Water and Milk: Drought drives costs up

In Colorado, the price of milk has gone up slightly, giving dairy farmers a little room to breathe after drought conditions have driven the price of animal feed up. The price of corn has gone up by 50% this summer, and alfalfa and soybeans have followed similarly. However, the price of milk does not often see sharp increases, which means in tight years like this year and 2009, means dairy farmers get squeezed.

In response to the high feed prices and anticipated low profits for the year, many dairy farmers will likely slaughter a portion of their livestock. Culling herds is a difficult choice, but often inevitable.

Consumers may be dismayed to see the price of milk at the grocery store rise, but it will grant a little relief to the dairy producers.

Source: CBS Denver

Does water conservation kill trees?

In Colorado, drought conditions have put the pressure on managers, residents, and utilities to conserve as much water as possible. As the population continues to grow, water demand goes up, so residential, industrial, and agricultural activities are pressured to use less and less water.

Photo Credit: Jason Edwards @ National Geographic

However, the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District General Manager reminded legislators and business leaders in Fort Collins this week that cutting off water for residential lawns could "jeopardize" a community's tree canopy. Parched trees is a growing concern for drought-prone communities instituting new water conservation measures. Tree kills can result from less water percolating down from lawns and gardens. Under-watered trees shed their leaves early, stop growth, and are more susceptible to disease.

This situation is indicative of the trade-offs communities have to make when allocating water resources. Where should the water go? Fracking or shade trees? Car-washes or swimming pools? Do shade trees belong in areas that are naturally arid?

Many community leaders and policymakers are mulling other water management strategies, like recycling municipal water for certain uses, and augmenting supply by building new reservoirs.

Source: The Coloradoan

California passes water conservation bill

A bill just passed in California that would focus on water conservation measures for businesses, especially car washes. The law will require at least 60% of water used at car washes to be recycled water. Technology that recycles water on-site is easy to install, and already used at many California car washes. The technology may actually lower the water bill for these businesses.

Credit: Pat's Express Carwash

This sensible bill means that less treated, drinkable water will be used to spray the dirt and bugs off of cars, instead using recycled water that has been filtered to remove detergents and dirt.

Assemblyman Mike Gatto is the author of the bill.






Source: eNewsChannels

Colorado Hydropower and Jobs Bill moves through Senate Committee

A bill that would simplify the process for new small-scale hydropower projects has moved to the Senate, passing the Senate Energy and Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power hearing. The congressional bill (H.R. 2842) sponsored by Colorado Congressman Scott Tipton, passed in March.

Hydropower is heralded by supporters as a reliable, cheap source of renewable, non-carbon emitting source of energy. The bill would allow for new development at existing facilities to increase power generation and provide more jobs. Calling it "low-hanging fruit," Congressman Tipton believes that simplifying the regulatory process will spur smaller hydropower projects that could provide as much power as Glen Canyon Dam.

Although hydropower is emission-free, it does not come without serious ecosystem impacts, altering volume, temperature, and seasonal flow regimes.

Source: Power Engineering Magazine

Las Vegas businesses to share water infrastructure costs

Photo Credit: LA Times

Pat Mulroy, the general manager for the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), announced that a new funding formula for $2.5 for needed infrastructure upgrades and construction would rely more on connection fees from local businesses. Previously, businesses and non-profits were promised credits to alleviate pressure during the recession.

The Integrated Resources Planning Committee, a 21-person committee tasked with outlining policy and funding recommendations, will revisit the credits, and likely agree on reversing credits and relying on those connection fees to help finance the much-needed infrastructure costs. The SNWA is currently $3 billion in debt, mostly due to recent projects like the $800 million third intake at Lake Mead.

Many businesses are worried that the rate hike, perhaps up to three times their previous rate, will be enough to put them out of business.

The question of funding plagues nearly every community, especially when federal funding is sparse, infrastructure is aging or insufficient, and population and water demand continue to grow.

Source: Las Vegas Review Journal; Vegas Inc.

40,000 acres to be reserved for Rio Grande water conservation

Colorado and the USDA announced the enrollment of 40,000 acres of irrigated cropland in the Rio Grande basin into the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). The program will incentivize land owners to enroll their properties as wildlife habitat, grasslands, or wetlands, which will have a positive impact on groundwater replenishment and in-stream flows. Landowners will agree to reserve contracted lands as restoration areas and save a proportional amount of irrigation water for 14-15 years. They also have the option of participating in an irrigation water retirement program.

Source: Valley Courier http://www.alamosanews.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=26519

Drought Assessment shows drought worsening in Rockies

The U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook was published, which indicated that although drought conditions are improving in some areas of the country, it continues to worsen across the Great Plains and Northern Rockies. The outlook predicts that drought conditions in the Southwest will be improving due to the monsoon season, which has already brought some rain to the region.

The whole assessment can be accessed here: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/expert_assessment/seasonal_drought.html

Impacts from Colorado Wildfires to Water Quality

Colorado has seen more than its share of wildfires this year. The Colorado Springs fire burner dozens of homes and dislocated hundreds from their neighborhoods. But the fires also have had incredible negative impact on water quality, not just from the soot settling in water bodies. Fires leave areas prone to erosion. And with the recent storms, sediment laden runoff has been a huge problem. In Colorado Springs, one reservoir has been shut down as a result of being filled with sediment. Forest crews have been busy trying to restore the landscape but it will take years before the soil stabilizes.

Source: EPA blog:

EPA Policy Change to clarify definition of US Waters

The Clean Water Act protects the quality of waters of the U.S., traditionally defined as "Navigable" waters and waters that are "a significant nexus...to navigable waters." The ambiguity of these distinctions has been the focus of several state court cases, as well as one recent Supreme Court Case (Rapanos Vs. United States, 2006).

This year, the EPA proposed a revision to the Clean Water Act that would clarify the definition of "Waters of the United States" in order to allow the EPA to protect water quality standards on smaller waters that are hydraulically linked to navigable waters.

Interpretation of Rapanos V. United States has resulted in some waters being removed from CWA protection. This policy change would address that gap, and any waters linked through ground or surface water connections would fall under the CWA.

Some groups, including farmers and managers, are concerned that "other waters" would include highway ditches, culverts, or farm ponds, and that addressing water quality for those waterways would prove costly. However, the EPA has stated, "The guidance will not extend federal protection to any waters not historically protected under the Clean Water Act and will be fully consistent with the law, including decisions of the Supreme Court. The guidance will also maintain all of the existing exemptions for agricultural discharges and waters, and also identify specific types of water bodies to which it does not apply – areas like artificial lakes and ponds, and many types of drainage and irrigation ditches."

Sources: Watertown Daily Times, EPA

Debate over Fracking Flares

Hydraulic Fracturing (or fracking) has been the focus of considerable debate in the energy and environment world. Advocates of fracking point to the added jobs and economic benefits that new projects have on surrounding communities, as well as adding to the supply of natural gas, a cleaner alternative to coal. Public health experts are concerned about impacts to water and air quality and the implications for human health.

Fracking may have a significant impact on agriculture, especially in the West where water is comparatively scarce. In Colorado, the New York Times reported that farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to compete with oil and gas companies for water. Many officials argue, however, that oil and gas companies only lease surplus water from municipalities and so far haven't displaced agriculture significantly. However, the fracking industry is continuing to grow and it remains to be seen whether farms can continue to get the water they need.

Source: The Colorado Statesman, NRDC, New York Times

Stormwater swells in the Southwest

Intense rainstorms hammered the southwest last week, flooding neighborhoods and knocking out power. Most of the neighborhoods that were most vulnerable were trailer parks which lack sophisticated, centralized stormwater drainage systems. In some areas, standing water reached 12 inches, displacing people from their homes and causing structural damage.

John Locher / Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP

Simultaneously, storms near Las Vegas flooded neighborhoods, and roads flooded in the Navajo Nation in Arizona.

Source: NBC News





Storms like this test the infrastructure in place in cities in the Southwest that normally get two to three inches of rain per year. Many western cities do not have upgraded stormwater systems, and send stormwater into ditches and canals that trasport irrigation water. With the increase of urbanization in the West, more impermeable surfaces like driveways, roofs, and parking lots, send even more water during storm events.

Climate scientists predict that more severe weather events are likely to occur as a result of climate change. This puts even more pressure on municipal infrastructure already burdened by growing urban populations. Finding funding for upgrading and maintaining water infrastructure is a serious challenge.

SNWA pipeline may face delays due to springsnail species

Environmental groups are suing the federal government to list a number of springsnail species to the Endangered Species List. If successful, they could block the 280-mile pipeline currently under review that would transport water from underground aquifers in rural valleys in Nevada to Las Vegas.

The pipeline is the focus of a BLM Environmental Assessment currently open to public comment. (See previous post), and the project has been approved by the State Engineer despite considerable controversy.

A 2009 USFWS study named several snail species as needing further investigation to determine their status as endangered or threatened.

Source: San Francisco Gate

Utah Municipality Brainstorms Water Conservation Strategies

Bountiful City, Utah is facing a difficult truth: Residents there use 40 more gallons a day than the average American water user, despite the fact that Utah is a semi-arid state. Most of the water is spent on landscaping and lawns.

Councilmembers debated the utility of starting a secondary metering system that would help residents monitor their outdoor water use, since they believe most of the waste comes from residents forgetting to turn off their automatic sprinklers when it rains, for example.

Outdoor water use continues to pose a conservation quandary for policy makers and city utilities. Pricing schemes, conservation education programs, and monitoring are all on possible solutions for helping residents conserve more water.

Source: The Standard Examiner

An ongoing study at Utah State University has found that residents do not uniformly prefer one conservation approach. Some residents prefer price-based programs that would offer financial incentives for conserving water and burdens for over-users, while others prefer simply having more information about their water use (more comparison tables, indoor and outdoor meters). (Endter-Wada et al., Forthcoming). This may prompt more municipalities to offer a variety of conservation programs that can be subscribed to.

Robert Redford Documentary on the Colorado River

The Robert Redford family released a documentary entitled "Watershed" about the Colorado River earlier this year, and the documentary will be screened in several western cities over the next month.

The film strives to educate its audience as well as inspire possible solutions for the interstate, over-allocated river.

Watch the trailer here, or go to http://watershedmovie.com/trailer/



Upcoming screenings:

OCTOBER 2012

10/18/12 Carbondale, CO | Third Street Center | 7 pm

10/16/12 Glenwood Springs, CO | Glenwood Springs Community Center | 7 pm

10/11-25/12 Chicago, IL | Chicago International Film Festival

10/11-14/12 Bend, OR| BendFilm Festival

10/9/12 Berkeley, CA | UC Berkeley Campus, Wurster Hall Auditorium, Room 112 | 7 pm

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SEPTEMBER 2012

9/29/12 Sundance, UT | Sundance Resort | 4:00 pm

9/29/12 San Diego, CA | San Diego Film Festival | 2:30 pm | Gaslamp 15 Theatre

9/27/12 Tempe, AZ | Valley Art Theater | 7:00 pm

9/27/12 Denver, CO | Denver Film Center | 5:30 pm

9/22/12 Boerne, TX | 2012 Think Green Fair | 3:00 pm | Patrick Heath Public Library

9/19/12 Tucson, AZ | The Loft | 7:00 pm

9/19/12 DATE CHANGE Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa International Film Festival | 6:30 pm | 6th Street Playhouse

9/17/12 Nederland, CO | Nederland Community Library| 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm hourly

New Superfund Site Proposed in Salt Lake City

From East Bench Master Plan

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality have proposed that a PCE (tetrachloroethylene) plume site on the east bench of Salt Lake City be added to the National Priorities List of Superfund sites. The contaminant PCE has been found at extremely high levels in groundwater sites in the area, raising public health concerns.

According to the EPA, "The EPA and the UDEQ have identified this problem and the potential health threats it poses. However, we do not know how widespread the plume is and what the actual risks are. Placing the site on the NPL provides the financial and technical resources needed to better determine the extent of the contamination and address the risks where they exist."

Public comment on the remediation efforts are required, and residents and concerned citizens can find out more information here.

Source: EPA Newsroom 

Arizona State Trust Lands not covered under Reserved Water Rights Doctrine

Courts in Arizona ruled that the Reserved Water Rights doctrine, which states that federal and tribal lands reserve the right to use water necessary for the stipulated functions for those lands, does not apply to state trust lands in Arizona. Federal lands were granted to the state in Arizona in 1910 for government buildings, universities, prisons, and other uses. Arizona argued that since the U.S. congress granted those lands for specific purposes, they served a federal purpose and could therefore apply for federal reserved water rights, but the court disagreed.

About 6.5 million of Arizona's over 9 million acres of state trust land are in the Little Colorado and Gila River basins.

Source: Courthouse News Service

Drought affecting Colorado Corn Growers

The early and disappointing spring snowmelt, high temperatures, and drought conditions have taken their toll on corn farmers in Colorado and across the Midwest. Extreme drought conditions were officially declared on August 21, and a growing proportion of corn harvests are declared "poor."

The low supply is hurting the corn farmers, but also driving the price of corn up, making it difficult for ranchers who purchase corn for animal feed.

Legal requirements of the Colorado River Compact require Colorado water rights holders to let a certain amount of water leave the state for downstream states. This has put the pressure on upstream users in Colorado during this particularly difficult drought year.

Climate Change experts agree that more extreme weather, including drought and flooding, will increase in their severity over the coming decades. This will have great impact on the agricultural production sector of the U.S. economy.

Source: Brush News Tribune

Pipeline to transport groundwater to Las Vegas

Las Vegas may succeed in importing water from nearby valleys through a multi-billion dollar pipeline.

From UNLV Special Collections

In 1922, the U.S. Congress ratified the Colorado River Compact, which allocated the water in the Colorado River between Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Ninety years later, the provisions of this compact, which allocated proportionally more water to California and Arizona, have led to fears of water shortages to Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Instead of trying to challenge or re-write the Compact, Las Vegas has been engaged in finding other sources of water nearby in counties east of Las Vegas, and even in Southern Utah. Earlier this year, the Nevada State Engineer approved a proposal for a pipeline that would bring water from nearby Lincoln and White Pine Counties. In August, the BLM released a review of the project that stated the pipeline should be allowed to traverse the public land, but not cut into Snake Valley, Utah, where the project has met the hardest opposition. This week, the Colorado River Commission backed this plan.

Groups such as the Great Basin Water Network call the move a "water grab" and insist that Las Vegas focus on improving efficient use of current water sources rather than exploiting new sources. Others are concerned about the effects the de-watering of Lincoln and White Pine Counties will have on the region.

Source: Las Vegas Sun

Reserved Water Rights for Flathead Res under negotiation

In Montana, negotiations are stalling over Flathead Reservation water rights. The Montana Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission has been negotiating compacts with federal agencies and other tribes since 1979, but this particular reserved water rights situation is a bit more complicated, reports the Missoulian.

First, on the Flathead Indian Reservation, the Kootnai and Salish Native Americans tribes are a minority because of the 1904 Allotment Act that allowed settlement by homesteaders. Second, treaties with these tribes allowed them to continue to access and hunt their traditional lands, which includes riverways off of the reservation. It is not clear how these will be applied to the compact.

Any compact that is negotiated must be ratified by the Montana Legislature and the U.S. Congress, and time is running out. The negotiations are set to expire July 2013.

Rising metal levels in Colorado watershed

University of Colorado and the United States Geological Survey recently released a study that showed high levels of zinc and other heavy metals are occurring in the upper Snake River watershed. Old mining sites leach metals into the water, and the warmer temperatures have accelerated the process. Some areas in the upper Snake River watershed cannot support life because the metals have reached a toxic level. In the lower Snake River, trout populations have been found to be metal-limited. The phenomenon raises the issue of cascading effects from warming temperatures on water quality and ecosystem health.

Source: Summit Daily

Fracking proposed near Moab

Residents and activists in Moab are concerned about the potential for groundwater contamination as a result of hydraulic fracking. The BLM plans to auction several parcels near Moab for oil and gas exploration. Of concern are two parcels that lie close to the Glen Canyon Aquifer, the main source for Moab's drinking water.

The BLM is currently preparing an Environmental Assessment, a document required by the National Environmental Policy Act, which will be available later this month. Once it is released, there will be a 30-day public comment period. The main concern will be minimizing the impact fracking could have on the aquifer. Also of concern is the fact that potential negative impacts would be felt in Grand County, but the revenues from the lease funds and property taxes of oil and gas exploration would go to San Juan County.

Source: Salt Lake Tribune; San Francisco Chronicle

Bring Hetch-Hetchy Valley Back?

Norimitsu Onishi of the New York Times reported on an upcoming city-wide ballot measure in San Francisco to dismantle the Hetch-Hetchy Reservoir and restore the valley. Currently the reservoir, which is formed by the 364-foot O'Shaughnessy Dam, stores 360,000 acre-feet of San Francisico's drinking water supply.

Many city officials and opponents to the restoration question whether adequate water can be found elsewhere, and balk at the potential cost of decommission and ecological restoration ($1-$10 billion, depending on who you ask). Other considerations include impacts to hydropower generation and agriculture.

CA sued over Erin Brockovich chemical

Today the Huffington Post reported that a few environmental groups are suing the California Department of Public Health for failing to address concerns over the presence of chromium-6, the chemical made notorious by the real-life activist turned movie-subject Erin Brockovich.

The story illustrates the delayed nature of water pollutant standards and enforcement. First, the question of whether the pollutant was carcinogenic in water needed to be answered, and once it was determined to be dangerous, the EPA set a "public health goal" of 0.02 ppb in water, but this level is not an enforced federal standard. It was left to the state of California to develop a statewide standard as close to the recommendation as possible. Environmental groups are suing after tests in various sites in southern California revealed higher levels than the EPA goal.

Developing standards and criteria for water quality can often take many years. Once those standards and criteria are developed, public health and water quality divisions are still obligated to review and adapt them when new scientific information becomes available. Actually arriving at the next step of mitigating pollution levels and enforcing whatever technological or BMP solutions are needed is obviously also incredibly time consuming and often cost-intensive.

It could be years before the mitigation efforts are in place to bring down levels of chromium-6 to acceptable levels.

It remains to be seen whether the litigation approach will speed the process.

Water Rights in Southeastern Colorado

Dan Gordon at the Denver Post reported yesterday that farmers in southeastern Colorado are selling off their water rights to companies and investors. This is a trend that has been occurring in the West for a few decades. As urban populations grow, municipalities, investors, and corporations have been buying off water rights from neighboring farmers and ranchers. This means that productive farmland is converted either into dry crop land, left barren, or developed into commercial or residential uses.

This phenomenon raises concerns about suburban sprawl, food scarcity, and water speculation.

Broken Pipe (and dam) Dreams EDITORIAL

The Western expansion of the 19th century began with the Louisiana Purchase, which effectively doubled the size of the country. Thousands began settling further and further west, building towns and farms. The idea of land ownership for the individual was heralded as being the very definition of liberty.

As people settled into the more arid landscapes in the intermountain west, infrastructure projects became essential to the long-term survival of the new settlements. Dams captured water during its most abundant season - the spring runoff - and canals diverted that water to the farms and towns when and where it was needed.