AB LATERAL PROJECT DEFEATED
The Uncompahgre Valley Water Users have given up trying to develop a conditional water right to divert water from the Gunnison River for a hydroelectric project which saw stiff opposition for the past 20 years. The project could have taken more than 1,000 cfs of water from the Gunnison River, threatening the fishery in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and would have caused flooding, erosion and other adverse environmental impacts in the Uncompahgre River. Trout Unlimited was fighting the diligence for the water rights on the basis that there was insufficient water available for the project and claiming the project would need Congressional approval to be built.
COLORADO ATTORNEY RESIGNS AS INTERIOR’S WATER CHIEF
Bennett Raley, a Colorado water lawyer who developed a marketing approach to federal water policy as an assistant Secretary of the Interior for the past three years, announced his resignation. Boulder Daily Camera (Los Angeles Times); Dec. 2 <http://www.dailycamera.com/bdc/state_news/article/0,1713,BDC_2419_3368765,00.html>
SUPREME COURT SETTLES WATER DISPUTE
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Colorado doesn’t have to pay Kansas $24 million in interest in a 20-year dispute over Arkansas River water. Denver Rocky Mountain News [but Colorado does have to pay $29 million for failure to deliver sufficient water to Kansas over a 40-year period]; Dec. 9 <http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/state/article/0,1299,DRMN_21_3383012,00.html>
REGULATORS DILUTING COLORADO WATER QUALITY
A review of state records shows the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment routinely grants waivers of protective water standards, causing a cascade of lax enforcement and poorer water quality. Denver Post; Dec. 19 <http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~2606734,00.html>
COLORADO CITY WILL PEG GROWTH TO WATER COSTS, AVAILABILITY
Residents and officials in Castle Rock, Colo., will explore future water supplies, attach price tags to feasible options and use them to guide growth management. Denver Post; Jan. 4 <http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~2633163,00.html>
FEDS MAY LIMIT USE OF COLORADO RIVER WATER
Federal officials gave Colorado and the six other member states of the Colorado River Water Users Association until April 1 to draft a new water-sharing plan, or federal officials will create one for them. Denver Rocky Mountain News; Dec. 19 <http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/state/article/0,1299,DRMN_21_3408678,00.html>
DEADLINE LOOMS, TALKS JUST STARTING ON COLORADO RIVER WATER PLAN
Meeting Interior Secretary Gale Norton’s deadline of April 1 for at least a draft Colorado River water conservation plan largely depends on concessions from California, Arizona and Nevada. Salt Lake Tribune; Jan. 4 <http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2509066>
WESTERN WATER OFFICIALS SAY COLORADO RIVER PACT STILL VIABLE
Critics of the 1922 Colorado River Compact said the document is outdated and the system only worked in wetter times before growth in the Western states exploded. Salt Lake Tribune; Dec. 19 <http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2491513>
COLORADO READIES LAWYERS FOR WATER BATTLES
Colorado will spend more than $2 million in the next two years to build a legal case to hold on to its share of Colorado River water. Denver Rocky Mountain News; Dec. 12 <http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/state/article/0,1299,DRMN_21_3391580,00.html>
COLORADO CITIES IN DEEP DENIAL ABOUT DROUGHT
Colorado’s five-year drought is a warning, but most communities still don’t have water conservation, drought management or water supply plans. Denver Post; Dec. 12 <http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~417~2587549,00.html>
DROUGHT MAY BE BREAKING IN COLORADO
The upper Colorado River basin has 110 percent of average snowpack for this time of year, and every river basin in Colorado is above normal. Casper Star-Tribune (AP); Dec. 12 <http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2004/12/12/news/regional/fdce6b19b243625887256f66007bad38.txt>
CRITICS SAY COLORADO SKI RESORT PLAN DOESN’T HOLD WATER
A Texas billionaire’s plan to build a billion-dollar ski resort in southern Colorado includes building seven 6 million-gallon water storage tanks, but critics said the development will need much more than that. Durango Herald; Dec. 20 <http://durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/04/news041219_4.htm>
NEW MEXICO NEEDS A RESERVE WATER SUPPLY
One way for New Mexico to keep the federal government and other states from taking control of its water is to create a strategic water reserve. A commentary by two state senators. Albuquerque Tribune; Dec. 28 <http://www.abqtrib.com/albq/op_commentaries/article/0,2565,ALBQ_19866_3418795,00.html>
NEW MEXICO WATER RESERVE CONCEPT SHOULD BE PASSED THIS TIME
A proposed strategic water plan would allow New Mexico to buy water rights from willing sellers and create a water bank for future use. Albuquerque Tribune; 12/29 <http://www.abqtrib.com/albq/op_editorials/article/0,2565,ALBQ_19867_3429407,00.html>
NAVAJO COUNCIL TO VOTE ON SAN JUAN WATER DEAL
The Navajo Tribal Council will vote on whether to approve a settlement of native water claims in the San Juan Basin that dictates use for irrigators and cities. Farmington Daily Times; Dec. 14 <http://www.daily-times.com/artman/publish/article_15774.shtml>
FORMER CHAIRMAN URGES NAVAJOS TO REJECT WATER SETTLEMENT
Former Navajo Chairman Peter MacDonald said the San Juan River water settlement allows Congress to bypass the Winters Doctrine, a historic agreement that gives precedence to Indian water claims. Indian Country Today; Dec. 19 <http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096410027&CFID=540024&CFTOKEN=72486717>
NAVAJOS APPROVE SAN JUAN WATER DEAL
The Navajo Nation Council approved a historic agreement that could give the tribe control of more than half the water diverted in New Mexico’s San Juan River basin. Farmington Daily Times; Dec. 30 <http://www.daily-times.com/artman/publish/article_16102.shtml>
UTILITY TO LOOK FOR OTHER WATER SOURCE FOR BLACK MESA COAL SLURRY
California utility regulators will let the Mohave Generating Station look for alternative sources of water for its coal slurry line, but company officials warned Navajo and Hopi leaders the chances of keeping the plant open are not good. Navajo Times; Dec. 23 <http://www.thenavajotimes.com/_content/mohave.php>
FEDERAL DEAL SECURES WATER SUPPLIES FOR UTAH COUNTIES
A $450 million deal between the Department of Interior and Utah will build two hydroelectric power plants and five segments of pipelines to carry water from the Central Utah project to south Utah County, Juab County and Salt Lake County. Provo Daily Herald; Dec. 23 <http://www.harktheherald.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=43447&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0>
STUDIES HAVE YET TO PLUMB ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS OF UTAH WATER PROJECTS
Two big water projects at opposite ends of Utah would cost a combined $630 million in today’s dollars, but the environmental effects are still largely unknown. Deseret News; Dec. 29 <http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600100973,00.html>
BANKRUPT UTAH COMPANY SELLS WATER RIGHTS, EMISSION CREDITS
Geneva Steel sold its rights to 48,500 acre-feet of water for $74 million in one deal, and sold its property, water rights and emission credits to Denver’s Summit Energy for a planned natural gas-fired power plant on Utah Lake for another $19 million. Salt Lake Tribune; Dec. 23 <http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_2496178>
ARIZONA TO TRADE WATER TO NEVADA IN RETURN FOR SUPPORT
Arizona might cede as much as 1.25 million acre-feet of Colorado River water to thirsty Nevada in exchange for $330 million and all-important political support to solidify Phoenix’s and Tucson’s claims. Arizona Republic; 12/03/2004 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/1203cap03.html> <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/1208wed1-08.html> <http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/news/51928.php>
COLORADO RIVER WATER USERS PRESENT UNITED FRONT
Officials from the seven states that make up the Colorado River Compact praised the newly signed pact between Arizona and Nevada, and predicted more cooperation, less litigation in the future. Salt Lake Trib 12/17 <http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2490364>
BUDGET CONSTRAINTS LIMITS INSPECTION OF ARIZONA DAMS
Arizona officials stopped inspecting dams in the Phoenix area nearly three years ago, relying instead on dam owners to do the inspections. Arizona Republic; Dec. 8 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/1208daminspection.html>
SINCE 9-11, FEDERAL AGENCIES TIGHT WITH DATA LOCAL OFFICIALS NEED
Local officials in Jackson, Wyo., want to know how safe is the dam above them, but federal officials won’t divulge much information, citing terrorist concerns. Salt Lake Tribune (AP); Dec. 14 <http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2487525>
ARIZONA NEEDS A STATEWIDE WATER-MANAGEMENT PLAN
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano is pitching water conservation to rural communities across the state, but it’s time Phoenix and other big water users get on board, too. Arizona Daily Sun; Dec. 17 <http://www.azdailysun.com/non_sec/nav_includes/story.cfm?storyID=100261>
FEDERAL RESEARCHERS PREDICT SNOWMELT WILL FILL ARIZONA RESERVOIR
Lake Powell could get twice as much runoff from western snowfall this year as last year, according to figures presented to the Colorado River Water Users Association by federal officials. Denver Rocky Mountain News; Dec. 17 <http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/state/article/0,1299,DRMN_21_3405879,00.html>
GROUP ASKS FOR NEW MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR GLEN CANYON
The National Park Service and the Bureau of Reclamation don’t share the opinions of the Glen Canyon Institute that water levels in Arizona’s Lake Powell won’t rise again, or that a new management plan is needed. Salt Lake Tribune; Dec. 8 <http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2483379>
GROUPS ALARMED OVER DELTA WATER PLAN
A proposed change in how the federal government measures water for fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin river delta has environmental groups alarmed and California officials concerned about potential harm to wildlife habitat. <http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=515>
DEBATE ROILS OVER RENEWAL OF CALIFORNIA WATER CONTRACTS
An environmental group said federal officials of California’s Central Valley Project should stop subsidizing water for farmers and make them pay market prices. New York Times; Dec. 15 <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/15/national/15water.html?oref=login>
CALIFORNIA FARMERS GET MILLIONS IN FEDERAL WATER SETTLEMENT
Some say the Endangered Species Act is imperiled by the federal government’s $16.7 million settlement of claims by California farmers whose irrigation water was withheld in the 1990s to protect two species of fish. Washington Post; Dec. 22 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17660-2004Dec21.html?sub=AR> <http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=656>
STUDY SHOWS FEDERAL WATER SUBSIDIES GO TO LARGEST FARMS
A handful of large farms get most of the water and subsidy dollars delivered by the country’s biggest federal water supply project, according to a study by a national environmental organization. <http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=678>
WESTERN GOVERNORS URGE DROUGHT RESPONSE
Members of the Western Governors Association are waiting to see if they have a new ally on drought issues with the nomination of Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns as the next secretary of Agriculture. During a weekend summit in San Diego, the WGA discussed the increasing hardships of continued drought. In teleconference calls with reporters, the governors noted that Johanns has seen firsthand the financial and emotional toll of extended drought on Nebraska farmers. <http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/12/07/build/state/45-drought-response.inc>
STUDY: DRIER WESTERN WINTERS AFFECTING WILDLIFE
New studies indicate lingering drought and increasing temperatures across the West have changed migratory patterns of birds and altered the behavior of wildlife in Montana and other parts of the West. Great Falls Tribune; Jan. 2 <http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050102/NEWS01/501020303/1002>
ADMINISTRATION’S TURNAROUND ON SALMON BEGS CREDULITY
The Bush administration’s flip-flop on salmon habitat is stunning, and its abysmal track record on salmon recovery doesn’t lend the proposal much credibility. Idaho Statesman; Dec. 2 <http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041202/NEWS0501/412020327/1052/NEWS05>
SALMON DECISION ONLY LATEST OF ADMINISTRATION’S ANTI-ENVIRONMENT MOVES
The Bush administration’s decision to cut critical salmon habitat by 80 percent is another step in the administration’s war on nature. Indian Country Today; Dec. 10 <http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096409983&CFID=464988&CFTOKEN=68101684>
IDAHO SALMON ADVOCATES SAY ADMINISTRATION IGNORES DAMS’ EFFECTS
Idaho conservationists are irked at the Bush administration’s proposal to leave in place four Snake River dams that impede salmon migration into central Idaho. Idaho Mountain Express (Sun Valley); Dec. 3 <http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=200411336>
IDAHO MUST REGULATE DOMESTIC WATER WELLS
In the face of an ongoing water crisis, Idaho lawmakers must start enforcing limits on domestic water wells. Idaho Statesman; Dec. 3 <http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=200411336>
WATER DISPUTES STALL DEVELOPMENT IN IDAHO
Developers in eastern Idaho have had to postpone their projects as their applications to drill wells for water face challenges by two companies holding senior water rights. Idaho Falls Post Register; Dec. 19 <http://www.headwatersnews.org/pr.water122004.html>
DROUGHT UNCOVERS FLAWS IN IDAHO’S WATER LAWS
The drought has pitted senior water-users in southern Idaho against groundwater users in the eastern part of the state, and lawmakers are looking at two costly proposals to settle the matter. Idaho Falls Post Register; Dec. 19 <http://www.headwatersnews.org/pr.waterlaw122004.html>
IDAHO TRIBE’S WATER DEAL HINGES ON RANCHERS’ CONCERN FOR SALMON
Congress approved a settlement of the Nez Perce Tribe’s claim to Snake River water, but the details may depend on ranchers’ salmon-conservation efforts in the Lemhi Valley. Idaho Statesman; Dec. 30 <http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041230/NEWS01/412300346>
JUDGE SAYS YELLOWSTONE CUTTHROAT MUST AGAIN BE CONSIDERED FOR PROTECTION
A federal judge in Colorado ruled that federal biologists illegally decided not to list the Yellowstone cutthroat trout as an endangered species. Casper Star-Tribune; Dec. 22 <http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2004/12/22/news/dd94ad78d720402a87256f72000c6e00.txt>
ARMY CORPS PROPOSES $8.3 BILLION FOR UPGRADE OF RIVERS- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed an $8.3 billion plan to build seven new locks to ease shipping congestion and improve local ecosystems in the Mississippi River region. <http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=629>
CANADA WRITES NEW FEDERAL POLICY FOR B.C. SALMON
New Canadian federal rules are intended to make saving wild salmon a top priority in British Columbia and the Yukon. Toronto Globe and Mail; Dec. 20 <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20041217.wfish1217/BNStory/National/>
ROCKET-FUEL CHEMICAL TAINTS LETTUCE AND MILK THROUGHOUT THE U.S.
Perchlorate, an explosive component of rocket fuel, was found in about 90 percent of lettuce samples and 97 percent of milk samples from around the U.S. tested by the Food and Drug Administration. Health officials said the levels of contamination found shouldn’t be a problem for healthy adults, though nearly all the samples tested had perchlorate in higher concentrations than the U.S. EPA’s preliminary recommendation for an acceptable level in drinking water. Perchlorate can disrupt thyroid function, potentially leading to delayed development, mental retardation, impaired motor skills, hearing loss, or thyroid tumors, and it poses particular dangers for kids. The chemical makes its way into the food supply by tainting waters used for crop irrigation. The feds are continuing to study perchlorate contamination and what should be done about it. In the meantime, both government officials and enviros agree that you should keep eating your veggies, as their salutary benefits outweigh their risks. <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=3744>
ARIZONA GOVERNOR SAYS COLORADO RIVER WATER SAFE TO DRINK
Gov. Janet Napolitano said the levels of a component of rocket fuel in Colorado River water are far below levels the state considers unsafe, and she assured farmers and residents the water is fine for consumption. Arizona Daily Star; Dec. 10 <http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/news/51927.php>
INVESTIGATORS SAY RAILROAD’S DIESEL LEAK MAY HAVE REACHED NORTH IDAHO AQUIFER
Evidence is mounting that diesel fuel and contaminants leaked from a controversial north Idaho train refueling depot may have reached the aquifer. Coeur d’Alene Press; Dec. 22 <http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2004/12/21/news/news02.txt> <http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002128303_oil23m.html>
MISSOULA DAM-REMOVAL PLANS GET FINAL OK
The EPA signed off on a final plan to remove a dam near Missoula that holds back millions of cubic yards of toxic sediment from a century of mining upstream; work should start this winter. Missoulian; Dec. 21 <http://www.headwatersnews.org/miss.damsigned.html>
U.S. WORKERS’ GROUP SAYS EPA CENSORS COMMENTS
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency censored warnings that a Bush administration plan to build roads in national forests could harm drinking water, a group representing government workers said. <http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=547>
GOVERNMENT RELYING ON INDUSTRY TO PROTECT WATER SUPPLIES
The Environmental Protection Agency issued new voluntary guidelines that rely on industry to secure drinking water and wastewater treatment plants against attack. <http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=575>
CORPORATIONS LOOK AT BOTTLING UP WORLD WATER MARKET
Experts say water will soon replace oil as the world’s scarcest resource, and companies are already bidding to lock up water supplies to export the commodity internationally. Christian Science Monitor; Dec. 30 <http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1230/p13s01-sten.html>
MALE FISH GROWING EGGS FOUND IN POTOMAC
Male fish that are growing eggs have been found in the Potomac River near Sharpsburg, a sign that a little-understood type of pollution is spreading downstream from West Virginia, a federal scientist says. <http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=649>
SOUTH ASIA STARES AT LOOMING WATER CRISIS
It’s been 10 years since farmer Bhairu Singh saw water in the well on his rocky patch of land in western India. <http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=503>
