by Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica - December 15, 2009 4:08 pm EST
The result is a 60-page Watershed Plan [5] (PDF) that dictates that Genesis will only use "green" hydraulic fracturing fluids, will reveal the chemical makeup of those fluids and will inject a tracer along with those fluids so any alleged contamination in the area can be quickly linked to its source.
Re: “Front Range trims water use,” Dec. 21 news story.
The Colorado Water Conservation Board agrees that conservation is critical to meeting the needs of a growing population, and we appreciate The Denver Post’s close attention to the serious issues facing the state’s future water needs.
However, it’s important to remember that the State of Colorado 2050 Municipal and Industrial Water Use Projections is a draft report. It includes data that we believe needs refinement, and we are working with local entities throughout the state to refine the data. Therefore it is premature to attempt to draw conclusions about differences in water use rates between the Front Range and elsewhere in Colorado.
The draft report relied on data that was supplied to the CWCB. We believe the Pitkin County water use data, which was cited in your story, may be overstated. Pitkin County water providers are in the process of providing us with a more accurate reflection of their service area population and overall water use. This updated data appears to indicate that Pitkin County’s per capita water use rates are similar to those from the rest of the state.
CWCB will be incorporating this and other public feedback on the draft report, and release a final report in 2010. In addition, reports on agricultural water needs, and those for environmental and recreational needs, will be provided during the same time frame.
In the meantime, we want to continue to encourage The Denver Post to help provide Coloradans with information we all need to make responsible decisions about our water future.
Jennifer Gimbel, Denver
From Denver Post Opinion The impacts of Moffat/Gross Reservoir expansion are hardly “minimal.” Between the existing Moffat project and the expanded Gross Reservoir project, Denver Water will take nearly 80 percent of the Fraser River to the Front Range. This is a major, not minimal, impact.
The Denver Post editorial board’s trust that Denver Water and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will take care of the streams is, so far, misguided. The Corps’ environmental analysis doesn’t look at the impacts from reducing the river to 20 percent of its native flows. Denver Water has made no commitment of funds for mitigation of these impacts. Even if funds are finally committed, they would do little to save the river. The river needs water, not dollars.
Denverites have done a good job in reducing use, but much of Denver’s water supply goes to thirsty lawns. Other cities have drastically cut outdoor water waste and Denver should follow their lead. There is too much at stake.
Ken Neubecker, Carbondale
The writer is president of Colorado Trout Unlimited.
From National Trout Unlimited One of the hottest topics in the fly-fishing industry today involves the use of felt soles on wading boots. The reason for the controversy is felt's role in spreading aquatic invasive species, such as whirling disease and Didymo (“rock snot”).
Here is what we know: felt acts as a sponge, soaking in water and unwanted hitchhikers. It takes a long time to dry, and it is difficult to clean and inspect thoroughly because microscopic species such as whirling disease spores and Didymo can be impossible to detect with the naked eye. Moreover, since anglers like to travel—let’s face it, most people who fish the Beaverhead also try the Ruby, Big Hole, Madison or Jefferson—we run the risk of transporting an invasive species to a new watershed. And once something like whirling disease gets established, it can be almost impossible to eradicate.
Recognizing the role that anglers can and should play in preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species, in 2008 Trout Unlimited called on fly tackle manufacturers to phase out felt by 2011. Simms was the first to step up, with L.L.Bean, Patagonia and other manufacturers close behind. Orvis will release its new rubber-soled boot in early 2010, and Korkers is offering an AIS-resistant Klingon rubber sole package for its interchangeable sole boot system.
But the debate continues. Many anglers do not think that the new rubber soles offer the same instream traction that felt does. Dave Kumlien, who oversees TU’s AIS work as the director of the Whirling Disease Foundation, believes that the industry is still adjusting, and thinks that the best solution may be the new rubber soles with metal studs. To avoid damage to the floor of his driftboat, Dave installed a simple rubber mat.
No one expects anglers to go out and throw away their felt-soled boots. If the boots never leave a particular watershed, there is no real danger that they will spread invasives. And if anglers clean, dry and inspect their boots, the threat of spreading invasives is greatly reduced. But eliminating felt in new boots is the right way to go, and several states have either already banned felt or plan to do it in the near future.
As anglers, giving up felt is a small price to pay for keeping our rivers and fisheries free from invasives. Read more
From The Colorado Independent - By David O. Williams
New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection last week issued a report that casts serious doubts on the common natural gas drilling process of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” which injects water, sand and chemicals deep underground to free up more gas.
By Chris Woodka - The Pueblo Chieftain
The state is pondering proposed pipelines to move water from most areas of the state to the Front Range in an attempt to meet future water demands.Not all will be built, and none has been officially endorsed.
Nevertheless, the Colorado Water Conservation Board looked at them in a preliminary report released last June.
Strategies in the report that move water from one basin to another include:
Read more
From: Loveland Connection, By Carl McCutchen 12/21/2009
Anyone walking into Tom Hewson’s chemistry class at Thompson Valley High School might disregard the 55-gallon fish tank near the doorway as home for a class pet, but for most of the students at TVHS, it’s far more than that.The fish tank, currently full of about 85 infant rainbow trout, is an experiment, a project and a learning tool.
“We raise trout from eggs to small fingerlings to then be stocked in a local watershed,” Hewson said.
The project, which Hewson said wouldn’t be done until later this year, started when he received a phone call from officials with the Denver chapter of Trout Unlimited last spring. Read more
According to the Census Bureau, Colorado's population has grown by 722,000 from 2000-2009. The state's population now exceeds 5 million.
Fort Collins Coloradoan - by Kevin Duggan • KevinDuggan@coloradoan.com
Proponents say NISP is needed to provide water for future growth. They also say not building the project would ultimately prove more costly for participants as they acquire the water they need.Critics say the project would cause severe environmental damage to the river. Opponents also say other steps, such as increased conservation, should be taken to meet the region's water needs.
So far the process of crafting an EIS for the project has taken almost six year and cost more than $5 million. Read more
Colorado Independent - by David O. Williams
Using chemical tracers to make sure hydraulic fracturing fluids aren’t contaminating groundwater supplies may be off the radar of Colorado officials who regulate the state’s natural gas industry, but the concept is contained in what could be a precedent-setting plan crafted by the cities of Grand Junction and Palisade. Read more
