Colorado: Peru Creek cleanup to hit high gear

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Agencies ready to tackle acid mine drainage at abandoned Pennsylvania Mine

USGS and EPA scientists take earth and water samples below the abandoned Pennsylvania Mine in Summit County, Colorado.

USGS and EPA scientists take earth and water samples below the abandoned Pennsylvania Mine in Summit County, Colorado. Bob Berwyn photo.

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Tainted water at the abandoned Pennsylvania Mine.

By Bob Berwyn

*Extensive Summit Voice coverage of the Pennsylvania Mine is online here.

SUMMIT COUNTY — Nearly a century after miners finished digging millions of dollars worth of silver, lead and zinc out of the Pennsylvania Mine, heavy machinery will once again rumble through the high alpine Peru Creek Valley.

But instead of burrowing deep into the ground to find precious metals, the workers this time will be trying to clean up the big mess left behind when the mine was abandoned. For decades, water coursing through the mine shafts has been dissolving minerals, resulting in acid mine drainage that pollutes Peru Creek and the Snake River. Concentrations of some metals, especially zinc, are high enough to kill trout.

After years of studying the mine, experts with federal and state agencies now say they are ready to try and tackle the pollution. They will provide details on the cleanup plan at the May 29 meeting of the Snake River Watershed Task Force. The public meeting is scheduled from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Keystone Center, 1628 St. John Road, Keystone. (more…)

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Colorado: Sequestration threatens more stream gages

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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A gage along Straight Creek, near Dillon, Colorado.

More cuts possible for critical stream monitoring efforts

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — It’s hard enough to make water management decisions if you have all the information at your fingertips, but the job is about to get even more difficult for resource managers.

The U.S.Geological Survey recently announce it will discontinue operation of up to 375 streamgages nationwide due to budget cuts as a result of sequestration. Additional streamgages may be affected if partners reduce their funding to support USGS streamgages.

Currently, the USGS is looking at shutting down three gages in Colorado: on Halfmoon Creek, near Malta, on the Arkansas River below John Martin Reservoir and along the Gunnison River, near Grand Junction. (more…)

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Colorado: Dillon Reservoir may come close to filling this year

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Wet spring brightens water picture

Will Dillon Reservoir fill this summer? Bob Berwyn photo.

Will Dillon Reservoir refill this summer? Bob Berwyn photo.

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — With the Roberts Tunnel turned off and Summit County’s streams starting to surge with runoff, the water level in Dillon Reservoir has already come up about two feet since May 1, according to Denver Water’s Bob Peters, who recently issued the latest update for Denver Water’s storage and diversion system.

The Roberts Tunnel is used to shunt water from the Upper Blue Basin beneath the Continental Divide and into the South Platte Basin, where it can be stored in other reservoirs until its needed for municipal use in Denver Water’s service area.

With average precipitation the next few weeks, Denver Water anticipates that Dillon Reservoir will peak at an elevation of about 9,010 feet sometime in July. That’s about seven feet below a complete fill, equal to about 235,000 acre feet. If wet weather continues through May, the reservoir could fill completely in July, rising to 9,017 feet, equal to about 257,000 acre feet. (more…)

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Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper seeks statewide water plan

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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Water pours down the Blue River in the high runoff of July 2011. Bob Berwyn photo.

Governor says state must figure out a way to address impending shortages

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — Colorado water experts will try to figure out how to manage the state’s most precious resource in an era when all signs points to increasing shortages and the potential for growing conflicts within the state and the region over its allocation.

Under an executive order issued this week by Gov. John Hickenlooper, the Colorado Water Conservation Board will lead the effort to address the growing gap between supply and demand. Especially worrisome is the gap in the South Platte Basin, the state’s most populous and at the same time, the most productive agricultural basin.

Hickenlooper acknowledged that the recurring drought could hasten the impacts of the gap between supply and demand, noting that the past two decades have been Colorado’s warmest on record, dating back to the 1890s. Read the order here. (more…)

Filed under: Environment, economy, rivers, Colorado, water, Drought, politics | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Colorado River Basin snowpack surges surges in April

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Near-normal runoff expected in some headwaters streams

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The Colorado River Basin snowpack zoomed upward in April.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Spring storms that repeatedly targeted the north-central mountains of Colorado in April help bring the snowpack to near normal in a few river basins. The May 1 snow survey showed the statewide snowpack climbing up to 83 percent of average for the date, the highest level of the year.

“Those wet storms really improved our water supplies, especially along the Front Range and Upper Colorado River basin”, said Phyllis Ann Phillips, state conservationist with the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service. Some headwaters of the Colorado and South Platte  River basins may see runoff near to slightly above average, the NRCS said in the monthly snowpack update. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Drought, Environment, flooding, rivers, Summit County snow and weather, water | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Water: Upper Colorado gets some instream flow rights

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

State-held instream flows to help protect trout

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A BLM map identifies sections of the Coloado River with wild and scenic values.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Battered by drought and drained to a trickle by diversions, the Upper Colorado River got a bit of a boost as a state water court finalized a decree for three important instream flow rights that could help protect trout populations during low-flows.

The instream flows, meant to protect the environment to a reasonable degree, are very new compared to most established water rights, and they wouldn’t prevent any existing diversions. But the new instream flow rights will have to be satisfied before water rights filed in later years can take water. (more…)

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Colorado: No doubt, still a drought

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Annual State of the River meetings will update residents on water planning

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Receding waters of Dillon Reservoir leave big swaths of shoreline exposed.

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — While spring snowfall has brought some relief to small parts of Colorado, the majority of the state is still gripped by one of the worst droughts on record. The southeastern plains and the southwest mountains in particular have experienced a string of dry years, leaving soil moisture well below normal.

Statewide reservoir storage is also near historic low levels, and even with decent spring runoff in a few river basins, water managers will be scrambling to try and refill key s like Dillon and Green Mountain reservoirs. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Drought, Environment, rivers, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news, water | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Canadian bank funds Colorado River restoration project

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

$10,000 donation will help restore native vegetation

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McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area. Photo courtesy BLM.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — A $10,000 donation from the Royal Bank of Canada will help fund a week-long restoration project along the Colorado River near Grand Junction, in the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area.

The Western Colorado Conservation Corps will partner with the Bureau of Land Management to remove invasive tamarisk and Russian olive trees from the banks of the Colorado River. The introduced trees suck up water needed by native flora and fauna.

The funding is the result of a partnership between the Royal Bank of Canada and the Conservation Lands Foundation. The bank is is one of Canada’s largest corporate donors. (more…)

Filed under: BLM, Colorado, Environment, public lands, rivers | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Colorado: Denver Water says drought continues, but backs away from plan to drain Antero Reservoir

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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Antero Reservoir, in Park County, won’t be drained.

April snowpack boost is good news for anglers

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — With a rebounding snowpack, Denver Water officials said this week they won’t drain Antero Reservoir, in Park County, as previously planned.

“Managing water supplies through a drought is an ever-changing process,” said Dave Bennett, water resource manager for Denver Water. “While we are still in drought and need our customers to save water, the recent snow has helped our supply situation. Keeping Antero open will be a benefit to Park County and those who love to fish there. If we drained the reservoir, it would take about three years to refill.” (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Drought, Environment, rivers, water | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Environment: Federal court clears way for new EPA regulations on water pollution from fossil fuel power plants

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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New EPA rules will reduce toxic water pollution from fossil fuel power plants. Photo via Wikipedia under a GNU Free Documentation License.

Cutting discharges of selenium, lead and arsenic will protect the environment

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — A federal appeals court this week cleared the way for the EPA to issue new regulations aimed at stemming mercury, arsenic, lead, and selenium water pollution from power plant discharges.

Steam electric power plants alone contribute more than half of the toxic pollutants discharged to water bodies by all industrial categories currently regulated in the Unites States. The proposed rule sets the first federal limits on levels of toxic metals in wastewater that can be discharged from power plants. (more…)

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