CONSERVATION EFFORTS BUOY NEED FOR DENVER WATER’S RATE INCREASE
Denver Water officials were surprised by the 20 percent reduction in water use that created a $12 million budget shortfall, and company officials will decide today if they’ll raise rates by 8 percent and tweak the rate structure to make large users pay more. Denver Post; Sept. 14 <http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3027111>
COLORADO WATER DISTRICT SNAPS UP CEMENT PLANT’S WATER RIGHTS
Holcim Inc. walked away with $16.8 million from the auction of its former cement plant near Fort Collins, receiving $7.6 million for the land and $9.2 million for its 885 shares in the Colorado-Big Thompson Water Project. Denver Post; Sept. 20 <http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_3044145>
COLORADO WATER OFFICIALS SAY SNOW KEY TO END DROUGHT
Colorado’s water supply is 98 percent of average across the state, but state water officials said a low-snow winter could mean another water-short year next summer. Denver Rocky Mountain News; Sept. 15 <http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/state/article/0,1299,DRMN_21_4081498,00.html>
COLORADO HIGH COURT CONFIRMS WATER SPECULATION IS ILLEGAL
The recent decision of the Colorado Supreme Court won’t affect the ability of cities and developers who want to buy water for new homes, it simply affirms a 40-year-old decision that they must have specific contracts to use that water. Grand Junction Sentinel; Sept. 14 <http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/opinion/stories/2005/09/14/9_14_water_edit.html>
ONE-FIFTH OF COLORADO’S DAMS CONSIDERED HIGH RISK
– Colorado has about 3,000 dams across the state and about 600 of them are considered high risk, not because they’re unsound but because of high population areas located below the dams. Denver Rocky Mountain News; Sept. 11 <http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/state/article/0,1299,DRMN_21_4070401,00.html>
COLORADO STUDY EXAMINES CBM DEVELOPMENT’S EFFECT ON WATER
Colorado state lawmakers got an update from various agencies that are studying the effects of coalbed-methane (CBM) gas development in Colorado’s San Juan Basin on water resources; if stream levels are found to be effected, CBM producers could find themselves tangled in state water laws. Durango Herald; 09/30/2005 <http://durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/05/news050929_2.htm>
COLORADO RIVER WATER USERS CRAFT BLUEPRINT FOR THE FUTURE
– The seven states who share Colorado River water under a 1922 agreement have agreed in principle how to deal with drought and handle future water disputes, but several key issues, including how to address Nevada’s need for water, remain unresolved. Arizona Republic; 08/27 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0827sevenstates27.html>
N.M. SCIENTISTS WORK TO MAKE STATE’S WATER DRINKABLE
There is plenty of water in New Mexico, it’s just that most of it is salt-saturated groundwater that’s undrinkable, but a team of scientists is looking at technology to turn the brackish water into drinkable water. Albuquerque Tribune; Sept. 13 <http://www.abqtrib.com/albq/nw_science/article/0,2668,ALBQ_21236_4074464,00.html>
STUDY SHOWS TUCSON WATER A REAL DEAL
Tucson residents pay about $19 a month for their water, while residents of Chicago more than $75, in part because Tucson gets nearly half its water from groundwater, which requires less treatment than surface water. Tucson Citizen; Sept. 28 <http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/index.php?page=local&story_id=092805a1_water_bills>
EX-EMPLOYEES SAY FEDERAL AGENCY SUPPRESSED N.M. FISH DATA
Two former employees of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the agency routinely suppressed information about the number of silvery minnows that died when the Rio Grande River was allowed to run dry during the years 2002 to 2004. Santa Fe New Mexican (AP); Sept. 20 <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/32715.html>
COMMITTEE BACKS TWO MAJOR UTAH WATER PROJECTS
An interim legislative committee voted overwhelmingly to support what are billed as the last two major water projects that could be constructed in Utah – the 127-mile pipeline from Lake Powell to the St. George region and the Bear River Project in northern Utah. Deseret Morning News , 09/22 <http://www.bcwaternews.com/arizona/Arizonanews-00.html>
NEVADA WATER CHIEF RATTLES SABER AT COLORADO RIVER WATER MEETING
Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager Pat Mulroy was unequivocal at the meeting of the seven states who share Colorado River water: Nevada is ready to fight over its share of the water. Las Vegas Review-Journal; Sept. 4 <http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Sep-03-Sat-2005/news/27141449.html>
ARIZONA WATER BOARD PLEDGES FUNDS FOR WATER DEFENSE
The $200,000 pledged by the Central Arizona Project board to help Arizona protect its allocation of Colorado River water came as no surprise since the project gets more than half that allocation. Arizona Republic; Sept. 2 <http://www.headwatersnews.org/stories/redirect.php?id=25311>
COLORADO RIVER OVER-TAPPED
Even when the drought ends, the Colorado River can’t keep up with growing downstream and upstream demands, officials and water experts from both sides of the Continental Divide say. U.S. Water News, 9/2 <http://www.uswaternews.com/archives/arcconserv/5colorive9.html>
THE COLORADO RIVER SYSTEM: DAMS AND DROUGHT
The numbers are in and the winners are – the more than 25 million people who depend upon the Colorado River system for their daily water supply. Salt Lake Tribune, 9/10 <http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_3018238>
COLORADO RIVER WATER USERS SAY THEY’LL HOARD SURPLUS WATER
Arizona, Nevada and California, the so-called lower-basin states of the Colorado River Water Users agreement, said they’ll not tap into the 300,000 acre-foot “domestic surplus” projected for the water year that begins Oct. 1. Las Vegas Review Journal; Sept. 20 <http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Sep-20-Tue-2005/news/27237286.html> <http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20050919-1610-wst-coloradoriver-water.html>
ARIZONA’S MONSOON SEASON ENDS ON A DRY NOTE
The monsoon season in Arizona started late and ended early, continuing the trend of drier-than-normal seasons since 2000. Arizona Republic; Sept. 13 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0913monsoon13.html>
ARIZONA PREPARING FOR THE WORST
A broken dam sending torrents of water into metropolitan Phoenix or an earthquake dispatching thousands of refugees from California are among the threats Arizona leaders will consider as they begin reviewing the state’s emergency plans. Arizona Republic, 9/14 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0914emergency14.html>
WHY DID SAN PEDRO RIVER RUN DRY?
– If a citizens’ forum was expecting to know why the San Pedro River went dry at the Charleston gauge in July, a U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist had no answer. Sierra Vista Herald, 09/01 <http://www.svherald.com/articles/2005/08/31/local_news/news8.txt>
ARIZONA DEVELOPER HELPS PAY FOR WATER WELL CONVERSIONS
A local developer has contributed $100,000 to a fund that helps homeowners pay to convert their wells to municipal water supplies if their water is affected by the developer’s work, but some say the fund is useless. Payson Roundup (Arizona); Sept. 20 <http://www.paysonroundup.com/section/frontpage_lead/story/20468>
PIMA COUNTY OKS $25,000 FOR WATER STATIONS IN DESERT
Pima County supervisors voted yesterday to again support water stations that help illegal immigrants survive treks across the desert, after hearing that it costs the county more to recover and deal with bodies than to fund the lifesaving program. Tucson Citizen, 9/9 <http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/index.php?page=local&story_id=090705a6_supervisors>
CALFED IS BROKEN, PANEL TOLD
A commission charged with making California’s government run smoothly began the painful process of cleaning up CALFED, the faltering state and federal effort to restore the Delta’s environment and safeguard drinking water for 23 million Californians. Stockton Record, 08/26 <http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050826/NEWS01/508260308/1001>
PUBLIC VOICES SUPPORT OF REMOVING DAM IN BLACKFOOT DRAINAGE
The Forest Service has received thousands of public comments in support of removing Mike Horse Dam on Beartrap Creek at the headwaters of the Blackfoot River, following a report by the agency stating that the dam is unsafe and likely to fail. Missoulian; Sept. 25 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2005/09/25/news/mtregional/znews05.txt>
FEDERAL AGENCY LAUNCHES REVIEW OF YELLOWSTONE CUTTHROAT TROUT
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was ordered to reconsider its 2001 decision not to list the Yellowstone cutthroat trout as an endangered species, and the federal agency said it will complete its new review of the species by Feb. 14. Missoulian (AP); Sept. 2 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2005/09/01/breaker/doc43177442346f3112183045.txt>
FEDERAL JUDGE RULES OREGON FARMERS OVERSTATED RIGHT TO WATER
Klamath Basin farmers, who sued the federal government for $100 million in damages over irrigation water withheld to protect fish in 2001, face an uphill battle now that a federal judge ruled they had no ownership rights to the irrigation water. Portland Oregonian; Sept. 1 <http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/112557237534140.xml&coll=7>
FEDS DESIGNATE BULL TROUT HABITAT IN FOUR STATES AS THREATENED
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will designate 3,780 miles of streams and 110,364 acres of lakes and reservoirs in Idaho, Montana, Washington and Oregon as critical habitat for the threatened bull trout, less than it said it would designate in 2002. Casper Star-Tribune (AP); Sept. 24 <http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2005/09/26/news/regional/8aa1e3746e1c2ed28725708600210644.txt>
PUMPING MAKES KLAMATH WELLS GO DRY AGAIN
Irrigators who pump water to augment Klamath Reclamation Project flows selectively shut down their wells in August to reduce impact on rural homes experiencing water shortages. Salem Capital Press, 08/26 <http://www.capitalpress.info/Formlayout.asp?Formcall=30&SectionID=67&SubSectionID=782&ArticleID=19333>
RADIOACTIVE WASTE NEAR COLORADO RIVER TO BE MOVED
The Energy Department has cleared the way for almost 12 million tons of radioactive waste to be moved from the banks of the Colorado River, which provides drinking water for more than 25 million people across the West. MSNBC, 9/14 <http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9340636/>
CANADA’S MINING PLANS CONCERNS MONTANA BULL TROUT EXPERT
A Montana biologist said plans to develop coal interests in the headwaters of the Flathead River in British Columbia will contaminate much-needed habitat for the endangered bull trout. Missoulian; Sept. 10 <http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2005/09/11/news/mtregional/znews05.txt>
WYOMING RANCHER, COALBED METHANE OPERATOR TANGLE OVER WATER
A Powder River rancher said he has the right to refuse water produced upstream by coalbed methane (CBM) drilling operations, but the energy company said companies should be allowed to discharge CBM water into Wyoming’s natural watercourses. Billings Gazette; Sept. 21 <http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/09/21/build/wyoming/50-methane-water.inc>
BIGGEST HEALTH WORRY AFTER KATRINA IS CLEAN WATER
A lack of clean water is the most immediate health threat posed by the murky green water flooding Louisiana and Mississippi, health experts warned as authorities declared a public health emergency after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation. Reuters, 09/02 <http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=8687>
FLOODWATER TOO TOXIC FOR CONTACT
The EPA confirmed that standing floodwaters are too toxic to touch, and city officials, worried about outbreaks of disease from bacteria and mosquitoes, said they were prepared to use force to remove the last holdouts among hurricane survivors. Baltimore Sun, 9/8 <http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/weather/hurricane/bal-te.katrina08sep08,1,2684996.story?coll=bal-home-headlines&ctrack=1&cset=true>
EPA: HURRICANE KATRINA AFFECTED 1,223 WATER SYSTEMS
Some 1,223 drinking water systems in three states have been affected by Hurricane Katrina, and some systems need more fuel to run generators to stay operating, the Environmental Protection Agency said. Reuters, 9/5 <http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N05690406.htm>
EXPERTS SAY NO HUMAN PROBLEM WITH PHARMACEUTICALS IN WATER
After the 2002 publication in Environmental Science & Technology of monitoring data showing a wealth of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PhPCPs) in U.S. streams, researchers scrambled to understand the significance of the findings. Environmental Science & Technology, 9/14 <http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2005/sep/policy/cc_pharmwater.html>
FARMS HAVE BECOME MAJOR POLLUTERS
Farms take up nearly half of the land in America, and they are a top contributor of airborne pollutants and nutrient-laden runoff, but they play a relatively small part in America’s environmental policy. Washington Post; Sept. 26 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/25/AR2005092501172.html>
SETTLING PONDS AID SNAKE RIVER WATER QUALITY
Farmers have long known that a settling pond tucked into the corner of a field can go a long way toward reducing sediment runoff. Salem Capital Press, 08/28 <http://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp?SectionID=67&SubSectionID=792&ArticleID=19473&TM=36470.15>
POOR WATER QUALITY LINKED TO NEW TURF DISEASE IN STATE
A new turf disease linked to poor quality water has been spreading on golf courses in Arizona, researchers say. East Valley Tribune, 9/15 <http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0915TurfDisease15-ON.html>
STUDY SHOWS SALMON-EATING BEARS CARRY MORE TOXINS
The bears of British Columbia that are on a salmon-rich diet are more robust, but researchers said those bears carry more pollutants than their interior, berry-eating cousins. Salt Lake Tribune (AP); 9/2 <http://www.sltrib.com/nationworld/ci_2994810>
EPA OFFERS ‘GOOD SAMARITAN’ PROTECTION FOR MINE CLEANUP
A new program of the Environmental Protection Agency will protect groups that help clean up mine waste from 500,000 abandoned mines in the West from any liability if future disputes arise from the pollution. Casper Star-Tribune (AP); 9/1 <http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2005/09/01/news/regional/c0069392bf034b2f8725706e00715d0e.txt>
REPORT: U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS IS TAKING AIM AT WETLANDS
After decades of slowing down, the loss of United States wetlands that are home to migratory birds and endangered species may start climbing again, following decisions by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to open up 11,000-15,000 acres of wetlands in 15 states since 2004 in the aftermath of a Supreme Court decision narrowing Clean Water Act protections, according to an analysis conducted by the nonprofit and nonpartisan Environmental Integrity Project (EIP). Environmental Media Services, 09/15 <http://www.ems.org/nws/2005/09/15/report_us_army_c>
COLORADO RANCHER JAILED FOR HIDING CONTAMINATED WATER
Michael Eugene Cervi, a Weld County rancher and rodeo producer, was sentenced to five months in a federal prison for hiding wastewater leaks that contaminated soil. 9 News Denver, 9/12 <http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=417840bb-0abe-421a-0156-f73aced8a7b6&TEMPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf>
REBUILDING IRAQ’S INFRASTRUCTURE MAY TAKE YEARS
Iraq’s water resources minister said it could take up to five years to rebuild the country’s water supply infrastructure, and that the lack of electricity and clean water has made sanitation ‘a desperate need’ in rural areas. ENN, 08/25 <http://www.enn.com/water.html?id=239>
INDIA AT BOTTOM OF CLEAN WATER INDEX
Every third person deprived of clean water in the world is an Indian. About 86 percent of all the diseases in the country are directly or indirectly related to the poor quality of drinking water, and 70 percent of India’s water is polluted. Rediff, 08/30 <http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/aug/30water.htm>
