Daily Colorado Water News
Coyote Gulch
Nonpoint Source Colorado
July 2010 : COLORADO, WESTERN U.S., NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL
COLORADO
Group calls Upper Coloardo River 'endangered'
New water diversions could sap the life from the Upper Colorado River Basin, according to American Rivers, a national conservation group. The organization declared the Upper Colorado America's sixth most endangered river earlier this month in its annual survey of the health of the nation's rivers. June 30, Glenwood Springs Post Independent
As forests burn, Sen. Udall demands prevention work
Forests were ablaze in several locations throughout the state Wednesday when Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colorado) called on federal officials to reveal whether fire-mitigation work is taking place as quickly as it should in places impacted by the mountain pine-beetle epidemic. “Many of our mountain communities have expressed concern about the removal of these dead trees and are asking for a timeline of the tree removal that will help protect their communities and create jobs during a time when many Coloradans are unemployed,” Udall said. July 1, The Summit Daily News
Colorado River study leaves murky water
The first phase of a study looking at water availability in the Colorado River basin raises as many questions as it answers. The final version of phase one of the study will be considered by the Colorado Water Conservation Board after a four-month review period ends on July 21. The study received $700,000 in legislative funding in 2007-08. July 2, The Pueblo Chieftain
State water board protects Gunnison Co instream flows
The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) and the Colorado Water Trust closed on the purchase of up to 5.45 cubic feet per second of water under the Breem Ditch water right for instream flow use to preserve the natural environment of two highly visible water-short streams — Washington Gulch and the Slate River, and to improve the natural environment of Washington Gulch. July 1, The Journal Advocate
Water wise nets exemption from restrictions
Participants in Castle Rock’s Water Wiser program leave the class with more than just a certificate — they also get a free pass from the town’s “water police.” Castle Rock offers Water Wiser workshops for free, courtesy of the utilities department. Participants learn irrigation tips, sprinkler system management and how to tap into the town’s water conservation resources. What they walk away with is a greater awareness of fundamental water-saving measures and a window sticker identifying them as a participant. July 2, The News Press
Water wise nets exemption from restrictions
Participants in Castle Rock’s Water Wiser program leave the class with more than just a certificate — they also get a free pass from the town’s “water police.” Castle Rock offers Water Wiser workshops for free, courtesy of the utilities department. Participants learn irrigation tips, sprinkler system management and how to tap into the town’s water conservation resources. What they walk away with is a greater awareness of fundamental water-saving measures and a window sticker identifying them as a participant. July 2, The News Press
Stinky, slimy algae makes water unsafe at Ohio's 'other great lake' killing fish, tourism
Patches of green and turquoise slime floated like thick paint in the channel behind Kyle Biesel's home. His pontoon boat sat covered up, unused for weeks, on a wooden lift stained by the algae. A foul smell enveloped the backyard where he used to fish and watch blue herons glide over the water. He called it a "sickening combination of manure and propane gas." Even more alarming, tests reveal that the waters in Ohio's largest inland lake contain dangerous toxins with the potential to cause rashes, vomiting or even liver and nerve damage. State officials say it's no longer safe for swimming and skiing. July 2, The Los Angeles Times
Water pollution spreading in the Valley
A plume of toxic chemicals under the San Fernando Valley has expanded so much in recent years that city officials have had to close dozens of water wells and may have to stop drawing local water altogether unless a massive $850 million cleanup effort is undertaken. July 2, Los Angeles Daily News
Farmers upset by state seep ditch policy
Harold Reed can’t remember ever seeing so much water in his irrigation ditch, and he couldn’t be less happy. The problem is, that contrary to more than a century of practice, the water is staying in the ditch, and very little of it is making its way onto his farm or his neighbors’ land. July 4, The Pueblo Chieftain
$760 million flowing into metro water treatment projects
Denver-area authorities are embarking on $760 million worth of massive water-treatment projects, to convert substandard water into drinkable new supplies. The projects are driven by scarcity — the growing difficulty of drawing sufficient new supplies from mountain snowpack — and by rapid depletion of groundwater wells that some metro residents rely on. July 5, The Denver Post
Fight over Red Lady, mining continues in Crested Butte
In the offices of the High Country Citizens’ Alliance hangs a photo of a former Crested Butte mayor atop 12,392-foot Mount Emmons. He’s seated in a wheelchair, victoriously pumping his fist into the thin air. July 5, The Colorado Springs Gazette
Rafting Companies Don't Like Denver Water's Plan
Denver Water says it has to get more water out of the mountains. The agency is looking for ways to improve its storage capacity, including major upgrades to a reservoir near Boulder. July 5, CBS4denver.com
The Nature of Business: The energy cost of water
Water conservation is a face with two sides: one is the obvious side of saving a resource crucial for sustaining life; the second — which is often neglected but emerging as a national priority — is the link to energy consumption and conservation. In other words, there is an energy intensity related to water consumption just as there is a water intensity related to energy consumption. July 6, Summit Daily News
Snow gone, reservoirs full
The snow is all but gone in Colorado, but reservoirs across most of the state are full, according to data from Denver Water and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). July 6, Summit Daily News
Oceans' growing carbon dioxide levels may threaten coral reef fish
The ocean's rising carbon dioxide levels may cause many coral reef fish to swim toward the smell of predators rather than away from them — and thus toward likely death, marine ecologists said Tuesday. The greenhouse gas' ability to alter fish behavior for the worse points to an "unexpected potential impact of elevated carbon dioxide in the oceans," said Philip Munday, a marine ecologist at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia. July 6, Los Angeles Times
Summit County girds against unwanted species
Colorado's waterways are being invaded. Mollusks and plants from far-flung places like Russia's Black and Caspian seas, and crustaceans from as close as the Ohio River Basin, have hitchhiked to Rocky Mountain lakes, reservoirs, rivers and streams, jeopardizing native aquatic wildlife and public waterworks infrastructure. July 10, Summit Daily News
Opponents of Grand Lake diversions muddy water plan
Front Range authorities poised to divert more western Colorado water to the east face opponents rallying around the mountain lake. With current diversions already suspected by some of mucking up Grand Lake's water, any new water removals — such as those proposed by Denver Water and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District — could degrade the lake intolerably, opposition groups and Grand County officials contend. July 11, The Denver Post
Sewer expands into Blue River as town paves road
Sewer service expands into Blue River this month as the town of about 680 residents begins phasing out septic systems. About 100 lots are to have access to sewer service after the first round of construction ends in November. Construction begins this month at the intersection of Blue River Road and Mountain View Trail, where the town has already been making road and bridge improvements. July 11, Summit Daily News
Expedition Blue Planet visits Fort Collins
In the tradition of her internationally famous grandfather Jacques Cousteau, Alexandra Cousteau is on a mission to save the waterways of our world. Traveling in a bus previously used by such big names as Sen. John McCain and musician Paul McCartney, Cousteau and her team visited New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins on Saturday as part of a 138-day, 15,000-mile journey through North America to study and report on the water condition of America's rivers, particularly the Colorado River. July 11, Coloradoan.com
E. coli closes beach for a day
Water at Chatfield's swim beach is tested at least once a week, as is required by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The beach was closed Sunday after the routine test indicated higher than allowable bacteria levels. July 13, The Denver Post
Species versus species
The fight against tamarisk trees that have invaded much of the Southwest suffered a major setback recently when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it was abandoning its program of releasing saltcedar leaf beetles to eat the tamarisk. July 12, The Daily Sentinel
White River drilling forecast: big increase
A planning document projects potentially more than 10 times the current number of oil and gas wells on the White River National Forest over the next 15 to 20 years. The Bureau of Land Management document predicts possibly 903 to 1,004 wells being drilled in the forest, compared to 82 existing wells. It also forecasts the number of well pads possibly increasing by 169 from 42 now. The amount of disturbed land, now 196 acres, could increase by 1,013 acres for pads, roads, pipelines and other facilities. July 15, The Daily Sentinel
200 rally for northern Front Range reservoir project
About 200 farmers, ranchers and local officials rallied Thursday for a massive water-storage project they say will save small towns and family farms along the northern Front Range. July 16, The Denver Post
'Save the Poudre' sparks dispute
"Save the Poudre, Store it in Glade." That's the message on a bumper sticker Bo Shaffer pasted on his truck Thursday afternoon in Erie at a farmers rally supporting the proposed Glade Reservoir and the Northern Integrated Supply Project, or NISP, to be built north of Fort Collins. July 16, Coloradoan.com
GEO, utilities quantify hydroelectric benefits
The Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) is joining three utilities ” Fort Collins Light and Power, San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative and Holy Cross Energy ” to gauge the benefits and impacts of tying solar energy and small hydropower operations into the grid for municipal and rural electricity providers. July 16, Montrose Daily Press
Weighing artist Christo's plan to drape fabric over Arkansas River, BLM lays out seven options
The federal government on Friday put forth seven versions of the artist Christo's plan to drape fabric across the Arkansas River, ranging from doing nothing to doing exactly what Christo has proposed. The Bureau of Land Management and its consultants spent more than a year compiling the 750-page Draft Environmental Impact Statement, exploring Christo's 17-year-old proposal to drape shimmering fabric across the Arkansas River between Salida and Cañon City. July 17, The Denver Post
Salazar touts the outdoors to urban kids on trip pushing conservation, recreation
Top Obama administration officials led by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar are pressing ahead in an effort to reshape conservation and recreation policy and have made reconnecting urban kids with the outdoors a central component. July 17, The Denver Post
House committee OKs $900 million for key land fund
For only the second time in 45 years, a key federal land and water conservation program could operate at full capacity after the House Natural Resources Committee voted to appropriate $900 million for the fund. July 17, Summit County Citizen's Voice
Research explores fire, mercury link
Researchers recently received federal funding to continue a study aimed at exploring high levels of mercury found in fish at Vallecito Reservoir, which a researcher at the University of Colorado thinks might be the result of the 2002 Missionary Ridge Fire. July 18, The Durango Herald
Major Antero gas drilling plan nearly a done deal; Carbondale group seeks Thompson ban
Natural gas drilling activity appears to be on the upswing in the most drilled parts of the Western Slope. According to the Glenwood Springs Post Independent, Denver-based Antero Resources, which is also planning a 200-well project in Battlement Mesa, will start drilling another 284 wells south of Silt in the late summer or early fall. July 19, The Colorado Independent
Experts testing tactics to keep harmful mussels from muscling their way in
A Denver-based federal team fighting invasive freshwater mussels is investigating new and hopeful treatments, including poison, blasts of ultra-violet light and shock waves, and the introduction of a mussel-destroying predatory sunfish. July 21, The Denver Post
By 2050 state needs 500,000 acre feet
"Colorado's Water Supply Future" was the topic of the workshop that opened the regular monthly meeting of the Colorado Water Conservation Board held Tuesday in the Salida SteamPlant Event Center. The workshop included three presentations by board staff members highlighting data from recently completed technical reports. July 21, The Mountain Mail
Sterling Ranch to be 1st Colorado rainwater harvesting site
The proposed, $4.3 billion Sterling Ranch community in Douglas County will get the state’s first rainwater harvesting pilot project, ranch developers said Wednesday. The Colorado Water Conservation Board in Salida unanimously picked Sterling Ranch, which includes 3,400 acres, to have one of 10 such projects. July 21, Denver Business Journal
Critics claim Colorado gas drillers playing both sides of "fracking" debate
Some of the biggest natural gas producers in Colorado are part of a coalition of operators in the massive Marcellus Shale play in the eastern United States that is backing “full disclosure” of chemicals used in the controversial drilling process called hydraulic fracturing. July 22, The Colorado Independent
State water board concludes meeting
Colorado Water Conservation Board members wrapped up their two-day meeting in Salida Wednesday afternoon at the SteamPlant. July 22, The Mountain Mail
Colo. farmers already compete with cities for pricey water rights
Nebraska farmers who are frustrated by irrigation allocations and by urban neighbors who don’t know that agriculture is the state’s No. 1 industry might feel better about their circumstances after talking to some country cousins in Colorado. July 22, Kearney Hub
Underwater undertaking to fix Cheesman Dam almost underway
Next week, Denver Water embarks on an $18.3 million plumbing overhaul of corroding fixtures on 105-year-old Cheesman Dam, requiring jackhammers, blowtorches, drills, blasting — and divers dispatched to live underwater for a month in a compression chamber. July 24, The Denver Post
Over the River and through the Front Range . . .
Hotels and restaurants in Pueblo could reap major tourism dollars from Over the River. The two-week exhibit proposed for August 2013 could draw an estimated 344,000 visitors, including large numbers from outside the Arkansas River region, a U.S. Bureau of Land Management study says. July 25, The Pueblo Chieftain
Colorado entering potential severe flooding season
Intense sunshine, warm temperatures near the earth's surface and sluggish winds in the upper atmosphere can combine to produce very heavy rains and frequently lightning in Colorado from the middle of July through mid-August, according to the Colorado State University state climatologist. July 22, Colorado State University Campus News
Vermillion surprise
For three northwestern Colorado county commissioners, June 29 seemed like just another routine meeting with the feds. The Bureau of Land Management wanted to chat with the Moffat County officials about a management plan revision that has dragged on for nearly a decade. July 23, High Country News
Aspen Environment Forum panel says water is plentiful if we use it wisely
There is enough water in the American Southwest, and around the world, to meet existing needs. The problem is allocation. July 27, The Post Independent
Nestle OK'd to turn Arkansas Springs into bottled water product
Chaffee County Tuesday afternoon issued a notice to Nestle that it could proceed with its plan to pump millions of gallons of water from springs next to the Arkansas River and cart it to Denver for bottling under the Arrowhead Springs label. July 27, The Colorado Independent
Large metro duck die-off blamed on chemicals
Chemicals prevalent in everyday products may be partly to blame for the deaths of more than 1,000 ducks during the winters of 2007 and 2008, according to a study released Tuesday by federal wildlife officials. July 28, The Denver Post
EPA does 'emergency' cleanup in Montrose County
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is conducting an emergency removal of about 6,000 gallons of hazardous liquids from Elizabeth Mining and Development Inc. in Montrose County. July 27, NBC11 News
The Clean Energy Economy in the Rockies: Increasing Jobs, Investments, and Production
A new study by Headwaters Economics compares how Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming—five states with vast traditional but also significant clean energy resources—are taking advantage of clean energy opportunities to create green jobs. July 27, Red Lodge Clearinghouse
RETURN TO TOP
WESTERN U.S.
Western Governors Confront Increased Demand for Water, Energy
The annual conference of the Western Governors’ Association, meeting here to celebrate 100 years of its existence, provides state leaders with an amiable environment in which to discuss extraordinarily thorny problems. June 30, Flathead Beacon
Got storm water? L.A. Now has standardized plans for runoff infiltration
During the rainy season, the city of L.A. sends 100 million gallons of untreated runoff into the Pacific Ocean. Tuesday, the city's engineering department signed off on six standard plans that can be used to prevent some of the flow coming from parkways, highways, alleyways and cemented curb areas and divert it into the ground where it can recharge groundwater and prevent pollutants from reaching waterways. June 30, Los Angeles Times
Small town, big Clean Water Act problems
The stench and unbearable sight of the solid waste that occasionally flowed through Smuther's Ravine on the Edwards Family Farm in the tiny Sierra foothill town of Colfax ruined the farm's lettuce crop and very nearly financially ruined the city celebrating its centennial this year. July 3, Silicon Valley Mercury News
San Jose considering privatizing its municipal water system
Like a cash-strapped home- owner planning a garage sale to help pay the bills, San Jose city leaders are studying a plan to sell off or lease the city's municipal water system to a private company. The plan, although still in the early stages, could mean a windfall of $50 million or more for the city, although it almost certainly would result in higher water bills for some San Jose residents. July 5, Silion Valley Mercury News
DRI researchers find pollution link to drought
An increasing amount of scientific evidence suggests air pollution may be playing a role in drought, experts from the Desert Research Institute said. July 6, RGJ.com
Geothermal Slow to Take off in Wyoming, Colorado
Northwestern Wyoming, where hot water gushes from the ground may seem like a perfect place for geothermal power plants. But even in these hotspots this alternative energy is developing slowly. July 7, Community Radio for Northern Colorado
Mercury found in fish from SF water Supply
When researchers wanted to test largemouth bass at Lower Crystal Springs Reservoir for mercury levels, the reservoir's managers in San Francisco figured the scientists were simply looking for a clean sample to compare with toxic results at other spots. July 7, San Francisco Chronicle
DWP scales back its Owens Lake solar test
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's ambitious plan to put solar panels on 80 square miles of dry lake bed and flatlands east of the Sierra Nevada range has run into a daunting problem: extremely caustic mud in an area where it hoped to build an 80-acre pilot project. July 6, Los Angeles Times
Sudden Surplus Calls for Quick Thinking
Bonneville Power Administration Extra water gushing from a spillway at Bonneville Dam. Water that goes down the spillway rather than through turbines gets frothy and can kill salmon and steelheads. July 7, The New York Times
CWT’s Breem Ditch Project closes
The Breem Ditch project, an innovative instream flow project, closed yesterday. The project will add much-needed streamflow to sections of Washington Gulch and the Slate River near the Town of Crested Butte. June 29, Colorado Water Trust
State officials approve costly water quality requirements over objections of broke cities
A state water agency approved a set of tough new environmental regulations for the Los Angeles River on Friday that cities say could cost them billions. July9, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Fight's on to crush a clam invasion
Scuba-diving scientists and a battalion of government officials launched an aquatic assault Friday on alien invaders threatening to slime one of the world's most pristine lakes. July 10, Sacramento Bee
Red Butte Creek spill community meeting set for Monday
Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker and the City Council have scheduled the next town hall meeting to report on oil spill cleanup efforts and answer questions from the public. July 10, The Salt Lake Tribune
Clear Waters, Cloudy Future For California Wetlands
Oil continues to cloud Gulf Coast waters, but on the other side of the country, scientists are studying a body of water with the opposite problem. San Francisco Bay is becoming clearer. And clearer water is not always good news. July 11, NPR
Scientists scan Tahoe area lake for evidence of severe past droughts
Vacationers skim the surface of Fallen Leaf Lake on water skis or kayaks, oblivious that scientists are investigating the depths for signs of natural disasters to come. Last week, scientists began crisscrossing the lake with a $450,000, state-of-the-art sonar tool that will map the lake bed in unprecedented detail. July 11, The Sacramento Bee
Seattle's price tag for clean water: $500 million
Keeping the water around Seattle clean is going to cost the city half a billion dollars over the next fifteen years. Seattle Public Utilities will soon begin a federally-mandated, $500 million city-wide infrastructure improvement program designed to reduce storm and wastewater pollution. This will mean higher sewer and drainage bills for people, beginning next year, and for years afterwards. July 12, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Toxic-Waste Sites Haunt Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is home to one of the nation's heaviest concentrations of toxic-waste sites. The costly effects of the region's tainted industrial past can be seen in this city's eastern outskirts. July 15, The Wall Street Journal
A gamble on the river pays off
Heather Wylie was a key instigator of what must be the biggest, most important boating expedition ever undertaken on the Los Angeles River. With two dozen others in kayaks and canoes, she braved the river's shallow waters, paddling past garbage trucks at the water's edge, homeless bathers and other unexpected riparian obstacles. July 16, Los Angeles Times
A change of plans at Descanso Gardens
It's magical to walk among the century-old oak trees and the thousands of camellias that take shelter under them in Descanso Gardens, a chance even now, when the flowers are not in bloom, to gaze wide-eyed at the glories of the planet. But however pleasing, it turns out to be one lousy pairing for the trees and the flowers. Descanso has decided it's time for a breakup, based on irreconcilable differences. July 17, Los Angeles Times
Toxic waste dump receives new EPA order to clean up contaminated soil
Federal authorities have given a toxic waste dump near a Central California farming community plagued by birth defects 60 days to clean up soil contaminated with carcinogenic PCBs, or lose its permit to receive the dangerous substance trucked in each year from throughout Southern California. July 17, Los Angeles Times
Dust takes a toll
Imtiaz Rangwala studies climate change on the Tibetan Plateau and, more recently, in the American West. In mid-May, the climatologist flew into Durango, Colo., through skies darkened by dust. The next day, the dust had settled on the San Juan Mountains, where Rangwala was checking on the snow. "As far as my eye could see -- up to 11- or 12,000 feet -- there was dust all around," he says. July 19, High Country News
Anti-dam group questions Hetch Hetchy water
Environmentalists battling San Francisco's use of Hetch Hetchy Valley as the city's main drinking water cache are taking a new tack - raising questions about the water's quality in light of higher-than-normal rates of certain parasitic infections. July 22, San Francisco Chronicle
Energy battle in Utah’s canyon country continues
The back-and-forth over oil and gas drilling in some of Utah’s wild landscapes continues this week as a federal judge in Salt Lake City considers an energy industry challenge to a 2009 U.S. Department of Interior decision to take 77 lease parcels out of play. July 21, Summit County Citizens Voice
No quick solution fixing Flagstaff area damaged by fire
The recent Schultz Fire has become a double-barreled disaster for local residents, with rainwater cascading down denuded slopes in the burn zone causing repeated flooding and no quick or easy fixes in sight. July 24, AZ Central
Water quality closures up at some area beaches
Last year wasn't a good time to be a beach bum in Northern California, thanks to oily, polluted water that caused an unusual number of closures and health warnings, particularly in the San Francisco area, according to a Natural Resources Defense Council report released Wednesday. July 29, San Francisco Chronicle
RETURN TO TOP
NATIONAL
Drawing lines in the sand
About 40 citizens joined hands at the Estes Park Marina Saturday, in solidarity with those in hundreds of other locations on beautiful beaches and parks around the United States and the world, to protest offshore oil drilling. June 29, Estes Park Trail Gazette
EPA to seek public comment on hydraulic fracturing in Fort Worth
Mike Paque, executive director of the national Ground Water Protection Council, laments that hydraulic fracturing has "become the synonym for everything people don't like" about the drilling of natural gas and oil wells. June 29, Star-Telegram
Some residents object to water limits in Montgomery, Prince George's counties
Free-flowing clean water is one of the lesser expectations of Washington area suburban living, so it came as an uncomfortable surprise to Terry Walsh that the hose-down he was giving his tomatoes, peppers and chard late Thursday in Rockville could land him a $500 fine. July 2, The Washington Post
EPA sets tough new Chesapeake pollution caps
The Environmental Protection Agency proposed tough pollution caps for the Chesapeake Bay Thursday, requiring Maryland and other mid-Atlantic states to do more to clean up the troubled estuary than previously thought necessary. July 1, The Baltimore Sun
Waste injection wells could reopen
State and federal regulators have signed off on legal agreements that could put two closed Romulus hazardous waste injection wells back on track and operating again by early next year. The wells, which are the state's only commercial hazardous waste deep-injection wells, have been a source of controversy in Romulus for nearly two decades. The Detroit Police and Fire Retirement System, which now owns them, has sunk more than $40 million into them and will be required to pay just more than $60,000 in fines for past violations at the wells. July 3, Freep.com
Federal government balks at paying D.C. sewer levy
A new storm water management fee is costing commercial property holders in the District, but the city's largest property owner and the instigator of the levy -- the federal government -- has suggested it is exempt. July 5, The Washington Post
Water: Will There Be Enough?
For at least three decades, Americans have had some inkling that we face an uncertain energy future, but we’ve ignored a much more worrisome crisis—water. Cheap and seemingly abundant, water is so common that it’s hard to believe we could ever run out. Ever since the Apollo astronauts photographed Earth from space, we’ve had the image of our home as a strikingly blue planet, a place of great water wealth. June 4 Issue of The Post Carbon Institute Energy Bulletin
Lake Champlain clean water campaign zeroes in on Rock River
Farmers, researchers and public officials share a common frustration when it comes to pollution of Lake Champlain: It has been nearly impossible to demonstrate that changes in farm practices intended to improve water quality actually result in cleaner water. July 6, The Burlington Free Press
Chesapeake Bay effort targets polluted runoff in Richmond
An innovative project hopes to persuade property owners in the Reedy Creek watershed to adopt methods that reduce polluted runoff. July 6, Richmond Times-Dispatch
Colorado Water Supply Stakeholders Agree to Shared Vision Planning Study
IWR's Shared Vision Planning (SVP) team concluded a recent workshop with a decision by cities and stakeholders to conduct an eighteen-month Shared Vision Planning study, pending approval of a detailed scope of work. The June 3-4 workshop was part of a pilot sponsored by the Corps Western States Watershed Study in cooperation with the cities of Greeley and Fort Collins Colorado, the Nature Conservancy, the Western States Water Council and others. June 23, US Army Corps of Engineers
From Safe To A Flood Zone, Without Moving An Inch
Across the country, millions of people are suddenly finding themselves in federal hazard zones — not because of any natural or man-made disaster, but because the Federal Emergency Management Agency is updating its old flood risk maps. Even if they’ve never been under water, home and business owners in places deemed hazardous are now forced to buy flood insurance. Jule 6, National Public Radio
Alaska Receives New Applications for Bulk Water Removal
The Alaska Department of Natural Resources received three applications Tuesday from the Aleut Corporation for bulk water removal from Adak Island, according to Gary Prokosch, the state’s chief of water resources. July 8, Circle of Blue
Let's protect N.Y.'s water
Long Island residents drink water from aquifers that fell as rain 2,000 years ago. Large upstate reservoirs supply more than 8 million people in the New York City water system. About 20 percent of all the liquid fresh water on this planet is contained in the Great Lakes, and two of the five are on our shores. July 12, Times Union
Sewage Overflow Promotes Spread of West Nile Virus
Sewage that overflows into urban creeks and streams during periods of heavy rain can promote the spread of West Nile virus, a study led by Emory University finds. July 12, Science Daily
Installed Base of Smart Water Meters to Surpass 31 Million by 2016, According to Pike Research
Water scarcity is a looming issue that will affect nearly half the world’s population by 2030. In the United States, the problem is even more near term, with 36 states expected to face water shortages by 2013. At the same time, water utilities around the world are hard-pressed to deliver water efficiently. Non-revenue water is the difference between water pumped, treated, and supplied to the distribution system versus water that actually reaches customers. July 13, Pike Research
Natural-Gas Driller to Disclose Chemical Use
Range Resources Corp. says it plans to disclose the chemicals used to hydraulically fracture natural-gas wells in Pennsylvania, confronting rising pressure from environmental groups worried that drilling could contaminate drinking water. July14, The Wall Street Journal
The fight for the Flathead
A six-seater Cessna flew along the western edge of Glacier National Park on a perfect morning in late June. The sky was sunny, bright blue; the valleys glowed in lush green hues. The ice on the peaks gleamed brilliantly -- a huge wild version of what a queen would wear, justifying the region’s title as "the Crown of the Continent." July 19, High Country News
Colorado State Forest Service Releases Best Management Practices for Water Quality Protection
The Colorado State Forest Service has just released revised water quality protection guidelines for individuals and organizations conducting forestry-related activities in Colorado. The previous guidelines were developed in 1998. July 14, Colorado State University
How to save water? Four families compete in EPA contest
To promote water conservation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency kicked off an educational campaign today that features four families competing in reality-TV fashion to see which can save the most water. July 14, USA Today
Lawmakers want to avoid "Agent Orange" in spill dispersants
U.S. lawmakers on Thursday pressed the Environmental Protection Agency for assurances that BP was using safe agents to disperse its massive oil spill, saying they didn't want the chemicals to become another "Agent Orange." July 15, Reuters
American Water, EPA launch national ‘We’re for Water’ campaign
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense program is partnering with American Water (NYSE: AWK), the nation's largest publicly-traded water services provider to launch the national "We're for Water" campaign, coinciding with peak water use season in many parts of America. The campaign kicks off today in Los Angeles with two families, located in American Water's California service area of Baldwin Hills, competing against each other to see who can save the most water by checking for leaks, twisting on faucet aerators and replacing inefficient fixtures with WaterSense labeled ones. July 14, PR Newswire
Cape ponds lack pollution cleanup
Freshwater ponds may be the poor relations in the Cape's wastewater debate. Most of the concern — and money — has been focused on the bad effects of excess nitrogen in local bays, salt ponds, and harbors because that's where nearly everything we put into our groundwater ends up. July 19, Cape Cod Times
New York Is Not Just Hot, but Parched
They are the casualties in a profoundly parched region: the yellowed lawns; the scorched median strips on highways from Westhampton, N.Y., to West Orange, N.J.; and the orangy brown tree on the island in the lake in Central Park. July 18, New York Times
Ind. working on phosphorous limits for lakes
Indiana regulators are drafting rules intended to cut the flow of the nutrient-rich element phosphorous into the state's lakes to reduce algae blooms and other water quality problems. Algae fed by high phosphorous levels can give surface waters a greenish cast and cause fish kills. This spring, an algae bloom on a reservoir near Anderson left the tap water in that city and nearby Indianapolis with an unpleasant, musty flavor and smell for days. July 19, The Chicago Tribune
Wetlands and Water Allocation: U.S. Policy
Wetlands are a habitat of particular importance to managers in every type of watershed. Historically, wetlands were crucial in the survival of early civilizations. Along the Nile, Tigris, Euphrates and others, the riparian wetlands and floodplains were a source of nutrient-rich soil for early agriculture. July 20, Environmental Leader
Reclaimed Jewel Whose Attraction Can Be Perilous
It is New York City’s only freshwater river, a gurgling, meandering relic of the pastoral terrain that almost 400 years ago beguiled early European explorers and traders. For much of the 20th century, of course, the Bronx River was used as a sewer and dumping ground, its banks and muddy bottom strewn with abandoned cars, washing machines and bald tires. A grass-roots effort to restore the river has brought it closer to its picturesque origins and produced regular sightings of returning wildlife like alewife herring and, even most recently, a beaver. July 19, New York Times
Five States Sue U.S. Over Asian Carp
The federal government faces a fresh round of legal action regarding the potential threat Asian carp pose to the Great Lakes. Five states—Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—filed suit in a U.S. District Court Monday, to force the government to take more drastic steps to block the invasive aquatic species from colonizing the lakes and threatening their $7 billion sportfishing industry. June 21, Circle of Blue Water News
EPA takes new look at gas drilling, water issues
So vast is the wealth of natural gas locked into dense rock deep beneath Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia and Ohio that some geologists estimate it's enough to supply the entire East Coast for 50 years. But freeing it requires a powerful drilling process called hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," using millions of gallons of water brewed with toxic chemicals, that some fear could pollute water above and below ground and deplete aquifers. July 20, Associated Press
A Water Fight Over Luxury Showers
Gene Goforth sells showerheads—big ones, like the Raindance Imperial 600 AIR. Selling for as much as $5,457, it has a 24-inch spray face, 358 no-clog channels and a triple-massage option. "You can just stand under it, and it helps your psyche," says Mr. Goforth, who has one in his home. July 21, The Wall Street Journal
Florida loses a ruling in tri-state water case
A federal judge on Wednesday rejected arguments by Florida in the tri-state water dispute to allow the Endangered Species Act to be used to dictate water flow into the Apalachicola River. July 21, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
From floating wetlands to porous asphalt, researchers show off ideas to save Chesapeake Bay
Floating wetlands, porous asphalt and living walls are some of the ideas that universities, federal laboratories and private companies are developing to restore the Chesapeake Bay. July 22, Science News
Erica Olson: Permaculture beyond food production
Permaculture is shorthand for permanent agriculture, meaning agriculture/social constructs that can be sustained indefinitely. The idea behind permaculture is to design human settlements and agricultural systems that mimic patterns found in nature. These designs continue to evolve throughout time and have the potential to become extremely complex. July 23, Steamboat Today
Bulk Water Companies Face Challenges Before Shipments Start From Alaska
S2C Global Systems–one of two companies involved in exporting bulk water in tankers from Sitka, Alaska to India– is facing significant hurdles before exports commence. July 22, Circle of Blue
Water Woes in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh's environmental front has been abuzz about water issues of late. Perhaps discussion was sparked by June's World Environment Day, but concerns are more likely a bi-product of the hottest industry in Pennsylvania: drilling in the Marcellus Shale. July 22, Pittsburgh Environmental News Examiner
'Super Socks' Help Stem Pollution Runoff
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their collaborators have improved on an existing method for removing contaminants from storm water runoff. These findings could provide surface waters additional protection against runoff containing pollutants from point sources such as construction sites, storm waters and other urban landscapes. July 25, Science Daily
Nutrient management plans crucial for runoff control
Along the highways and roads of the 59,000-acre watershed south of Grand Lake St. Marys are the agricultural industries that keep the towns around here prosperous. July 25, Dayton Daily News
For worst pollution, solutions in short supply
Delaware's Christina Riverfront developments often get first mention when state officials talk about contaminated site cleanups -- long-idle, moderately tainted properties cleaned up with public help, paved over and returned to productive use. July 26, Delaware Online
Postal Service saves energy with Manhattan's largest green roof
In greening its snail-mail business, the U.S. Postal Service reports dramatic progress in reducing its energy use through efforts such as installing the largest green roof in New York City. July 26, USA Today
Indianapolis water, sewer utilities sale survives political battle
Mayor Greg Ballard's proposal to sell the city's water and sewer systems passed a critical hurdle Monday, when the City-County Council gave approval to move the utilities' ownership to a local nonprofit trust. July 27, IndyStar.com
Major Michigan oil spill hits as Congress debates drilling reforms
Another day, another onshore oil spill somewhere in America. Officials in Michigan, according to our sister site, the Michigan Messenger, are streaming into the small town of Calhoun to assess the growing aquatic devastation from what may wind up being the biggest oil spill in state history. July 28, The Colorado Independent
Mine operators oppose plans to rewrite water rules
Mine operators heaped criticism Tuesday on the federal government's plan to extensively rewrite the rules designed to protect streams from surface coal mines. Officials with the West Virginia Coal Association and mine operator International Coal Group Inc. contend the plan by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement is really an attempt to eliminate surface mining in Appalachia. July 28, Bloomberg Businessweek
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INTERNATIONAL
INTERNATIONAL
Geoengineering Plus White Fluffy Clouds Equals More Rain
Concerns have been raised in the past regarding the effects of seeding clouds to make them more reflective and thereby reduce the radiation absorbed by the Earth. Researchers have believed that by doing so the global rainfall patterns could be shifted leading to reduced rainfall and increased water shortages. However a new study by researchers from the Carnegie Institution suggests that the opposite is in fact true, and that altered atmospheric circulation under the scheme could in fact increase rains. June 30, Planetsave.com
Acidification threatens the world’s oceans, but quantifying the risks is hard
In the waters of Kongsfjord, an inlet on the coast of Spitsbergen, sit nine contraptions that bring nothing to mind as much as monster condoms. Each is a transparent sheath of plastic 17-metres long, mostly underwater, held in place by a floating collar. The seawater sealed within them is being mixed with different levels of carbon dioxide to see what will happen to the ecology of the Arctic waters. July 1, The Economist
Conservation can be a weapon against poverty
The Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve in Mexico shows how local people can be paid for protecting their environment, says Daniela Pastrana. July 5, Guardian.co.uk
No fracking way: Ban hydraulic fracturing in Canada
Oil and gas companies are injecting millions of litres of freshwater laced with thousands of kilograms of toxic chemicals and sand beneath the ground. Their goal is to extract natural gas embedded in a type of rock known as shale. This is currently happening in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick, and there are plans to establish the practice in Quebec and Nova Scotia. July 6, Rabble News
Arid Australia cities gear up to take 30 percent of their water from sea
In Australia, the world's driest inhabited continent, early British explorers searching for a source of drinking water scoured the bone-dry interior for a fabled inland sea. One overeager believer even carted a whaleboat hundreds of miles from the coast but found mostly desert inside. Today, Australians are turning in the opposite direction: the sea. July 11, The Denver Post
Alaska City Set to Ship Water to India, U.S. Company Announces
S2C Global Systems, a water supply management company, announced last week that within six to eight months it will ship water from Sitka, Alaska to a hub in India. The water will then be distributed via tanker to markets in south and west Asia and the Middle East. July 11, Circle of Blue
Feeling the heat: Unlocking the Arctic's frozen secrets
Forecasts suggest that this year will see the amount of sea ice in the Arctic retreat to one of the lowest extents since satellite records began. So what will be the impact of an Arctic devoid of sea-ice during the summer in the future? Science writer Richard Hollingham has joined a scientific expedition trying to find out. July 12, BBC
Crude spills mar Venezuela oil hub Lake Maracaibo
Fishermen from San Luis on Venezuela's oil-producing Lake Maracaibo dive from their boats and minutes later return to the beach, arms loaded with piles of sticky garbage coated black with crude oil. July 12, Reuters
CIRES researchers use ocean noises to determine temperatures
Crashing waves and moving ships can represent the soothing rhythm of the ocean for many people. But for Oleg Godin, a researcher at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, they represent the key to unlocking some of the ocean's secrets. July 12, The Daily Camera
Greenland glacier breaks up overnight
Scientists are keeping a close watch on Greenland's ice sheet to monitor global warming impacts in one of the most temperature-sensitive places on Earth. July 13, Summit County Citizens Voice
Water: an investment to tap in to
Water, as anyone living in the north-west of England will be all too aware, is a scarce commodity. The area is enduring the first hosepipe ban in 14 years as a wet autumn was followed by an exceptionally dry spring and summer. July 13, Guardian UK
High DDT concentrations found in Mount Revelstoke alpine lakes fish
Parks Canada is notifying those who fish in the alpine lakes in Mount Revelstoke national park that high levels of DDT in the fish mean they will have to release any they catch. DDT levels recorded in fish tested have been up to 16 times higher that Health Canada consumption safety guidelines. July 15, Revelstroke Times Review
Minister to meet gas companies over carcinogenic water
Queensland Energy Minister Stephen Robertson says he will meet the three companies trialling underground coal gasification in the state's southern region over the next couple of days. July 19, ABC News
Algae Pollution a Worldwide Problem Affecting Marine Life
"That green algae floating in the water, it's dead right?" David Ochs asked. David is an officer of the National Association of Diving Instructors (NAUI) and a veteran diver. He saw the green algae floating in mid-water off Delray Beach, Florida, during a dive with his students. July 19, The Epoch Times
Baptism site faces closure due to pollution
Health Ministry calls to shut down Qasr al-Yahud site in Jordan River - where Jesus is believed to have been baptized - due to heavy water pollution, raw sewage. July 22, Israel Activism
Revealed: Shocking satellite images of lakes show extent of man's impact on world's water supply
These dramatic before-and-after satellite photos show the terrifying effect man is having on the world's resources. Taken over nearly 40 years, photographs show the drying up of several bodies of water around the world - receding as mankind's demand for water grows. July 3, The Daily Mail UK
Toxins found in whales bode ill for humans
Sperm whales feeding even in the most remote reaches of Earth's oceans have built up stunningly high levels of toxic and heavy metals, according to American scientists who say the findings spell danger not only for marine life but for the millions of humans who depend on seafood. July 25, US News
Freshwater wetlands 'vulnerable in hurricanes'
Hurricanes in 2005, including Katrina, destroyed 527 sq km of wetlands in the US Gulf state of Louisiana. Freshwater coastal wetlands are more vulnerable to erosion during hurricanes than habitats with higher levels of salinity, a study has suggested. July 27, BBC
UN declares access to clean water a human right
The UN has declared that access to clean water and sanitation is a fundamental human right.
About 1.5m children under five die each year from water and sanitation-related diseases. July 28, BBC
China floods wash explosive chemicals into river
Flooding in northeastern China has washed more than 1,000 barrels containing explosive chemicals into a major river, state media said on Wednesday, as the death toll from flooding nationally this year neared 1,000. The incident happened along the flood-swollen Songhua River in Jilin city in Jilin province in the late morning, the official Xinhua news agency said. July 29, Reuters
Phytoplankton worldwide have been shrinking for 100 years, study shows
The world's phytoplankton appear to have been disappearing at a rate of about 1% a year for the last century, researchers announced Wednesday, a disturbing long-term trend for the microscopic algae that form the basis of the marine food chain and produce much of the world's oxygen. July 29, The Los Angeles Times
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Many thanks to Loretta Lohman at npscolorado.com for compiling many of the news articles in this report.
NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for research and educational purposes.
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