PAWSD Conjures $357 Million Project in Dry Gulch, Part Five

Pagosa Daily Post

Bill Hudson | 3/3/09

When District 7 Water Court Judge Greg Lyman approved the water rights for a proposed 35,000 acre-foot reservoir in Dry Gulch in 2004, that decision was appealed to the Colorado Supreme Court, by national fishing organization Trout Unlimited.  The Supreme Court objected to Lyman’s decision and remanded the case back to him for additional “findings of fact.”  The Supreme Court’s objections were based on three main issues.

In 2003, Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District engineer Steve Harris had designed the Dry Gulch Reservoir at 35,000 acre-feet for one simple reason: that was the largest reservoir that would fit in Dry Gulch.  Harris admitted this in court, and at public PAWSD meetings.  In order to justify such a large reservoir — almost 18 times current Archuleta County use — Harris had used estimates of 100 years of astronomical community growth. 

http://www.pagosadailypost.com/news/11429/PAWSD_Conjures_$357_Million_Project_in_Dry_Gulch,_Part_Five/

Polluted mines as economic engines? Obama admin says 'yes'

NEW YORK TIMES

By SCOTT STREATER,

Published: February 26, 2009

Elizabeth Russell, mine restoration project manager for Trout Unlimited, said the additional spending on Peru Creek could have significant implications for the broader Snake River watershed, which the organization has spent years trying to restore.

"Cleaning up that old mine would be the best thing in the world," Russell said.

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/02/26/26greenwire-polluted-mines-as-economic-engines-obama-admin--9896.html?pagewanted=3&emc=eta1

Pipeline scheme hijacks credible water planning

Pueblo Chieftain, March 01, 2009

By DREW PETERNELL TROUT UNLIMITED

Regarding "Pipeline developer says project being hijacked by water group" in the Feb. 5 Pueblo Chieftain: What's really in danger of being hijacked in this competitive rush to build a pipeline is a credible, consensus-based plan for meeting Front Range water needs.

The idea of pumping water from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir to the Front Range sounds simple and attractive. The reality is much more complicated and uncertain.

The push by developer Aaron Million, the Parker Water and Sanitation District and other Front Range (often conflicting) water interests to build a wildly expensive pipeline project raises a flood of questions that haven't yet been adequately addressed:

How would this water diversion affect the ecological attributes of the Green and Colorado Rivers, including their invaluable sport fisheries and federally listed endangered species? What are the realistic costs - both monetary and in terms of energy use - of transporting water 400 miles from Flaming Gorge to the Front Range?

And what about the impact of the pipeline on other Colorado water users who would like to make use of our state's remaining share of the Colorado River?

A pipeline scheme of this magnitude could decimate important natural resources, become a costly boondoggle and exhaust Colorado's entitlement to the Colorado River. Front Range water users should proceed with caution.

Before endorsing any pipeline scheme, Front Range communities need to engage in comprehensive, regional water planning that evaluates how we can best meet water needs.

Drew Peternell of Boulder is director of Trout Unlimited's Colorado Water Project Trout Unlimited.

http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2009/03/01/editorial/doc49aa0307a89c2958757598.txt

New Address for Coyote Gulch

John Orr's Coyote Gulch blog has new URL and RSS addresses. Want to know how the snowpack's doing? Learn about groundwater recharge? The Taylor Park Dam retrofitting? If you're addicted to water, save these links.

New URL: http://coyotegulch.wordpress.com/

New RSS: feed://coyotegulch.wordpress.com/feed/

Colorado due to receive more than $7.5M from Fish and Wildlife Service

By DAVE BUCHANAN - Grand Junction Sentinel

The funds are money returned to the individual states from two federal excise taxes on sportfishing equipment and archery, guns and ammunition sales...

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Farming was driving force for water law

By Chris Woodka - Pueblo Chieftain

“The mineral wealth brought people to Colorado,” said Colorado Supreme Court Justice Greg Hobbs, recounting the gold rush of 1859 on Friday at the annual meeting of the Ditch and Reservoir Company Alliance at the Pueblo Convention Center. “The persons who remained were the farmers who dug the ditches to feed the miners. The cities grew out from the ditches.”

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Moffat County Commission acts on Shell water filing

Steamboat [Springs] Pilot & Today - By Collin Smith If the water court approves the request, Shell would draw 375 cubic feet of water per second from the Yampa River through two diversion points between Maybell and the base of Cross Mountain. The company plans to construct a 45,000 acre-feet reservoir south of the river and pump water to facilities in the Piceance Basin.

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Harvesting rainwater has an effect downstream

by DP Opinion on February 19, 2009

Re: “Water bills back saving on rainy days,” Feb. 10 news story.

The Colorado General Assembly is considering two pieces of legislation that would allow homeowners to install systems to capture rainwater for residential uses. Harvesting rainwater off the roof can be an eco-friendly practice, reducing the need to deliver water to the home from other sources, a process which can damage streams and aquifers and require use of significant energy.

But Coloradans should recognize that, in some cases, precipitation captured in a cistern would otherwise seep through the ground to a nearby stream for the benefit of fish and wildlife habitat and senior water rights. A large residential development with home rainwater cisterns might appear “green,” but could actually further stress an already depleted stream.

Recognizing the impact rainwater cisterns can have on streams, House Bill 1129 requires the proponents of rainwater harvesting projects to replace the water they remove from the system. In this respect, the bill provides a measure of protection to other water users and the state’s streams. The bill also favors cistern projects that include other water conservation measures, a smart provision in a semi-arid state with growing water demands.

Drew Peternell, Boulder

The writer is director of Trout Unlimited’s Colorado Water Project.

http://blogs.denverpost.com/eletters/2009/02/19/harvesting-rainwater-has-an-effect-downstream/

Drilling on Colo. refuge delayed until August

From MSNBC.com

Lexam acquired the mineral rights in the 1990s in what was then the 97,000-acre Baca Ranch. The land was later acquired by the federal government to preserve the terrain and geological features responsible for the sand dunes. Some of the land became part of the national park, with the rest becoming the refuge in 2004.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29241551/

Fountain Creek restoration must please all players — including trout

By J. ADRIAN STANLEY - Colorado Springs Independent

Because CDOT is contributing funds, state law says the Colorado Division of Wildlife must review the plan and ensure the animal environment isn't damaged. So far, the wildlife folks aren't pleased. Neither is Jack Hunter, president of the Cheyenne Mountain chapter of Trout Unlimited, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and creating trout habitat. He says the partners ignored his organization's tips on improving the environment for fish.

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