Contaminants raise disturbing questions
"Antibiotics and lotions, pills and hormones foul Colorado's water, from the most pristine alpine lakes to the downstream rivers, say water experts."
Originally published 02:19 p.m., March 10, 2008 Updated 12:23 a.m., March 11, 2008
Denver source not so pristine
"Denver draws its water supply for more than a million people from Rocky Mountain snow melt, so when traces of antibiotics and other "micro-constituents" were discovered, it was unexpected." by Steve Lipscher
Striking a balance between water supply and demand
The Denver Post - Op Ed by David Karan http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_8535460
Western & Colorado Water Project Staff Notes
March 2008 Trout Unlimited spent more time working on high level Colorado water policy -- helping draft visioning documents for the state's water committee, as well as working with staff and colleagues on a letter to the state about its role in funding non-traditional water projects with partial state ownership of the water rights.
We worked on producing some new Conservation Success Index type maps looking at restoration priorities based on projected climate change impacts as well as the costs of restoration for Colorado River cutthroats.
We did yet another talk on Rapanos, the US Supreme Court's decision that muddied the waters about the reach of the Clean Water Act.
Staff wrote comments for TU to the committee overseeing potential water court reform in Colorado, and met with one of the state's water referees who is helping TU by asking the same kind of questions we do for water rights applications where there are no opposers.
TU and the other parties to the Colorado water court proceedings to quantify the Black Canyon reserved water right are engaged in mediation. The court has stayed proceedings until April to allow negotiations to continue.
TU and others from the conservation community have helped to draft a bill that would that would more closely tie land use development (growth) to sustainable water supplies.
The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) has released its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on Colorado Springs Southern Delivery System. The Water Project is working on preparation of comments on the EIS and will be discussing mitigation measures with BOR and Colorado Springs.
We have been advocating for three bills to strengthen the instream flow program in the 2008 legislative session. The bills are in the General Assembly process.
TU brought five Instream Flow (ISF) recommendations to the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s Instream Flow workshop. These were offered in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Wildlife (CDOW) and represent beginning of a year-long process that, hopefully, will end with ISF appropriations.
We are cooperating with the Dolores River Dialogue and the Colorado Division of Wildlife to look at the potential for doing some in channel restoration on the Dolores River below McPhee. Water Project staff and the CDOW are going to collect some pre- and post-spill data on sediments and channel morphometry to determine whether or not the extensive armoring can be reduced with substantial floods alone.
$1M earmarked for environmental protection
"We think it's hugely important. We don't think the program can continue to rely on donations," said Drew Peternell with Trout Unlimited. "A junior appropriation is a fine tool for protecting the status quo, but a junior right can't put water back into a stream that's already been appropriated." http://durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/08/news080313_6.htm
Golden groundbreaking
By Charlie Meyers / Denver Post 03/08/2008 [With the movement of heavy equipment into the stream March 3, West Denver Trout Unlimited celebrated the beginning of its long-anticipated "Golden Mile" enhancement project on Clear Creek. ]
Enviros: Oil, gas spills show risk to Roan Plateau
By Dennis Webb, Grand Junction Sentinel http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/03/07/030808_1a_mud_spills_follow.html
Statewide water solution touchy issue for officials
by Chris Woodka / Pueblo Chieftain http://www.chieftain.com/metro/1205046377/2
[ Chris continues his excellent coverage of water in Colorado with this article on a meeting called by Harris Sherman, Director of the Department of Natural Resources, at which attendees offered their 'visions' for water use over the next 50 years. Melinda Kassen, Managing Director of TU's Western Water Project, is quoted. ]
