RAINFALL DOESN’T DO MUCH TO END COLORADO DROUGHT
State weather officials said the wet weekend in Colorado, where some areas received up to eight inches of rainfall, won’t do much to clear the long-term drought, and said the effects of the stormy weekend will be forgotten within days. Denver Rocky Mountain News; July 10 <http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4833501,00.html>
BOULDER ASKS FOR VOLUNTARY WATER RESTRICTIONS
Citing the extreme heat and a continued drought, Boulder, Colo., officials said that water consumption has been highest since 2000, and county officials are asking residents to help with strict, but still voluntary, conservation practices. Boulder Daily Camera; July 14 <http://www.dailycamera.com/bdc/county_news/article/0,1713,BDC_2423_4844044,00.html>
DISASTER DECLARED IN MOST OF COLORADO MEANS HELP FOR FARMERS
Colorado Gov. Bill Owens announced yesterday that farmers in 59 of the state’s 64 counties qualify for federal disaster relief for losses due to the drought. Denver Post; July 18 <http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4062738>
DROUGHT, SALES OF AG WATER BROWNS UP COLORADO
Irrigated farmland in Colorado is at its lowest point in 32 years, with more than 1 million acres of formerly irrigated farmland drying up, hit with the double whammy of a protracted drought and the sale of agricultural water to thirsty cities. Denver Rocky Mountain News; July 31 <http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4879081,00.html>
‘DROUGHT AID’ PROVES TO BE A CASH CROP FOR MANY FARMERS
A hastily written farm bill in 2002 that was meant to provide relief to farmers and ranchers whose livestock was damaged by drought has cost taxpayers $1.2 billion during 2002-2003, $635 million of which went to farmers in areas of little or no drought. An in-depth look at farm subsidies, which paid out $25 billion last year. Washington Post; July 18 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/17/AR2006071701237.html> <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/18/AR2006071801467.html>
DENVER CONSIDERS WATER RETROFITTING PLANS
Denver officials are considering a plan brought forth by Denver Water to retrofit all homes and businesses with water-efficient fixtures at the point of sale, but the discussions are still in the early stages. Denver Rocky Mountain News; July 27 <http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4873597,00.html>
BEETLES MAKING INROADS ON COLORADO TAMARISK BATTLE
Last August, researchers released 8,000 tamarisk leaf beetles in stands of the water-guzzling trees along the South Platte River in Colorado’s Adams County, and officials said the bug appears to be making a difference; similar successes are reported on sites in Utah and Nevada, too. Denver, Rocky Mountain News; July 28 <http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4875866,00.html>
KAYAK PARK BATTLES IN COLORADO MIRROR REGIONAL ISSUE
Officials in Pagosa Springs want more money and water to expand an in-town whitewater kayak park that is fueling an economic boom in recreation, but Colorado officials say the increased flows could cause erosion and fish kills, a battle over kayak parks that is emerging all over the West. Denver Post; July 17 <http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4060701>
COLORADO WATER AUTHORITY OBJECTS TO TOWN’S RECREATIONAL-WATER PLAN
The Colorado Water Conservation Board has recommended that the state deny Durango’s application for a guaranteed flow of water for a whitewater park on the Animas River. Durango Herald; July 28 <http://durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/06/news060728_1.htm>
CONSERVATIONISTS GLAD TO HELP BLM REVIEW COLORADO RIVERS
The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public input as it begins the process of reviewing rivers in western Colorado for wild, scenic or recreational designation. Grand Junction Sentinel; July 13 <http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/07/13/7_13_1B_BLM_open_house.html>
DROUGHT PUSHES SANTA FE TO PUMP GROUNDWATER TO MEET NEEDS
Santa Fe’s reservoirs were 54 percent full in June, and city officials said they decided to use groundwater for the short-term to save water in the city’s reservoirs for 2007, in case next winter and spring are as dry as the last. Santa Fe New Mexican; July 5 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/45909.html>
SANTA FE SELLS WATER TO FEDERAL AGENCY TO HELP SILVERY MINNOW
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will buy 2,500 acre-feet of Santa Fe’s San Juan-Chama Project water to keep the Rio Grande flowing this summer and sustain the endangered silvery minnow. Santa Fe New Mexican; July 14 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/46395.html>
NEW MEXICO, WATER DISTRICT TANGLE OVER WATER BANKS
The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District has the right to irrigate 123,257 acres, but the District has never filed the necessary paperwork to certify exactly how much water it is entitled to use, and the New Mexico State Engineer says the District is allowing landowners to lease their water rights and then irrigate their land without paying for the water they use. Santa Fe New Mexican; July 2 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/45819.html>
FIRM SETS WATER-RIGHTS AUCTION IN NEW MEXICO
An Albuquerque-based water-brokerage firm is auctioning off some of the irrigation water rights covered by the years-old Aamodt water-rights lawsuit, with a minimum bid of $25,000 per acre feet of water, but Acequia associations are protesting the auction and said water should not be treated as a commodity. Santa Fe New Mexican; July 14 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/46396.html>
BROKER SUES FOR RIGHT TO WATER EVAPORATING OFF N.M. RESERVOIRS
Albuquerque hydrologist William Turner has appealed the New Mexico State Engineer’s denial of his request that he be allowed to divert the 372,982 acre-feet of water from the Rio Grande that normally evaporates off the Elephant Butte, Cochiti and Caballo reservoirs each year, pipe it into arroyos or well fields, and then sell the water. Santa Fe New Mexican; July 30 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/47174.html>
BINGAMAN HEARS RIO GRANDE PROPOSAL
Ponds of water teeming with reeds, insects and chirping birds played host Wednesday to a group of unlikely allies seeking ways to increase wildlife habitat along the Rio Grande, while protecting water rights of farmers. Las Cruces Sun-News, 7/6 <http://www.lcsun-news.com/news/ci_4017010>
LIMITED SAMPLING OF N.M. FISH FIND SOME UNSAFE TO EAT
The New Mexico Department of Environment’s lone fisheries biologist scraped together enough funds from the Environmental Protection Agency and other sources to check about 50 sportfish, and in nearly every instance the fish contained levels of toxins that exceeded safe consumption levels. Santa Fe New Mexican; July 20 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/46702.html>
TRIBE SEEKS FUNDS TO KEEP N.M. FISH HATCHERY IN OPERATION
Tribes from across New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah formed a partnership several years ago to keep a fish hatchery on Mescalero Apache tribal lands in operation, but funds are drying up and the tribe is looking for financial help to keep the hatchery going. Salt Lake Tribune; July 20 <http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_4072805>
GROUP SAYS MOVIE SET MAY HARM N.M. RIVER
Santa Fe National Forest staff called the river-advocacy group Amigos Bravos because the agency officials were concerned about the undocumented categorical exclusion issued in one week that allowed the construction of a Walt Disney movie set on the east fork of the Jemez River in New Mexico. Santa Fe New Mexican; July 5 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/45907.html>
GROUP DISPUTES FEDERAL DOWNLISTING OF GILA TROUT
The Gila trout, a fish native to southern New Mexico and east-central Arizona, has made enough of a comeback that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed taking the fish off the endangered species list and moving it to the threatened list, a move an advocacy group says puts the species back in danger. Santa Fe New Mexican; 7/19 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/46634.html>
UTAH AGENCIES TANGLE OVER PROPOSED FISHING RESORT
The Utah Department of Wildlife Resources said it would not grant access across its land to an adjacent 365-acre parcel along the Green River that the School Institutional Trust Lands Administration is proposing to sell to a Georgia firm, which wants to build an exclusive fishing resort. Salt Lake Tribune; July 19 <http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_4068474>
DRY SPELL LINGERS IN MUCH OF UTAH
As things stand, the west Colorado River Basin stands at drier than normal, while the Bear River Basin is still considered to be in a drought. The rest of the state’s water supply is rated normal. Salt Lake Tribune, 7/11 <http://www.sltrib.com/search/ci_4035186>
ARIZONA LAWMAKERS ASK CONGRESS TO PROTECT FOSSIL CREEK
Fossil Creek is a rare perennial stream that flows from the Mogollon Rim into the Verde River, and members of Arizona’s congressional delegation have introduced legislation to add the creek to the nation’s Wild and Scenic Rivers system. Arizona Republic; 7/31 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0731B1-talker0731.html>
NEVADA EYES UTAH WATER
The Southern Nevada Water Authority is considering plans to extract water from a valley that sits in both Nevada and Utah and pipe the water to thirsty Las Vegas, but many Utahns don’t like the plan, and said that Nevada politicians are using the proposal as a political game. Deseret News; 7/11 <http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,640193821,00.html>
NV WATER CHIEF WARNS UTAH NOT TO STAND IN NEVADA’S WAY
Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager Pat Mulroy said she’s concerned about Utah’s resistance to the Authority’s plan to pump groundwater from an area on the Utah-Nevada border to Las Vegas, and said an agreement between the states on the project would provide a template for other such cooperative agreements across the West. Salt Lake Tribune; July 14 <http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_4049627>
LAS VEGAS SHOULD STOP PUSHING SO HARD FOR UTAH’S WATER
The Southern Nevada Water Authority has every right to be proud of the way it manages its water and water accounts, but that doesn’t mean it can tell the Snake River Valley community in Utah how to manage its water so Las Vegas has enough, too. Salt Lake Tribune; July 16 <http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_4057158>
NEVADA WATER AUTHORITY BUYS RANCH FOR $66 MILLION
Southern Nevada Water Authority officials said they would not mine groundwater from the 1,154-acre Warm Springs Ranch near Moapa, but instead would maintain the area for environmental management, including protection of the endangered Moapa dace, a 3-inch fish found only in the Moapa Valley. Las Vegas Review-Journal; 7/18 <http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Jul-18-Tue-2006/news/8547890.html>
SOUTHERN NEVADA WATER AUTHORITY WOOS ELY NEXT
The SNWA wants to provide the City of Ely with $1,250,000 in financial assistance, if the city were to drop its protests against SNWA’s outstanding groundwater applications in White Pine, Lincoln and Clark counties. Ely Times, 7/17 <http://www.elynews.com/articles/2006/07/17/news/news02.txt>
PUBLIC GETS ANOTHER CHANCE TO WEIGH IN ON LAS VEGAS WATER PLAN
Bureau of Land Management officials said considerable changes had been made to Las Vegas’ plan to pipe groundwater from the Utah-Nevada border, which led them to reopen the public comment period on the plan, but no public hearings are planned. Las Vegas Sun (AP); July 20 <http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2006/jul/19/071910069.html>
COALITION ASKS SEN. REID TO DELAY LAS VEGAS WATER PLAN
After U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he wanted to fastrack a deal to allow Las Vegas to pump groundwater from an area on the Utah-Nevada border, a coalition of Nevada and Utah residents, tribal members and environmental groups sent him a letter asking that the deal be delayed until comprehensive testing on groundwater supplies could be completed. Salt Lake Tribune; July 28 <http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_4106520>
NEVADA TRIBE APPEALS BLM’S PLAN TO EXPORT GROUNDWATER
The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe in Nevada is appealing a plan to pump groundwater from Honey Lake Basin to the North Valleys for new development because they say it will result in less water and lower water quality for Pyramid Lake. Reno Gazette-Journal; 7/14 <http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060714/NEWS10/607140426/1002/NEWS>
TUCSON’S JUNE WATER USE LOWEST IN FIVE YEARS
Tucson Water users turned down their taps in June, marking the first decline in five years in the city utility’s total water use for the year’s hottest month. Arizona Daily Star, 7/4 <http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/136438>
DIRECTOR WANTS TO LOWER UNACCOUNTED-FOR WATER
Tucson Water plans a major effort to try to reduce the amount of water it loses or cannot account for. Arizona Daily Star, 7/10 <http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/137187>
NEW WATER LIMIT ENFORCEMENT STARTS IN 45 DAYS
Pima County will begin enforcing new water restrictions within 45 days, Administrator Chuck Huckelberry says. The Board of Supervisors passed the county’s first water-wasting ordinance. Tucson Citizen, 7/1 <http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/frontpage/16591.php>
WATER COMPLAINTS PUSH ARIZONA BOARD TO MOVE UP HEARING
The 1,625 customers of the Desert Hills Water Co. in the Phoenix area said they are often without water for hours every morning, and their complaints about poor service and supply convinced the Arizona Corporation Commission to move a September hearing on the matter to Aug. 21. Arizona Republic; July 10 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0710water0710.html>
RIVER DOWN TO ‘TRICKLE’ IN JUNE, USGS REPORTS
Nearly a year after the San Pedro River stopped flowing, it almost stopped again. Sierra Vista Herald, 7/19 <http://www.svherald.com/articles/2006/07/19/local_news/news2.txt>
JUDGE REJECTS PETITION TO BLOCK CANAL PROJECT
In a case with implications across the arid West and into Mexico, a federal judge has refused to block a controversial water conservation plan aimed at providing San Diego with a vast new supply from the Imperial Valley. SD Union Tribune, 7/6 <http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060706-9999-7m6canal.html>
SAN DIEGO LEADERS RANKLED BY ‘SECRET’ L.A. DEAL
San Diego County water leaders call it a troubling ‘secret deal’ and “preferential treatment” worth billions of gallons of water a year to the city of Los Angeles. Others say they see nothing sinister. NC Times, 7/9 <http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/07/09/news/top_stories/21_07_157_8_06.txt>
SETTLEMENT REACHED ON FRIANT DAM FLOWS
A settlement was reached in an 18-year-old court battle over how much water should be allowed to flow from a dam on the San Joaquin River to restore the salmon that once lived there, attorneys said. LA Times, 7/1 <http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-water1jul01,1,4777612.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california>
FEDS MAY LET ACRES OF SALTY FARMLAND GO FALLOW
Poor drainage has left land on the San Joaquin Valley’s west side salty and worthless, a nightmare for farmers and the federal government, which provides irrigation water. <http://www.ennmagazine.com/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=47&e=MTU0NzE=&l=http://www.enn.com/today.html–Q-id–E-10849>
FEDS REQUEST NEW REVIEW OF DELTA PUMPS
Federal officials have asked to re-evaluate massive Delta water delivery projects out of concern they could be contributing to the population collapse of a tiny fish. Contra Costa Times, 7/8 <http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/nation/14994512.htm>
AWE-INSPIRING PRICE TAG TO DRAIN HETCH HETCHY
It would cost anywhere from $3 billion to $10 billion to fulfill one of California environmentalists’ fondest dreams — draining Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and restoring a valley in Yosemite National Park that John Muir called “one of nature’s rarest and most precious mountain temples.” San Francisco Chronicle – 7/19/06 <http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/07/19/BAGM8K1DLH29.DTL> The report is an objective review of many complex issues associated with the restoration of Hetch Hetchy Valley. <http://hetchhetchy.water.ca.gov/docs/Hetch_Hetchy_Restoration_Study_Report.pdf>
CIENEGA DE SANTA CLARA TO BE STUDIED
A University of Arizona researcher is coordinating a project to monitor water quality in the largest wetland in the Colorado River Delta, the Cienega de Santa Clara in Mexico. The effort will evaluate how operation of the Yuma Desalting Plant (YDP) might affect the cienega. EurekAlert, 7/24 <http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-07/uoa-swq072406.php>
SCIENTISTS TRACK LAKE TROUT IN YELLOWSTONE LAKE FROM LEWIS LAKE
Using information culled from otoliths, small stones found in the ears of lake trout, an international group of scientists determined that the lake trout were somehow transported over the Continental Divide in 1989 and 1996, and put in Yellowstone Lake, one of the few remaining habitats for the Yellowstone cutthroat. Jackson Hole News & Guide; July 6 <http://www.jhguide.com/article.php?art_id=649>
PARK SERVICE TO BEGIN WORK TO RESTORE CUTTHROAT TROUT TO YELLOWSTONE
Yellowstone National Park officials approved a plan to clear 2,000 fish, build passage barriers and stock a lake with genetically pure cutthroat trout along the East Fork of Specimen Creek in an effort to restore populations of what was once the most abundant fish species in the region. Billing Gazette; July 11 <http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/07/11/news/state/70-trout.txt>
RIP-RAP ADDS TO NEED FOR SETBACKS ON MONTANA RIVER
One man in Florence, Montana, is upset with an upstream development that installed rip-rap on a section of the Bitterroot River, which forced stronger flows down to his property that cut away several feet of riverbank, and the county is considering new setback rules to push development away from banks, eliminating the need for so much rip-rap. Ravalli Republic; July 17 <http://www.ravallirepublic.com/articles/2006/07/17/outdoors/68-outdoors.txt>
WYOMING LANDOWNERS JOIN MONTANA ON CBM WATER FIGHT
Three coalbed methane operators in Wyoming have sued Montana over the state’s new water rules, which prohibit Wyoming operators from dumping untreated discharge water into waterways that flow into Montana, and now the Powder River Basin Resource Council wants to join that lawsuit in support of Montana. Casper Star-Tribune; 7/21 <http://www.trib.com/articles/2006/07/21/news/wyoming/bc372ef1a742b9c0872571b20002de7b.txt>
WYOMING STRIVES TO KEEP CBM WATER FROM FLOWING INTO MONTANA
Wyoming and coalbed methane operators are keeping a lot of water discharged during coalbed methane extraction contained in freshly scooped reservoirs while a series of lawsuits involving Montana, Wyoming and those energy companies play out about meeting water standards enacted by Montana. Casper Star-Tribune; 7/24 <http://www.trib.com/articles/2006/07/24/news/wyoming/d91e40033f6f7a69872571b4002101eb.txt> <http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/07/31/news/wyoming/50-trees.txt>
STREAM ACCESS CASE MOVES TO THE MONTANA SUPREME COURT
For the 25 or so residents in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley who live on Mitchell Slough, the 13-mile stretch of waterway is nothing more than a manmade ditch, but others, including Gov. Brian Schweitzer, say it’s a natural waterway to which all Montanans have access under state law. Another look. New York Times; July 26 <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/26/us/26slough.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin>
MONTANA RESERVOIR DRAWDOWN HALTED AFTER FISH DIE
The Environmental Protection Agency ordered the drawdown of Milltown Reservoir halted after fingerling rainbow trout in monitoring cages in the Clark Fork River died. Missoulian; July 6 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/07/06/news/mtregional/news04.txt>
BIOLOGIST SAID MONTANA DAM DRAWDOWN, BACTERIA CAUSED FISH KILL
Higher water temperatures and increased turbidity created a good environment for bacteria growth, which caused the death of wild trout below Montana’s Milltown Dam, an event that the state’s lead biologist said was unexpected, and which led to the cancellation of the dam’s drawdown. Missoulian; July 21 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/07/21/news/mtregional/news06.txt>
MONTANA TRIBE BEGINS LAYING GROUNDWORK FOR NEW WATER SYSTEM
Ongoing drought and increased population is drying up wells across the Chippewa Cree Tribe’s Rocky Boy’s Reservation in Montana, and the tribe has begun upgrading its water system for the eventual arrival of 10,000 acre feet of water from Lake Elwell. Great Falls Tribune; July 3 <http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060703/NEWS01/607030302/1002>
MONTANA SENATOR ASKS USFS TO REMOVE MIKE HORSE DAM
Failure of the Mike Horse Dam, which sits at the headwaters of Montana’s Blackfoot River, would send a torrent of mining waste down the river, and Montana Sen. Max Baucus has asked the U.S. Forest Service to remove the dam. Missoulian; July 21 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/07/21/news/mtregional/news08.txt>
MONTANA GOVERNOR WANTS TO ROLL BACK WATER TAX
The 2005 Montana Legislature approved a $20-per-water-claim tax to help fund the state’s adjudication of water claims, but Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer announced he’d like to refund the money paid by the 90,958 water users who paid less than $400. Missoulian; July 6 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/07/06/news/mtregional/news08.txt>
MONTANA REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS QUESTION PLAN TO REPEAL WATER TAX
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s proposal to refund fees paid by water-rights holders as part of his “Square Deal with Montanans,” could spark a flurry of lawsuits, and Republican lawmakers said that litigation would be just another expense for the state to absorb. Missoulian; July 19 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/07/19/bnews/br49.txt>
BEETLE-KILLED TREES BECOME FISH HABITAT IN MONTANA TROUT STREAM Forest Service officials are using beetle-damaged trees from campsites along Rock Creek in western Montana to create more habitat for fish on the creek by building log jams that slow water and force the water to scour deep holes in the creek bed. Missoulian; July 27 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/07/27/news/mtregional/news03.txt>
MONTANA SENATOR TRIES TO PUSH RIVER PROJECTS THROUGH CONGRESS
A measure in the Water Resources Development Act that was written by Montana Sen. Max Baucus aims to allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin conservation and ecosystem-restoration projects on the Yellowstone River, and it was approved by the U.S. Senate, but still needs to be considered by a House-Senate conference committee. Billings Gazette (AP); July 23 <http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/07/23/news/state/55-baucus.txt>
BUSINESSES ASK MONTANA COUNTY OFFICIALS TO PROTECT WATER
More than 100 Flathead County businesses have formally asked their county commissioners to protect wetlands, lake shores, stream banks and the valley’s shallow groundwater through better land-use planning. Missoulian; July 31 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/07/31/news/local/news04.txt>
IDAHO CITY’S WATER PLANS DAMMED UP BY DISPUTE
Blackfoot’s plans to use a $471,000 federal grant to secure a water right to keep a popular lake in the Idaho city filled. But the plan has been put on hold after Twin Falls water users protested the application. Idaho Falls Post-Register; July 13 <http://www.headwatersnews.org/pr.blackfoot071306.html>
IDAHO COURT RULING PUTS WATER LAW IN LIMBO
An Idaho district court judge ruled last month that when water is in short supply, those with senior water rights have priority and those with junior water rights will go wanting puts groundwater users in Eastern Idaho in danger of losing their water, but the state has appealed the decision. Idaho Falls Post-Register; July 13 <http://www.headwatersnews.org/pr.idahowater071306.html>
IDAHO’S WATER WOES MAY GET A $3 MILLION FEDERAL REVIEW
The U.S. House recently passed legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. C.L. “Butch” Otter to spend $3 million to study water shortages on Idaho’s Snake, Boise and Payette river systems. Twin Falls Times-News; July 13 <http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2006/07/13/news_localstate/news_local_state.2.txt>
WATER DEAL LEAVES IDAHO FARMLAND HIGH AND DRY
In 2005, Idaho purchased the water rights to 60,000 acre-feet of water that was used to irrigate roughly 20,000 acres on Bell Rapids in the southern part of the state, and those acres of rich farmland are slowly returning to their native state. Twin Falls Times-News; July 31 <http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2006/07/31/news_localstate/news_local_state.2.txt>
IDAHO RECREATION AREA HAMMERED BY OVERUSE POLLUTES CREEK
A popular recreation area in the Sawtooth National Forest has been damaged by overuse and abuse, including people driving trucks across grassy fields, and the damage has polluted Rock Creek, but state and federal officials are taking notice and are considering closing some areas. Twin Falls Times News; July 11 <http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2006/07/11/news_topstory/news_topstory.1.txt>
SOME RAFTERS PORTAGE AROUND IDAHO LOGJAM, OTHERS FLY OUT
After a logjam that blocked the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho, hundreds of rafters were stranded on the river, and some outfitters hired packers to portage their customers and rafts around the logjam, while others opted to fly their clients out. Idaho Statesman; July 26 <http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060726/IDOUT/607260343>
RAFTERS BACK ON THE RIVER IN IDAHO AFTER LOGJAM CLEARED
The U.S. Forest Service cleared a logjam that formed after a downpour sent a torrent of trees, rock and mud downstream on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho, allowing the hundreds of rafters stranded by the logjam to take to the river again. Idaho Statesman; July 27 <http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060727/IDOUT/607270341>
BPA-PROPOSED RATE CUT COULD LOWER BILLS IN MONTANA, IDAHO
Montana’s largest supplier of hydroelectric power, the Bonneville Power Administration, has proposed a 3 percent cut to its wholesale power rate, due in part to what BPA officials are calling a “normal” water year. Missoulian; July 19 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/07/19/news/mtregional/news02.txt>
NEW FISH LADDERS EXTEND, NOT END, DEBATE ON SALMON AND DAMS
Some federal officials say that new fish ladders that make it easier for salmon to move upstream eliminate the need to remove the dams on the Snake River, but conservationists and tribal leaders say the ladders don’t help enough and don’t do anything to improve fish habitat. Idaho Statesman; July 23 <http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060723/NEWS01/607230344>
INTERIOR OFFICIALS, YUROKS SIGN KLAMATH PACT
High-level U.S. Interior Department officials came to Klamath on Tuesday to sign an agreement with the Yurok Tribe to cooperatively manage one of the West’s most troubled rivers. Eureka Times-Standard, 7/26 <http://www.times-standard.com/local/ci_4096866>
LITTLE HOPE FOR TEXAS DROUGHT RELIEF
Chris Blakemore looks out across a dwindling Medina Lake and hopes the drought doesn’t make things much worse. If it does, he won’t have water to launch his boat or supply his home faucets. Express-News, 7/12 <http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA071306.1A.drought.16e5567.html>
LOW WATER IN GREAT LAKES CAUSES WORRY
Several massive vessels have run aground on Michigan’s Saginaw River this shipping season, caught in shallow waters a few miles from Lake Huron. ENN, 7/4 <http://enn.com/today.html?id=10802>
U.S. CITIES REWARDED FOR USING LESS WATER
Cities all across the US are creating or expanding rebate programs or utility-bill credits to residents and businesses that install grass-free lawns, as well as toilets, washing machines and showers that use less water. USA Today, 7/21 <http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-07-19-water-rebates_x.htm>
JASON PELTIER NAMED PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR WATER AND SCIENCE
NEWS RELEASE. Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Mark Limbaugh has named Jason Peltier the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science. As Principal Deputy, Peltier’s new duties will include assisting the Department of the Interior in management oversight and policy direction for both the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Geological Survey. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 7/12 <http://www.usbr.gov/mp/press_rel/nr_peltier.pdf?RecordID=12721>
ALBERTA MINISTER SAYS OILSANDS DEVELOPMENT GULPING DOWN WATER
At the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region conference in Edmonton Monday, Alberta Sustainable Resource Minister David Coutts said demand for fresh water in the Canadian province is growing at the rate of 2 percent each year, while supplies are dwindling due to drought and increased use. Edmonton Journal; July 18 <http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=5008e602-a732-4da3-bbc8-d3ef796bf37f&k=0>
SCARCITY OF FRESH WATER MAKES IT A WORLDWIDE INVESTMENT BOOM
The global lack of fresh water has made the resource more precious than oil, and the world’s largest investors are choosing water as the commodity that may appreciate the most in value over the next few decades. Edmonton Journal; July 3 <http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/business/story.html?id=60e8a4c1-b733-4f96-a85c-d723c1f4e221&k=50181>
MIDDLE EAST WATER TAB: $100 BILLION
Arab states will need to invest a $100 billion on desalination over the next decade if demand for water keeps growing at the current pace. Reuters, 7/24 <http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2006-07-24T125821Z_01_L22866375_RTRIDST_0_SCIENCE-UTILITIES-WATER-ARABS-DC.XML>
STUDY: DRUG-LADEN WATER MAY NOT POSE THREAT
A Canadian study of high-use drugs released from eight municipal wastewater treatment plants suggests that effects on invertebrates, bacteria, and plants in natural aquatic environments are unlikely. Env. Toxicology & Chemistry, 7/20 <http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/entc_25_807_2163_2176.pdf>
BOULDER MAY VOTE FLUORIDE OUT OF DRINKING WATER
Proponents of The Clean Drinking Water Initiative have collected enough votes to put an initiative on the ballot in November to remove fluoride from Boulder’s drinking water supply, which they say is an unnecessary additive, but opponents say adding fluoride to the water is a cheap way of improving residents’ teeth. Boulder Daily Camera; July 13 <http://reg.dailycamera.com/bdc/web/loginForm?from=www.dailycamera.com/bdc/county_news/article/0,1713,BDC_2423_4841173,00.html>
FLOODING CAUSES TAILINGS CONCERNS IN UTAH
Local and state leaders in Utah expressed concern over toxic mine tailings that may have been swept up in flash flooding near Moab a couple of weeks ago, and they are pressuring federal officials to keep up with clean-up work, but federal officials say the toxins didn’t move. Salt Lake Tribune; July 27 <http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_4101101>
ARIZONA ENGINEER HELPS TRIBES BUILD WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITIES
Jimmy Alvarez is a member of the Jamul Tribe in San Diego County, and his Arizona-based Plumas Engineering designs and builds wastewater treatment systems exclusively for Native American communities, which earned him the annual First American Leadership Award for Entrepreneurship from the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. Arizona Republic; July 3 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/0702biz-execprofile0702.html>
MONTANA TOWN’S SEWAGE SYSTEM BUMPS UP GROWTH
The residents of Lakeside, a tiny community on Montana’s Flathead Lake, have learned that if you put in a sewage system before you have a growth plan in place, unbridled growth will follow. Missoulian; July 10 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/07/10/news/mtregional/znews06.txt>
WATERSHED POLLUTANTS FROM MIDWESTERN FARMS CONTRIBUTE TO “DEAD ZONE” IN GULF OF MEXICO
Winter floods and spring downpours are washing large amounts of nutrients off Midwestern farms and into streams feeding the Mississippi River, according to new research led by Todd Royer, an assistant professor at the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs. These nutrients ultimately end up in the Gulf of Mexico, where they contribute to its oxygen-starved ‘dead zone.’ Indiana University, 7/5 <http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/3684.html>
EPA MAY EASE AG WATER REGULATIONS
Proposed changes to the EPA’s regulation of large confined animal feeding operations with regard to water quality would require fewer facilities to apply for permits. The Wichita Eagle, 7/13 <http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/business/15024947.htm>
SENATE APPROVES PIECE OF GREAT LAKES PLAN
A cleanup plan for the Great Lakes is making progress in Congress, following passage of a Senate bill to support fish and wildlife habitats in the region. Chicago Daily Southtown, 7/13 <http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/dsindex/13-ds1b.htm>
LOUISIANA LOOKS TO OIL TO RESTORE WETLANDS
Louisiana is focusing its hopes for restoring coastal wetlands that could help protect it from another Hurricane Katrina on an unexpected savior: oil. MSNBC, 7/19 <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13920732/>
CHINA TO INVEST $175 BILLION IN ENVIRONMENT CLEANUP
China plans to invest 1.4 trillion yuan ($175 billion) in environmental protection in the next five years, state media said, to curb water and air pollution so severe it causes riots and health problems. Washington Post, 7/18 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/18/AR2006071800225.html>
DARFUR PEACE MUST ADDRESS WATER CRISIS
There is no chance of peace in Darfur unless the region’s dire water shortages are tackled as part of a settlement between rebels and the Sudanese government. Reuters, 7/18 <http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=10888>
