Colorado tackles nitrogen, phosphorus pollution in water

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

A proposed new Colorado rule setting limits on nitrogen and phosphorus will help protect water quality.

Proposed rule still subject to hearings and final EPA approval

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — Twenty years after the Clean Water Act was amended to address organic pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorus, Colorado is moving to limit the discharge of those nutrients, which lead to vexing water quality issues in lakes and streams.

“Phosphorus and nitrogen are incredibly prevalent. They’re in animal waste, human waste, fertilizer, and we’ve ignored it for 20 years,” said Becky Long, water caucus coordinator for the Colorado Environmental Coalition.

If left unaddressed the pollution causes algae blooms and dead zones in waterways, impacting aquatic wildlife and Colorado’s outdoor recreation opportunities.

Long said she’s encouraged by the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission’s early support for the new standards limiting nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. The rule is still subject to challenge at subsequent hearings, as well EPA review and final approval.

Long said the standards go beyond simply protecting aquatic life and human health by addressing potential impacts to recreation. More details at the EPA’s nutrient pollution web page. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Environment, Summit County news, water | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Summit Voice: Most-viewed and week in review

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Warning signs for the Blue River's gold medal trout fishery.

Climate, weather and trout …

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY —Holiday periods like the week between Christmas and New Years are often considered to be slow news periods, when government offices are relatively quiet and, well, there’s not really that much going on. As a result, it can also be a slow time, to say the least, for news-oriented websites, unless you’re peddling stories about the latest celebrity peccadilloes. But in an encouraging sign that good content can trump trends, a couple climate-related stories at Summit Voice picked more than 1,000 page views each, while another piece on the restoration of wolves to the Greater Yellowstone ecoystem also was widely read. Click on the headlines to read the top stories, and don’t forget to use the buttons at the end to share them via your own social media network.

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Environment, global warming, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Nitrogen pollution building in remote wilderness lakes

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Even remote wilderness lakes are being affected by increasing nitrogen depositions.

Global nitrogen cycle showing effects of human activities

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Even some of the most remote mountain lakes in the northern hemisphere have been affected by the long reach of human pollution, according to researchers who found traces of nitrogen compounds in more than 75 percent of the lakes they surveyed in Europe and the Rocky Mountains of North America.

“When it comes to nitrogen associated with humans, most studies have focused on local and regional effects of pollution and have missed the planetary scale changes,” said Gordon Holtgrieve, a postdoctoral researcher at University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. “Our study is the first large-scale synthesis to demonstrate that biologically-active nitrogen associated with human society is being transported in the atmosphere to the most remote ecosystems on the planet.” (more…)

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Colorado: Tipton says pesticides in your drinking water are acceptable, as House GOP aims to weaken Clean Water Act

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

This map shows areas where levels of pesticide-related compounds are reaching thresholds that are dangerous to fish. Interestingly, most of the witnesses who testified against EPA pesticide regulations are from these same areas.

House Republicans attack EPA’s ability to protect water from poisonous chemicals

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — The environmental wars continue in Congress, as House Republicans continued to press their extremist agenda by attacking the EPA’s ability to regulate pesticides in the country’s lakes, rivers and streams.

On this go-round, the House Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade invited a panel full of industry representatives with a direct financial interest in the weakest regulations possible to testify during a hearing on the EPA regs. You can see the witness list and read the testimony at the subcommittee’s website.

One of the ringleaders is Colorado Rep. Scott Tipton, who just a couple of days previously showed his fundamental lack of knowledge on water issues by accusing the Forest Service of “takings” with regard to water that’s actually owned by the people of the United States. (more…)

Filed under: agriculture, business, Colorado, economy, Environment, rivers, Summit County news, water | Tagged: , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Colorado: New report IDs rivers tainted by acid rock drainage

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

High mountain streams not always as pristine as they appear

Rocks around the abandoned Pennsylvania Mine show the characteristic red discoloration associated with acid mine drainage.

Peru Creek above the abandoned Pennsylvania Mine.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — The Snake River, flowing from headwaters in the mountains high above Keystone, is one of several streams in Colorado that’s been identified as being affected by naturally occurring acid rock drainage.

The new report from the Colorado Geological Survey looks at streams in eleven different headwater areas of Colorado where surface water is acidic and has high concentrations of metals upstream of any significant human impacts.

Frequently, acid rock drainage from natural sources and mine sites combine to cause severe downstream water quality problems. In these situations it is important to distinguish the natural, or background, water quality so that realistic clean- up goals for water quality can be set.

Peru Creek and the Snake River are a perfect example of this combination. The abandoned Pennsylvania Mine is thought to contribute a significant amount of acid mine drainage to water that is already tainted. As a result, the water downstream is toxic to trout and other aquatic organisms. Various agencies and groups have been wrestling with cleanup scenarios for decades. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Environment, rivers, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news, water | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Colorado: Fraser River gets a boost

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

New settling pond will help improve water quality in Grand County stream

Construction of a new settling pond along the Fraser River will help protect water quality. PHOTO COURTESY DENVER WATER.

Removing highway traction sand from the Fraser River will help protect water quality and the fishery in the river.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — With its flows reduced by upstream tributary diversions, and its river-bottom cobbles choked by highway traction sand, the Fraser River has long been a symbol of the imbalance between resource protection and other uses of water in Colorado.

But the Grand County stream will soon get partial relief, as various agencies from both sides of the Continental Divide teamed up to construct a settling pond near the entrance to the Mary Jane ski area in a project tha symbolizes an emerging spirit of tran-smountain cooperation.

Better maintenance and capture of highway sand can help reduce impacts to tiny aquatic organisms that form the base of the food chain in the river, helping to sustain healthy fisheries. The larvae of the aquatic insects need a coarse bed of rocks at the bottom of the stream to thrive. When the sand fills in all the gaps between the rocks, the bugs have nowhere to go.

The settling pond will also protect municipal and resort water infrastructure and equipment.

(more…)

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Environment: Pesticide pollution common in European rivers

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

The Elbe River.

Ibuprofen and chemicals from personal care products found in surprising concentrations as part of EU water quality research

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — After a major in-depth analysis of organic pollutants in four major European river basins, scientists concluded that pesticides are an even bigger problem than previously assumed. At least 38 percent of the substances studied are present in concentrations high enough to affect aquatic organisms.

Most of the substances classified as a risk to the environment in the study were pesticides and the majority of these are not on the European list of priority substances which have to be monitored regularly. As a result, the scientists said there is an urgent need to update the EU water framework directive. The study, published last week in the  journal Science of the Total Environment, clearly shows that contamination by organic chemicals is a problem throughout Europe. (more…)

Filed under: Environment, rivers, Summit County news, water | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Environment: Rising nitrate levels reported in the Yellow Sea

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Researchers have documented increased concentrations of nitrates in the Yellow Sea.

Increased concentrations of pollution could influence marine ecology of the region

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — For the first time, researchers have documented increased concentrations of nitrates — mainly from atmospheric pollution — in open ocean waters off the coast of Korea and Japan.

The observed changes in the ratio of nitrate to phosphorus may influence the makeup of marine plants and influence marine ecology, according to researchers from Korea and the U. S.

“Normally in a marine environment nitrate is the limiting factor, but increased nitrate in the ocean can spur growth and create a situation where phosphorus becomes the nutrient in short supply,” said Raymond G. Najjar, professor of oceanography, Penn State. “This change in nutrients could favor organisms that are better suited for high nitrate and low phosphorus.” (more…)

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Environment: Nasty stuff in Narragansett Bay

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Narragansett Bay.

University of Rhode Island researchers find emerging contaminants at 27 sampling sites

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Water quality researchers say they’ve found traces of chemical antibacterial compounds, detergents and flame retardants throughout the Narragansett Bay watershed, at all 27 locations where they sampled the water.

The hazardous chemicals are common in industrial processes and personal care products but are not typically monitored by the EPA. They are part of a class of so-called emerging contaminants derived from personal health products, cosmetics and other sources that are of growing concern to environmental experts.

“Being exposed to these compounds is the hidden cost of our lifestyle,” said Rainer Lohmann, an associate professor of chemical oceanography at the University of Rhode Island who did the research along with graduate student Victoria Sacks. “It’s frustrating that as we ban the use of some chemical compounds, industry is adding new ones that we don’t know are any better,” Lohman said. (more…)

Filed under: Environment, Summit County news, water | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Forest study shows value of protecting streams

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Forest buffers around streams during logging projects can help keep the water cool

A long-term study in Oregon shows the value of protecting streams with forest buffers during logging projects.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — A long-term study conducted across 33 sites in Oregon shows how important it is to protect stream corridors with tree buffers during logging projects.

Stream temperatures are a particular concern for cold-water fish such as trout and salmon. State regulations in Oregon mandate that forest management activities should not increase temperatures by more than 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

The study found that forest treatments on private lands resulted in temperature increases of 1.3 degrees, while there was no difference in temperatures on state forest lands. The researchers made no conclusions as to whether temperature increase on private forest lands is a concern for fish health. It was only designed to examine regulatory stream temperature compliance. (more…)

Filed under: agriculture, Environment, Forest health, forests | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

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