ARRIVAL OF EL NINO MAY MEAN DRY WINTER FOR COLORADO
Forecasters are predicting a virtual no-show for snow and slightly warmer temperatures across much of Colorado for the next few months. <http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4786240?source=email>
COLORADO NATIONAL PARK OFFERS VISITORS A GLIMPSE INTO THE PAST
There are no visitors’ services and only a single gravel road leading to the north rim of the Black Canyon in Gunnison National Park in Colorado, the nation’s fourth-newest national park, and environmentalists are engaged in a fight with the National Park Service over water flows through the canyon. Grand Junction Sentinel; 12/27 <http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/12/27/12_27_Parks_BlackCanyon.html>
THIRSTY COUNTRY LOOKS FOR WATER
Water storage was one issue discussed at the workshop, sponsored by the Colorado River Water Conservation District. <http://www.craigdailypress.com/section/localnews/story/24532>
COLORADO WATER OFFICIALS SAY YAMPA RIVER PLAN COULD WORK
The Yampa River in northwest Colorado is one of the last rivers in the state with unclaimed water, and a recent feasibility study found that a proposal to pump water 200 miles from the river to Front Range cities could work, but the plan faces serious opposition from those who want to keep the free-flowing river free of dams and diversions. Casper Star-Tribune (AP); Dec. 20 <http://www.trib.com/articles/2006/12/20/news/regional/f7f9151615aa44ab8725724900727ce9.txt>
GAS COMPANY TRIES TO TEMPER COLORADO TOWN’S CONCERNS ABOUT WATERSHED
Genesis Gas and Oil plans to drill in the Palisade and Grand Junction watersheds, and company and Bureau of Land Management officials met with residents to try and build some trust and assure them that the watershed wouldn’t be damaged by the drilling, which received mixed reactions. Grand Junction Sentinel; Dec. <http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/12/06/12_6_1a_Watershed.html>
COLORADO CITY USES SATELLITE IMAGERY TO CRAFT WATER BUDGETS
Boulder city officials’ new water budget plan uses satellite photos and a gallons-per-square-foot formula that is borrowed from one used by a California city, and Boulder may be the first in Colorado to use such a detailed plan. Denver Rocky Mountain News; Dec. 11 http:// <http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5201845,00.html>
GROUPS FIGHT TO SAVE COLORADO RIVER NEAR BOOMING TOWN
Several environmental groups have banded together to fight a plan to build a series of storage reservoirs and pipelines that pull water off the Cache la Poudre River near Fort Collins every few years when the river is high to supply water for 100,000 new homes because they say it could damage the river, threatens irrigators’ supplies and is too big a gamble on growth. Rocky Mountain Chronicle; Dec. 15 <http://www.rmchronicle.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=322>
COLORADO STUDY CONFIRMS WASTEWATER CHANGES SEX OF FISH
Two University of Colorado professors, along with two U.S. Geological Survey scientists have conducted studies of wastewater discharged from the Boulder Wastewater Treatment Plant into Boulder Creek and found that excreted birth-control hormones, natural female hormones and detergents flushed down toilets and drains contained in the wastewater turned male fish into female fish in a week. Casper Star- Tribune (Scripps Howard News Service); Dec. 12 <http://www.trib.com/>/articles/2006/12/12/news/regional/87a0a21fccb3d8a587257241006d1666.txtA>
ALPINE LAKE IN COLORADO TESTS HIGH FOR MERCURY
Loch Vale, a clear lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, has one of the highest levels of mercury in Colorado, more than four times higher than it was in pre-industrial times, a fact that indicates the mercury is from man- made sources. Denver Post; Dec. 11 <http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4817072>
KEMPTHORNE SIGNS OFF ON PLATTE RIVER AGREEMENT
The governors of Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska had previously signed an agreement to share Platte River water and protect endangered species, and Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne sealed the deal with his signature. Casper Star-Tribune (AP); Dec. 8 <http://www.trib.com/articles/2006/12/08/news/wyoming/ff2ca62559d72a538725723e0007dc91.txt>
UPDATED PLAN FORECASTS N.M. TOWN’S WATER SUPPLY WILL DRY UP BY 2013
Engineers hired by the Moriarty City Council told council members in the New Mexico town to assess the effect projected growth would have on the town’s water supply because if all the growth occurs, the town will outstrip its existing water supply within six years. Albuquerque Journal (Mountain View Telegraph); Dec. 28 <http://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/524439nm12-28-06.htm>
N.M. PECAN FARMERS OPPOSE PROPOSED WATER RULES
New Mexico’s state engineer proposed limiting water use for farmers to 4 acre-feet per acre during dry years, a provision that the state’s pecan growers said would put them out of business. Albuquerque Journal (AP); Jan. 3 <http://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/appecan01-03-07.htm>
PROTESTS THAT STALLED UTAH SEWER PLAN MAY HALT NEW HOUSES TOO
South Valley Sewer District officials said they may have to impose a moratorium on new hookups to the sewer district that serves the southern third of Salt Lake County because the district’s plan to build a new sewer-treatment plan has been blocked by protests by a citizens’ group. Salt Lake Tribune; Dec. 7 <http://www.sltrib.com/news/=ci_4794294>
ARIZONA COUNTY BANS ORNAMENTAL GRASS IN NEW COMMERCIAL BUILDING
Pima County has banned ornamental turf in new developments as a means of building water conservation into the Arizona county’s planning regulations. Arizona Republic; Dec. 5 <http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1205conserve-tucson1205.html>
PINAL, AZ WATER COUNCIL APPROVES RULE CHANGE
Currently, water pumped out of the ground is not required to be replenished with surface water. Under the new rule, 90 percent of water taken out would have to be replenished, effective in 2010. Casa Grande Valley Newspapers, 12/1 <http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17539300&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=6>
ARIZONA COUNTY MAY LIMIT GROWTH BASED ON WATER AVAILABILITY
Pinal County supervisors are considering an amendment to zoning regulations that will require Arizona county officials to consider the effect any new development or change in zoning will have on groundwater supplies before approving zoning changes or development applications. Arizona Daily Star; Dec. 13 <http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/160223.php> <http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1222/p03s03-ussc.html>
ARIZONA GOV: NO WATER, NO SUBDIVISION
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano said she wants to give rural communities the right to deny developers a building permit to build subdivisions if they can’t prove they have an adequate water supply, and in some areas, that means proving there is at least a 100-year water supply. Arizona Daily Sun; Dec. 14 <http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2006/12/13/news/state/20061213_arizona_news_44.txt>
DEVELOPERS MUST REPLACE WATER USED FOR NEW HOMES IN ARIZONA
Buckeye wants to annex about 600 square miles for development so the Arizona town’s officials decided to study the Hassayampa aquifer, which sits below the area, and the town’s officials have now told developers that if they want to build, they can use that water, but state water law says only if they find a way to replenish it. Arizona Republic; Dec. 18 <http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1218water-whitetanks1218.html>
FEDERAL PLAN FOR ARIZONA GROUNDWATER DISCOUNTS OTHER NEEDS
The federal government’s plan to pipe groundwater from the Coconino Aquifer from Leupp to the Peabody Western coal mine at Black Mesa discounts the needs of area towns that need the potable water for their residents, and the Office of Surface Mining should work with Arizona and local officials to ensure water is ample enough for all the needs. Arizona Daily Sun; Dec. 26 <http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2006/12/24/news/opinion/20061222_opinion_34.txt>
ARIZONA TOWNS FIGHT DEVELOPER’S PLAN TO PUMP WATER TO NEVADA
Residents of Beaver Dam and Littlefield gathered to protest the application of Arizona developer Wind River Resources to pump groundwater from below their Arizona communities and pipe it 10 miles into Nevada to fuel growth in and around Mesquite. Las Vegas Review- Journal; Dec. 11 <http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Dec-11-Mon-2006/news/11300969.html>
ARIZONA CITY OKS PLAN TO SELL WASTEWATER TO SKI AREA
Flagstaff city officials have approved a plan to sell 1.5 million gallons of treated wastewater a day to Arizona Snowbowl ski area for use in snowmaking operations, which will begin next year, unless a suit by several Indian tribes, who say the ski resort expansion is an affront to their religion, thwarts that plan. Arizona Daily Star (AP); Dec. 15 <http://www.azstarnet.com/news/160478>
EPA AWARDS NEVADA UTILITY WITH WATER USE AWARD
The Environmental Protection Agency said the Southern Nevada Water Authority is the nation’s most water-efficient utility, thanks in large part to the authority’s turf rebate program, which helped replace 76.2 million square feet of grass with desert landscaping and saved 4.2 billion gallons of water a year. Reno Gazette Journal; Dec. 5 <http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Dec-05-Tue-2006/news/11222201.html>
AWAITING WATER DEAL, NEVADA WATER AUTHORITY BUYS UP LAND
Southern Nevada Water Authority is augmenting its plan to pump groundwater from the Spring Valley by buying up ranchland and accompanying water rights in White Pine County, and county officials said the water authority’s latest acquisition may make it the largest landholder in the county. Las Vegas Review-Journal; Dec. 8 <http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Dec-08-Fri-2006/news/11301065.html>
FEDERAL LAW GIVES LAS VEGAS ANOTHER GULP OF COLORADO RIVER WATER
While the Southern Nevada Water Authority continues its trek to pump groundwater from White Pine County, a measure tucked in a federal spending bill provides a temporary solution in the form of a reservoir to capture water sent from Lake Mead to Southern California =farmers. Las Vegas Sun; Dec. 21 <http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2006/2006-12-20-02.asp>
JUSTICES: ARGUMENT FOR RAIDING BASIN DOESN’T HOLD WATER
OPINION: If you pass through the desert community 50 miles from Las Vegas and see the locals proposing toasts with glassfuls of water, it’s because they accomplished the improbable — some would say impossible — by defeating the state engineer and, by proxy, the behemoth Vidler Water Co. after a nearly seven-year struggle … Water grab denied! Nevada Appeal, 12/7 <http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20061207/OPINION/112070094>
LA WILL OPEN THE TAPS AND SEND WATER BACK TO OWENS RIVER
Ninety-three years after Los Angeles began diverting water that flowed out of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, essentially drying up a 62-mile stretch of the Lower Owens River, the city’s mayor today will open the taps to return that water to the river, and Los Angeles will begin looking for 9,000-acre-feet of water from other sources to replace some of the water. Christian Science Monitor; Dec. 6 <http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1206/p01s03-ussc.html>
APPEALS COURT HEARS ORAL ARGUMENTS IN U.S.-MEXICO DISPUTE
A federal =appeals court heard oral arguments in a battle over whether Mexico has a right to water leaking from the Colorado River through a portion of the All-American Canal into Mexico. San Diego officials seek to install a concrete-lined trench to stop the leaking water, but Mexican officials have asked the court to block the project. The leaking water across the Calexico-Mexicali border has provided Mexican farms with irrigation, and the area has become important wetlands for migratory birds. <http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2006/12/07/#15>
INTERIOR SECRETARY WANTS COLORADO RIVER WATER PACT FROM STATES
Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne told water officials from seven Western states Friday that he expects an agreement on sharing Colorado River water during periods of drought ‘signed, sealed and delivered’ next year. Las Vegas Sun, 12/15 <http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2006/dec/15/121510422.html>
LACK OF RAIN, SNOW SPARKS WATER FIGHT BETWEEN MONTANA, WYOMING
Water levels can fluctuate quickly in Bighorn Lake, and federal and state water managers are often caught between factions in Montana and Wyoming over water levels and releases from Yellowtail Dam. Billings Gazette; Dec. 10 <http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/12/10/news/state/20-bighorn_x.txt>
WYOMING’S TOP WATER JOB FLOWS BACK TO PREVIOUS DIRECTOR
Mike Purcell served as the director of the Wyoming Water Development Program from 1983 to 1996, and now Gov. Dave Freudenthal has appointed him to replace Mike Besson, the current director who recently announced he is resigning. Casper Star-Tribune; Dec. 24 <http://www.trib.com/articles/2006/12/24/news/wyoming/e8d98446b931e0288725724d000055e4.txt>
WATER COMMISSION RECOMMENDS STUDY OF WYOMING AQUIFER
New development in Cheyenne, a low water table in the western half of Laramie County and a current ban on new irrigation wells in the eastern half of the Wyoming county all played a part in the decision by the Water Development Commission’s to recommend the state Legislature approve a $300,000 study of the county’s aquifer. Billings Gazette (AP); Dec. 26 <http://www.billingsgazette.netarticles/2006/12/26/news/wyoming/30-aquifer.txt/>
GROUP URGES WYOMING GOVERNOR NOT TO WADE INTO CBM WATER ISSUE
Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal said he believes the Environmental Quality Council just doesn’t have the legal authority to force new rules on the regulation of coalbed methane discharge water since state law doesn’t give citizens’ groups the ability to make such rules, but the Equality State Policy Center urged the governor to allow the group to proceed. Casper Star-Tribune; Dec. 20 http:// <http://www.trib.com/articles/2006/12/20/news/wyoming/d11c55f57f9997ba8725724a00027b8a.txt> <http://www.trib.com/articles/2006/12/17/news/wyoming/6a23c7ab938311ab8725724600054222.txt>
WYOMING LAUNCHES PROJECT TO SEED THE CLOUDS FOR SNOW
This winter, and for the next four winters, Wyoming will seed clouds to make snow and study if the process makes financial sense for the state. Wired.com; Dec. 19 <http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.12/posts.html?pg=5>
MONTANA’S RIVER USERS OUTNUMBER WYOMING LAKE RECREATIONISTS
Montana officials said the Bighorn River sees a lot of use from May through October with outfitters and fly-fishers from across the globe plying the water, while the Bighorn Reservoir in Wyoming is used just by nearby residents, and that use should be a factor in determining how much water is released from Yellowtail Dam. Billings Gazette; Dec. 11 <http://=http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/12/11/news/state/20-river_x.txt>
SURVEY: FISHING ON MONTANA’S MISSOURI ISN’T WHAT IT ONCE WAS
A survey of fishermen on the Missouri Rover in central Montana shows that many are dissatisfied with the fishing because of overcrowding and a decrease in insect hatches, which means less dry-fly fishing; other rivers in Montana fared better, but only a bit. Great Falls Tribune; Dec. 5 <http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061203/NEWS01/612030302/1002>
REPORT SHOWS TROUT POPULATION ON MONTANA RIVER LOOKS HEALTHY
Fisheries crews found that the population of rainbow trout below Holter Dam on the Missouri River in Montana is a bit smaller this year, but that the population otherwise looks healthy and the effects of whirling disease relatively minimal, though they true effects of the disease won’t be known until the drought is gone. Billings Gazette (AP); Dec. 5 <http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/12/05/news/state/50-fish.txt>
LOCALS CLOSE FISHING ACCESS SPOT ON MONTANA’S BITTERROOT RIVER
Locals who live near the Poker Joe fishing access along the Bitterroot River south of Missoula have roped off the access in protest against fast drivers and visitors who leave a mess, but Montana officials say the closure won’t stand, though they promised to work toward a truce. Missoulian; Dec. 3 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/12/03/news/top/news01.txt>
MONTANA LAND DEAL WOULD PROTECT POPULAR WHITEWATER AREA
A retired physician purchased a 20-acre stretch of land along the Clark Fork River in Montana in 2001 to save the area from development, and now she is offering the land to the state at the same price she purchased =it to add to the Alberton Gorge Recreational Corridor, a seven-mile stretch of the Clark Fork about 30 miles northwest of Missoula. Missoulian; Dec. 6 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/12/06/news/mtregional/news07.txt>
MONTANA COMMUNITIES TEAM UP ON WATER EFFORT
Roundup gets its water from am old coal mine near the Musselshell River, and the small town in eastern Montana has plenty of company in its water woes, with communities in six counties struggling with either a lack of water or poor-quality water, and the communities are working together to ship water from Lewistown over the Snowy Mountains to them. Missoulian; Dec. 24 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/12/24/news/mtregional/znews01.txt>
CONGRESS APPROVES BILL TO LET MONTANA TRIBE LEASE WATER
Montana had already approved a deal that allowed the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes =of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation to lease water to Dry Prairie Rural Water, and U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns said his bill that obtained federal approval of the deal was needed to clear up any unanswered questions. Billings Gazette; Dec. 6 <http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/12/06/news/state/50-water.txt>
BLACKFEET TRIBE ASKS FOR MORE WATER FROM MONTANA RIVERS
Thousands of farmers and residents along Montana’s Hi-Line use water diverted from the Milk and St. Mary’s rivers in northcentral Montana, and Blackfeet tribal leaders are in negotiations with federal and state officials to increase the amount of water allocated to the tribe. Great Falls Tribune; Dec. 21 <http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061221/NEWS01/612210308/1002>
WATER AGENCY WILL DRILL DEEPER TO MOVE MONTANA PROJECT ALONG
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials had objected to the Central Montana Water Authority’s proposal to drill a production well as part of a $50 million project to provide water for seven towns, but the agency’s agreement to put the well in at 4,000 feet to avoid risk to surface water supplies cleared the way for the project to begin. Great Falls Tribune; Dec. 8 <http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061208/NEWS01/612080316/1002>
VOTERS WILL DECIDE FATE OF MONTANA COUNTY’S WATER DISTRICT PLAN
Ravalli County commissioners backed off their plan to create a water district for the Bitterroot watershed in Montana, and instead decided to let residents of the county vote on the proposal in June. Missoulian; Dec. 15 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/12/15/news/mtregional/news05.txt>
MONTANA GOVERNOR SAYS MINE PLANS COULD DRAIN ALPINE LAKES
Revett Minerals officials said they believed they can pull the silver and copper out of the Cabinet Mountains wilderness in Montana without putting the region’s wilderness lakes in jeopardy, and Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer said until the mining company can prove that, the state won’t issue the permits necessary for the mine to go forward. Salt Lake Tribune 12/11 <http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_4818088>
SENATOR: NORTHWEST STATES SHOULD WORK TOGETHER ON SALMON PLAN
U.S. Sen. Larry Craig said he’s not anti-salmon, he just believes that the species’ recovery should be just one part of the plan for the Columbia and Snake rivers, and the Idaho Republican said he wants the governors of Idaho, Montana, Washington and Oregon to work with federal officials to come up with a workable plan for both power and salmon. Idaho Statesman; Dec. 5 <http://www.idahostatesman.com/102/story/62595.html>
COURT COULD CHANGE IDAHO WATER LAW
The Idaho Supreme Court will hear an expedited case regarding the constitutionality of conjunctive management, which is a set of legal guidelines to administer water between ground and surface water-right holders. An in-depth look. Twin Falls Times-News; Dec. 3 <http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2006/12/03/news_topstory/news_topstory.1.txt”>
IDAHO WATER LAWS COULD SEE SOME STABILITY NEXT YEAR
A Colorado firm was hired by the state of Idaho to help create a water use plan for the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer that sustains a balance between water =users and suppliers while maintaining economic and environmental health, a difficult task only complicated by state water laws that are shifting under an awaited state Supreme Court rule on another water case. Twin Falls Times-News; Dec. 17 <http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2006/12/17/news/local_state/102625.txt>
IDAHO FARMERS RELUCTANTLY JOIN WATER PROGRAM
The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program is a combined federal and state program that pays farmers who rely on groundwater for irrigation to fallow their land in exchange for money that will help them break even, but some Idaho participants are a bit reluctant because it requires a long-term commitment. Twin Falls Times-News; 12/31 <http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2006/12/31/news/top_story/103401.txt>
RURAL WATER SUPPLY AID
In the closing moments of the 109th Congress, S. 895 was sent to the President. The bill calls for the establishment of a 17-state rural water supply program. The Bureau of Reclamation would assess water needs in rural Western communities and establish a loan guarantee program in an effort to provide clean, affordable and reliable water t o towns smaller than 50,000.
FAR FROM TROPICS, IDAHO SCIENTISTS EXPERIMENT WITH ORNAMENTAL FISH FARMING
As pollution controls become more stringent and cold-water spring flows decline, aquaculturists in Idaho, the U.S. leader in rainbow trout production at 44 million pounds annually, have seen the value of their trout fall 5 percent to $35.3 million since 1999, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. <http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=11775>
FIVE YEARS AFTER DAM REMOVED, SALMON RETURN TO WASH. CREEK
Fish biologists are pleased with the increase of salmon returning to Goldsborough Creek in Washington, five years after the 30-foot Goldsborough Dam was removed and said they expected similar recovery results when seven more dams in the Northwest are removed. Seattle Times; Dec. 28 <http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003498356_dam28m.html> 2003498356_dam28m.html
STATES IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION CRAFT WATER PACT
The Great Lakes =contain nine-tenths of the nation’s fresh water and provide drinking water to 30 million people, and the governors of the eight states that border the Great Lakes, along with the premiers of Quebec and Ontario, have signed an agreement that no water from the Great Lakes ever be shipped outside the region. USA Today; 12/11 <http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20061211/a_greatlakes11.art.htm>
SENATE APPROVES REVISION OF FISHERY LAW
Senators approved an update of the Magnuson-Stevens Act after Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, succeeded in bringing it to the floor. AP, 12/8 <http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/ap_alaska/story/8476302p-8369944c.html>
WATER-SHORT AFRICAN STATES NEAR AN ANCIENT, ELUSIVE GOAL: A PACT TO SHARE THE NILE
After three years of closed-door talks, nine nations are quietly edging toward a deal to jointly oversee the waters of the Nile, an agreement that has eluded lands along the great river since the days of the pharaohs. <http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=11913>
IRAQ: NEW DAM THREATENS AGRICULTURE AND MARSHLAND
The Ilisu Dam will be one of the largest dams in Turkey and is scheduled to be completed by 2013. The dam’s main functions will be to produce hydro-electric power and bring better irrigation for local agriculture. However, it will reduce the amount of Tigris water entering Iraqi territories by nearly 50 percent. Reuters, 11/29 <http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/30ab2ebd40fab0b9d3d77ec4f619db21.htm>
MINING IMPACTS TO WATER QUALITY GREATER THAN PREDICTED
A new study finds widespread failure to properly predict and mitigate potential water contamination from Western hardrock mines. As a result, the researchers add, taxpayers may be liable for a $20 billion shortfall between the value of assurance bonds taken out by mine operators and the true costs of environmental cleanup. <http://Landletter/2006/12/07/#2http://www.adn.com/money/industries/mining/story/8476154p-8369782c.html>
B.C. LAUNCHES PUBLIC REVIEW OF MINE IN HEADWATERS OF MONTANA RIVER
Montana officials said the draft proposal issued by the British Columbia government for a coal mine in the headwaters of the Flathead Basin did not address any of their concerns about what the mine would do to water quality in the Flathead River, which flows through Glacier National Park in Montana. Kalispell Daily Inter Lake; Dec. 22 <http://=http://www.dailyinterlake.com/articles/2006/12/22/news/news03.txt>
WYOMING GOVERNOR QUESTIONS FUNDING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL
Wyoming lawmakers said they doubted that Gov. Dave Freudenthal’s questioning about how the Environmental Quality Council was funded had anything to do with the dispute between the governor and the council on creating more stringent water quality rules for coalbed methane operations. Casper Star-Tribune; Dec. 24 < http://www.trib.com/articles/2006/12/24/news/wyoming/a232257d0342be8e8725724c0082a427.txt>
IDAHO RESIDENTS CONTINUE TO DRINK WELL WATER DESPITE EPA WARNING
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Idaho Department of Water Quality said water pulled from wells and a lagoon for the 284 homes in the Meridian Heights neighborhood is unsafe to drink because it contains too much naturally occurring uranium, a contaminant that has been linked to cancer, and now residents must either pay for a new source of water or be annexed into Meridian and pay to hook up to that city’s water system. Idaho Statesman; Dec. 26 <http://www.idahostatesman.com/273/story/64932.html>
U.S. NATIONWIDE LAKE SURVEY UNDERWAY
To determine the health of America’s lakes, ponds and reservoirs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has decided to study 909 water bodies whose profiles are representative of all lakes in the United States. ENS, 12/6 <http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2006/2006-12-06-02.asp>
WETLANDS REDUCE ESTROGENS FROM SWINE WASTEWATER
Wetlands are often referred to as nature’s kidneys, because they readily filter contaminants from water. ES&T, 12/12 <http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2006/dec/science/bb_swine.html>
SPRAY AWAY, SAYS BUSH
It just got a whole lot easier to spray pesticides over rivers and lakes in the United States. Gone are the good old days, when people had to get permits to pump chemicals into our waterways. Plenty, 12/11 <http://plentymag.com/thecurrent/2006/12/spray_away_says_bush.php>
INDIA: NO RIGHT TO SAFE DRINKING WATER
A CNN-IBN and Consumer Voice special investigation reveals that the water supplied by municipalities in metro cities is unfit for human consumption. However, there is little that the consumers can do because there is no law that guarantees the right to clean drinking water. CNN-IBN, 12/5 <http://www.ibnlive.com/news/no-right-to-safe-drinking-water/27714-3.html>
BEIJING RESERVOIR UNFIT EVEN FOR IRRIGATION, REPORT
Water from a reservoir that serves as Beijing’s fourth-biggest source of drinking water is unfit even for irrigation, state media reported, underlining the gravity of China’s water pollution problem. Reuters, 11/28 <http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PEK173706.htm>
