John Orr - Colorado Water Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-395-Colorado-Water-Examiner~y2008m9d7-Weekly-water-roundup-Oil-shale
Water crisis to be biggest world risk
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard - Telegraph.co.uk
A Goldman Sachs report said water was the "petroleum for the next century", offering huge rewards for investors who know how to play the infrastructure boom. The US alone needs up to $1,000bn (£500bn) in new piping and waste water plants by 2020.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/06/05/ccwater105.xml
West Slope eyes ‘water bank’
BLM releases final oil shale plan
ASSOCIATED PRESS - 5:43 p.m. September 4, 2008
"Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter accused the Bush administration of “last-minute maneuvering in its waning days” rather than acting responsibly. "
CU study: Reservoirs partly responsible for invasive lake species
Boulder Daily Camera By Brittany Anas
A growing number of dams and man-made reservoirs is leading to a surge in unwelcome lake-water lurkers, such as zebra mussels and spiny water fleas, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado.
Impoundments create “stepping-stone habitats” for invasive species to sneak into natural lakes, ponds and waterways, where they disrupt the natural habitat.
The research team combined data on water chemistry, the distribution of five “nuisance invaders” and boating activity from the Great Lakes region for the study, according to Pieter Johnson, an assistant professor at CU and one of the lead authors.
Zebra mussels recently jumped to reservoirs in the West, including Colorado, Johnson said, leading to mandatory boat inspections at some landings. Other invaders are either already in Colorado — the rainbow smelt and water milfoil — or have a high probability of being introduced, such as the spiny water flea and rusty crayfish, Johnson said.
In Boulder, officials are looking to hire two inspectors this month to make sure zebra mussels don’t hitchhike on visitors’ boats and make their way into the Boulder Reservoir, disrupting the biodiversity, said reservoir manager Stacy Cole.
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/sep/03/cu-study-reservoirs-partly-responsible-invasive-la/
Dealing with river trash
Durango Telegraph by Missy Votel
Summer flows on the Animas have receded, but the trashed remains from one of the busiest river seasons in memory have hit an all-time high. At least that’s the feeling among several local river users who say unprecedented recreational use of the river this summer has taken its toll, and they are asking the city to step in.
“This was the busiest year I can remember in terms of boaters, and more importantly, tubers,” said Ty Churchwell, president of the Five Rivers Branch of Trout Unlimited. “And the trash along the river shows it.”
A member of the city’s Animas River Task Force, an advisory committee to the Durango City Council, Churchwell and other members of the Task Force met with the city this week to discuss options for alleviating the trash problem, most notably beer cans, bottles, orphaned flip flips, Styrofoam coolers, and popped tubes and other miscellaneous discarded river craft
“It’s on the minds of everyone on the task force, and we want to ask the city about what can be done,” he said.
http://www.durangotelegraph.com/telegraph.php?inc=/08-09-04/localnews.htm
Environmental report for Chimney Hollow shows possible effects of reservoir southwest of Loveland
By Pamela DickmanLoveland Reporter-Herald
Felicia Muftic: This week, it’s the Republican’s turn
Sky High Daily News - 08/31/08 [note: this isn't a partisan piece] By Felicia Muftic My View
"...a large group of Fraser Valley Lions members, some Rotary members, members of Trout Unlimited, public officials and interested citizens gathered in the Fraser Park to unveil a bronze statue of Dwight Eisenhower fly fishing in the Fraser....."
http://www.skyhidailynews.com/article/20080831/COLUMNISTS/808319992/1079&ParentProfile=1067
'New frontier' of water choices awaits state
By CHRIS WOODKATHE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
"The era of water development in Colorado is over, and the state’s new task will be to manage the water resources it has...... "
http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2008/08/25/news/local/doc48b23fb8db5c2809428422.txt
It's not too late to save valued parts of Grand County
Among them are the Middle Park Land Trust, Trout Unlimited, the Grand County Historical Association, Friends of the Fraser River, Colorado Cattlemen's Association, Colorado Riparian Association and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Depending on your interests, there are ways to get involved.
Grand County still has a window to control the look and feel of its own future. As we can see from our neighboring mountain communities, that window of opportunity doesn't stay open forever.
