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Weekly water roundup: H.R. 2540, Uranium mining, Flaming Gorge pipeline, Rainwater catchments
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Image: Coyote Gulch Archives
Short takes on the week in Colorado water:
U.S. Representative Doug Lamborn seeks to revive Bush administration oil shale rules.
There is a lack of data and information flowing from the several oil shale pilot projects up in the Green River Basin. Add to that the unknown amount of water that the technology will use along with the not knowing if in-situ mining will prove economic enough to replace open pit mining and retorts for production. Leave it to Representative Lamborn to introduce a bill this week designed to push leasing and cap royalties at 5% without any clear idea how much dough the project(s) will generate or knowledge of environmental impacts.
Meanwhile Anadarko is kicking off a pilot project in southeast Wyoming.
NRC to step up reviews of in-situ mining for uranium
In other energy policy news the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced that they will be taking a harder look at uranium in-situ mining. Opponents claim that the effected aquifers never recover from mining while proponents tout the benefits of mining with a minimum of surface disturbance and the fact that the uranium is already present in the aquifer -- not introduced by the process.
Pre-1922 water rights bank as buffer against a possible Colorado River call
The Colorado River District and others are stepping up efforts to create a water bank on the west slope to serve as a buffer against a potential call on the river by the lower basin states. The Colorado River Compact was signed in 1922 so banked water with a priority before 1922 will not be subject to a call under the compact. Ranchers and farmers know whose ox will be gored during a call if the numerous water projects to tap Colorado's remaining water come to fruition or water is being diverted for oil shale production. They're hoping to stay in business if possible.
Flaming Gorge pipeline
The Wyoming Water Development Director felt the need to correct the record regarding the source of the water for the proposed Flaming Gorge pipeline. Some Wyoming residents did not understand that the water to be moved by the pipeline would come from Colorado's remaining water under the Colorado River Compact.
Residents of Wyoming share the concern's of Eric Kuhn from the Colorado River District. Kuhn is worried that about the amount of water left to develop when existing appropriations are met and instream and other non-consumptive uses are tallied.
Snowpack melts quickly
Colorado's snowpack is going fast, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service. From their release:
The statewide snowpack dipped to only 32 percent of average on June 1, after recording 90 percent of average on May 1. The state’s maximum snowpack was reached on April 19th, and was 109 percent of the average maximum snowpack.
H.B. 09-1129
Governor Ritter signed the bill authorizing 10 pilot projects for rainwater catchments. The goal of the projects is to establish that rainwater catchments can be allowed in certain conditions if they do not harm senior rights holders.
Cataract Canyon
Flows last week in Cataract Canyon -- just above Lake Powell -- were at 52,000 cubic feet per second.
Southern Delivery System
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers added two more weeks to the comment period for Colorado Springs Utilities' proposed Southern Delivery System. Conservation groups requested the extra time so that they could evaluate environmental effects more carefully.
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