RSS
Home
Weekly water roundup: Salazar calls for oil shale lease probe, 2009 a good water year
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Image: Coyote Gulch Archives
Short takes from the week in Colorado water:
Its been a good water year overall
The water year ends on Saturday. Most reservoirs are in good shape across the state but late season flows on some streams are very low. The Animas River (running below normal at Durango) and Clear Creek (running below normal above Georgetown) are two examples.
Down in the Rio Grande Basin they'll be sending extra water to New Mexico for the second year in a row. This year it looks like the bump in Colorado's account will be around 9,700 acre-feet.
An early runoff along with a cool and rainy early summer really helped this year. Storage for most municipalities and irrigators is in good shape going into winter.
World Water Monitoring Day
Tuesday was World Water Monitoring Day. Here's the link to the website.
Jackson Gulch Rehabilitation Project scores $1.75 million appropriation
Folks in Montezuma County should be able to get a lot done on their ditch lining and general facility rehab now that the U.S. Senate has approved an $1.75 million appropriation for this year's budget. The project provides drinking water for Mancos and Mesa Verde National Park along with irrigation storage in the Mancos Valley.
Rep. Sal Pace proposes 2010 transbasin transfers legislation
The bill is designed to protect the basin of origin from harm when water is moved across water districts. Water courts would be allowed to consider mitigation requirements in change of use decrees.
Twin Lakes Dam trail re-opens
The trail was closed for security reasons after 9/11.
20th Annual South Platte Forum
The forum -- held in Longmont on Tuesday and Wednesday -- featured speakers from across the water and education community.
Secretary Vilsack announces $11 million for water projects
It won't go very far but rural communities are hopeful that it's a signal from the administration of more to come. They are facing increasingly tough standards from the EPA while infrastructure is aging and in need of rehabilitation.
Secretary Salazar calls for review of Bush administration oil shale rules
On Tuesday Salazar announced that he had requested the probe into lease rules that are too favorable to industry. The Houston Chronicle reported that the Secretary had, "serious concerns."
Jeremy Boak, head of the Center for Oil Shale Technology and Research at the Colorado School of Mines, told the AP that the opposition has politicized the debate.
Colorado School of Mines 29th oil shale symposium
Folks were huddled up last week starting on Monday to discuss the future of oil shale development, the consequences of oil shale development and the lack of reliable economic recovery technology for oil shale production. The event was hosted by the School of Mines.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
