interests has been very difficult.” <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4796909.stm>
FLOODS, FIRES MAKE NAVAJO WATER SUPPLY IN UTAH UNUSABLE
The Navajo Mountain spring in Utah’s far southeastern corner is clogged with ash and other debris, making the water not usable for drinking water for about 1,200 tribal members, and forcing the tribe to truck in water. Salt Lake Tribune (AP); Aug. 21 <http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_4212780>
CANADIAN OFFICIALS WARN ANGLERS NOT TO EAT FISH CAUGHT NEAR DERAILMENT
Although there are no commercial fisheries near where a Canadian Pacific train derailed, dumping tons of coal into the Thompson River, Canadian officials warned recreational anglers not to eat the chinook, pink and sockeye salmon or other fish until toxicology analyses are completed on the fish. Vancouver Sun; Aug. 3 <http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=74372ccc-6b04-4a42-9578-1437b06baee5&k=2465>
CHINA TO DIVERT TIBET’S WATERS TO PARCHED WEST
China’s quest to master its future through vast engineering feats could test new limits as Beijing prepares a controversial scheme to channel water from Tibet to the parched Yellow River in the country’s west. Reuters, 8/2 <http://enn.com/today.html?id=10981>
CASSINI SNAPS ‘GREAT LAKES’ ON TITAN
The Cassini spacecraft, currently exploring Titan, has captured images of what may possibly be lakes on Saturn’s moon, Titan. If the images are confirmed, it will mean that Titan is the only other body known to have lakes on it besides Earth. Short News, 7/28 <http://www.shortnews.com/shownews.cfm?id=55979&CFID=18887304&CFTOKEN=94149056>
DISCOVERY OF CHROMIUM IN N.M. LABORATORY WELL PROMPTS INVESTIGATION
New Mexico officials said chromium levels found in a monitoring well near the Las Alamos National Laboratory were four times the acceptable level, and said they would complete their investigation of the cause of the contamination within the next six months, and then decide how to proceed. Santa Fe New Mexican; Aug. 6 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/47513.html>
GROUNDWATER-RELATED DISEASE RISK TO BE STUDIED
As USEPA nears promulgation of a rule aiming to reduce health risks associated with consumption of public supplies of groundwater, research to estimate the risk of pediatric illness linked to groundwater is gearing up in 14 Wisconsin communities. WaterWeek, 7/31 <http://www.awwa.org/communications/waterweek/>
CALIFORNIA PROPOSES NEW PERCHLORATE LIMIT FOR DRINKING WATER
The Colorado River provides a vast amount of water to southern California, and it is one of the biggest sources of drinking water tainted by perchlorate, a toxic ingredient of solid rocket fuel, and California officials have proposed setting a drinking water standard of 6 parts per billion, in the absence of any federal regulation. Los Angeles Times; Aug. 30 <http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-perchlorate29aug29,1,6478109.story?coll=la-news-environment&ctrack=1&cset=true>
DEVELOPMENT COULD REQUIRE MONTANA TOWN TO BUILD A WATER PLANT
If a 90-acre subdivision with about 1,000 homes is built in Hungry Horse, then the small Montana town will have to build a wastewater treatment plant, likely on school property. Hungry Horse News; Aug. 3 <http://www.hungryhorsenews.com/articles/2006/08/02/news/news3.txt>
IDAHO OFFICIALS TELL TOWN THAT IT CAN’T GROW UNLESS SEWAGE PLANT DOES
A plan to build a 47-unit subdivision near Murtaugh can’t go forward unless the Idaho town expands its wastewater treatment plant since, according to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the town of 150 is already out of compliance for nitrate discharge. Twin Falls Times-News; Aug. 3 <http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2006/08/03/news_localstate/news_local_state.8.txt>
TOXIC ALGAE IN KLAMATH RIVER PROMPTS WARNINGS
A record bloom of toxic algae in Klamath River reservoirs prompted health warnings Monday from state and federal officials. Sacramento Bee, 8/15 <http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/science/story/14297374p-15153377c.html>
OFFICIALS SAY REPORTS OF TOXIC SOUP AFTER KATRINA A MYTH
Authorities tried to dispel fears that Hurricane Katrina turned the region into an environmental disaster zone as they encouraged tourists and businesses to keep coming to New Orleans. <http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=11137>
WATER-QUALITY ISSUES PLAGUE ALBERTA FIRST NATION COMMUNITIES
There are 86 First Nation communities across Canada under a boil order for their water, 10 of them in Alberta, and the Saddle Lake Cree Nation has asked international water experts for help in designing a new water treatment plant that requires far fewer chemicals to treat the water. Edmonton Journal; Aug. 28 <http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=d669faea-5392-495c-a4c6-66eb9cb4f3f5&k=8765&p=2>
PUNCTURED FUEL TANK SENDS 50 TONS OF FUEL OIL INTO B.C. ESTUARY
British Columbia officials are still investigating the impacts on wildlife of a 50-ton spill of bunker fuel oil in a stretch of water between Vancouver, Whistler and Squamish. Vancouver Sun; Aug. 7 <http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=e59d54da-3fd7-4ea8-a770-d602183eb5a2&k=55176>
ENVIRONMENTAL ‘CRISIS’ IN LEBANON
The United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) has expressed its ‘grave concern’ about oil pollution in Lebanese coastal waters. BBC, 8/9 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5233358.stm>
