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Water News and Opinion
SNWA's promise to pay taxes doesn't sway Nevada county officials.
The Southern Nevada Water Authority, which is exempt from property taxes, agreed to pay White Pine County such taxes on seven ranches the water authority has purchased since 2006 to tap into groundwater in the Spring Valley, but county officials said the negotiated agreement on taxes doesn't change their opposition to the plan to pump groundwater from their county south to Las Vegas.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; August 27, 2008
Alaska voters shoot down water-quality initiative.
With more than 84 percent of the votes counted early Wednesday, a ballot initiative designed to impose increased water-quality standards on new mining operations in Alaska appeared headed for defeat, with 57 percent of the votes rejecting the initiative.
Seattle Times; August 27, 2008
Steelhead numbers rebound in Oregon river.
After seven years of sub-par half-pounder runs of steelhead in Oregon's lower Rogue River, the river is teeming with the fish these days.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer; August 26, 2008
Poll finds Nevadans, Utahns most open to water restrictions.
A survey jointly commissioned by the Review-Journal, the Denver Post and the Salt Lake Tribune of 400 likely voters each in Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming found that Arizonans were most confident in their belief that climate change is a "scientifically established reality," while Wyoming residents were most skeptical about climate change, and that half the Nevadans polled would support water restrictions in light of dwindling supplies caused by climate change.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; August 26, 2008
Report: Climate shift under way in increasingly drier Southwest U.S..
University of Arizona researcher Stephanie McAfee's research on rainfall data in the Southwest United States found that the jet stream, which brings winter storms to that area of the U.S., have shifted north, taking much-needed rainfall with it. You may have to view an ad to read this article.
Albuquerque Journal; August 24, 2008
Montana Superfund work results in mixed results for river.
The latest data on the dam and mining sediment removal near Milltown indicate that while the work is revitalizing one stretch of the Clark Fork River in Montana, it is also spreading mining contamination down river at levels much higher than anticipated.
Missoulian; August 24, 2008
NRC sets public meetings on in-situ uranium mining in Wyoming.
Violations at the nation's largest in-situ uranium mine in Wyoming raised new questions about the safety of the mining process and the scrutiny of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which is working on a generic environmental impact statement that will serve as a baseline document for 14 more in-situ uranium mines in Wyoming, New Mexico and other states.
Casper Star-Tribune; August 24, 2008
Rising waters in Arizona reservoir buoys spirits, boosts business.
Drought over the past decade dropped water levels in Lake Powell to some of the lowest levels in the reservoir's history, but abundant snow in the West's mountains this year, coupled with more rain, have filled the nation's second-largest artificial reservoir to nearly two-thirds full, encouraging boaters to flock back to the reservoir that lies on the Arizona-Utah border.
New York Times; August 23, 2008
Idaho tribe withdraws from salmon negotiations.
Nez Perce tribal officials said they would no longer participate in negotiations with the United States government over its plan to keep hydroelectric dams in operation during ongoing efforts to restore imperiled salmon and steelhead populations, but that the tribe would remain involved in litigation challenging the government's plan.
Twin Falls Times-News; August 22, 2008
Oregon, tribes push for higher water standards.
Oregon's current water quality standard considers residents eat just more than a half an ounce of fish each day, but tribal officials, along with state and federal authorities, want to raise that standard to a more realistic 6.2 ounces, a decision that would make Oregon's waters much cleaner; Washington's standard is about twice Oregon's current standard but state officials there said they'll review that standard when Oregon is done.
Portland Oregonian; August 22, 2008
McCain's Colorado River remark astonishes Wyoming governor.
U.S. Sen. John McCain's remark last week that he believed the seven Western states that are parties in the 1922 Colorado River Compact should renegotiate the agreement prompted an immediate response from Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal who said he preferred a presidential candidate with no knowledge of the compact rather than one who was leaning toward reworking the accord for the benefit of the lower basin states.
Casper Star-Tribune; August 21, 2008
Utah governor says he's open to reworking 1922 Colorado River pact.
Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. said he's open to Arizona Sen. John McCain's suggestion that the 1922 Colorado River Water Compact be reviewed, and for that reason Huntsman, who serves as the chairman of the Western Governors' Association, put water on the association's agenda this year.
Salt Lake Tribune; August 21, 2008
Battle over uranium mining moves to Grand Canyon's edge.
Uranium mines from the 1950s still leach radioactive material into the Grand Canyon where the hot water is diluted down by the Colorado River, but with many more such mines now being contemplated, Arizona's governor, along with scientists and water authorities from two states are concerned about the cumulative effect such mines might have on the river, which provides drinking water to millions of residents of the southwest United States.
Christian Science Monitor; August 20, 2008
Idaho DEQ releases new data on nitrate levels in groundwater.
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality released new data on nitrate levels in groundwater, and while levels in the Cassia and Minidoka county areas haven't changed much from the 2002 levels, their standing in the state rankings dropped from third highest to eighth, and from ninth to 13th, respectively.
Twin Falls Times-News; August 20, 2008
Groups sue USFWS to put pika on endangered species list.
A lawsuit filed in federal court in California alleges the pika, a tiny rabbitlike animal that lives high above the treeline on some of the West's highest mountain peaks, is threatened by climate change, and that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should stop dragging its feet and put the pika on the federal endangered species list.
Santa Fe New Mexican; August 20, 2008
Utah pushes conservation to meet new demand for water.
Nevada is second only to Nevada in per-person water use, and Utah water officials are pushing residents to conserve the precious resource, especially in the Salt Lake Valley, where 1 million Utahns have about 11 years before demand outpaces supply.
Salt Lake Tribune; August 19, 2008
High mercury levels in Idaho fish prompt health warning.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare said high levels of mercury found in both smallmouth and largemouth bass in Idaho lakes, rivers and reservoirs made consumption of the fish by women and children a health concern.
Twin Falls Times-News; August 19, 2008
McCain's remark on Colorado River Compact prompts reaction.
Both candidates in the U.S. Senate race in Colorado quickly criticized Republican presidential candidate Arizona Sen. John McCain's statement that he believed the 1922 Colorado River Compact needed to be reworked, with Republican Bob Schaffer voicing fierce opposition and Democrat Mark Udall saying McCain was completely wrong about the need for the accord to be revised.
Durango Herald; August 18, 2008
Utah company says it has low-water solution to oil-shale work.
Using $250 million in funding from GE Energy Financial Services, Utah-based 212 Resources says it has developed a way to pull oil out of the Green River shale formation that stretches from Wyoming through Colorado into Utah that doesn't use a lot of water, although a large-scale test of the method has yet to be done.
Deseret News; August 17, 2008
Wyoming begins probe of why methane wells producing just water.
The state engineer's office has begun investigating why 1,000 coalbed methane wells in Wyoming's Powder River Basin have produced just water over the past five years and whether the water produced is meeting the state's standard for "beneficial use."
Casper Star-Tribune; August 16, 2008
Group effort restores Bonneville cutthroat in 4 Western states.
Bonneville cutthroat used to swim the waters in a large part of Utah and smaller portions of Idaho, Wyoming and Nevada, and after years of effort by federal and state agencies, along with nonprofit conservation groups like Trout Unlimited, genetically pure strains of the fish are returning to their historic waters.
Salt Lake Tribune; August 14, 2008
Oregon farmers' irrigation screen saves fish, makes them money.
A 1996 flood in Oregon's Mount Hood area destroyed water intakes in the Hood River Valley and put the farmers in the valley on a mission: build a better fish screen that saves fish, diverts debris and still gets water where it needs to go, and now they have a patented system that's inviting international attention.
Portland Oregonian; August 14, 2008
Shrimp, copper producers square off over selenium levels in Utah lake.
Updates to Utah's clean-water rules proposed by the state Division of Water Quality will allow higher levels of contaminants, such as selenium, in some areas of the Great Salt Lake, a proposal that angers brine shrimp producers who said higher levels of selenium threaten their ability to sell their product to other nations, but Kennecott Copper wants any selenium standard set at a "scientifically defensible level."
Salt Lake Tribune; August 14, 2008
Idaho lawmakers decline to evaluate state water agency.
A number of surface water users in Idaho had requested that the Legislature's Office of Performance Evaluations evaluate the state Department of Water Resources, but on Wednesday, lawmakers denied the request and said a number of water disputes making their way through administration hearings and court cases would make such an evaluation at this time improper.
Twin Falls Times-News; August 14, 2008
Federal fisheries scientists name 3 pesticides that threaten salmon.
A panel of federal fisheries scientists said chloripyrifos, also known by trade names that include Dursban and Lorsban; diazinon, which is also known as Knox Out, Spectracide and other brand names; and malathion are increasing the likelihood that more than 2 dozen salmon species could become extinct.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer; August 13, 2008
Report details hard-rock mining threat to Colorado River.
The Environmental Working Group has compiled a list of 5,500 hard-rock mining claims located within 10 miles of the Colorado River, 1,200 of which are within five miles, detailing the risk of contamination to the river which provides drinking water for more than 25 million people in Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico and California.
Arizona Republic; August 11, 2008
High mercury levels in Great Salt Lake mystify scientists.
Scientists have begun a multiyear study to determine why the Great Salt Lake in Utah has some of the highest levels of mercury ever recorded in a body of water in the United States, and to find the origin of the mercury.
New York Times; August 10, 2008
Utah counties appeal Nevada decision on water project.
Last month, the Nevada State Engineer declined two Utah counties "interested party" status in a project to build a pipeline from the Utah-Nevada border to ship groundwater to Las Vegas, and this week, Utah and Salt Lake counties appealed that decision in Nevada state court.
Salt Lake Tribune; August 8, 2008
Colorado's work on restoring native trout a piece of tri-state effort.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife removed non-native trout from a 1-mile stretch of Deep Creek, a tributary of Lightner Creek west of Durango, and will soon restock the waterway with native Colorado River cutthroat, part of a tri-state effort to restore the native trout to waters in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado.
Durango Herald; August 7, 2008
Sockeye salmon season opens on Washington state lake.
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Department officially opened sockeye salmon season on Lake Wenatchee at 9 a.m. this morning, after fish counts indicated more than 24,600 fish had entered the lake.
Yakima Herald-Republic; August 6, 2008
Water levels in Arizona reservoir at highest in six years.
Lake Powell hit its peak water level last month, 45 feet higher than it was in March, before snowmelt from the wettest winter in the Colorado watershed in a decade boosted the water levels in the Arizona reservoir, and triggered new water management rules for the seven states that share Colorado Rive water.
Arizona Republic; August 5, 2008
Landowners ask Utah high court to reconsider stream access ruling.
Landowners in Weber County have filed the paperwork necessary to request that the Utah Supreme Court rethink its recent court ruling which said the public has the right to walk in public waterways, even when that waterway passes through private land.
Salt Lake Tribune; August 5, 2008
Sockeye salmon swim into public view in Idaho.
For the first time in years, Idahoans have an opportunity to see the sockeye salmon that have made the nearly 900-mile trip from the Pacific Ocean through eight dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers, and finally into waters in Idaho's Sawtooth Valley.
Idaho Statesman; August 5, 2008
Releases from Idaho reservoirs float young fish to Pacific Ocean.
Annual releases from Idaho reservoirs to speed young salmon and steelhead trout along the Snake River are required under a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries plan put in place in 2004; this year's annual release is coming to an end, and Bureau of Reclamation officials said river levels should be returning to normal soon.
Twin Falls Times-News; August 4, 2008
U.S. House passes Utahn's water bill.
U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson's Water-Use Efficiency and Conservation Research Act was passed by the U.S. House on Wednesday, and now the legislation, which creates a research and development program on water-efficiency and conservation within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, moves on to the Senate for action.
St. George Spectrum; August 1, 2008
Public's buy-in makes Calif. water recycling project unique.
Orange County's $480 million Groundwater Replenishment System that turns treated wastewater into purified drinking water isn't thoroughly unique, as communities other than the California county have similar projects that have been in operation for some time, but the lack of opposition by the public to the system has intrigued officials from other communities.
Christian Science Monitor; July 31, 2008
Montana legislative leader urges state, federal action on climate change.
Montana House Majority Leader Carol Williams said the Clark Fork Coalition's report "Low Flows, Hot Trout," details how climate change will affect Montana's Clark Fork River Basin, is a call to action, and urged state lawmakers to pass regulations to stop sprawl in the wildland-urban interface, and said federal action is needed on greenhouse gas emissions.
Missoulian; July 30, 2008
U.S. BuRec goes after wells that tap into Colorado River.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation estimates that nearly 5 billion gallons of Colorado River water is siphoned away each year by wells drilled too close to the river, and the agency has told well owners in Arizona, Nevada and California to obtain a legal right to the water or face loss of use of the water.
Arizona Republic; July 29, 2008
Report: Global-warming shrinking West's cold-water fish habitat.
A new report released by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Montana Trout Unlimited said higher temperatures and more drought are shrinking cold-water fish habitat in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, and having a detrimental effect on the region's $1-billion recreational fishing industry.
Billings Gazette; July 29, 2008
Idaho begins 4-year, $3-million study of Rathdrum aquifer.
The Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer is the sole source of drinking water for half a million people in Kootenai, Bonner and Spokane counties, and is one of ten aquifers in Idaho to be studied with a $30 million appropriation made by the Legislature last year.
Coeur d'Alene Press; July 29, 2008
Stream-restoration project in Montana provides model for the West.
For years, Trout Unlimited has successfully restored streams destroyed by mining activity in the Eastern United States, and now the conservation group has teamed up with the U.S. Forest Service to replicate that model along a stretch of Eustache Creek in Western Montana's Ninemile Valley.
Missoulian; July 29, 2008
Idaho biologists say first sockeye salmon have reached the state.
Biologists have counted 814 sockeye salmon at the Lower Granite Dam near Lewiston so far this year, and with wild sockeye salmon numbers reportedly high in the Columbia and Snake rivers, Idaho hopes hundreds more will soon follow.
Idaho Statesman; July 28, 2008
Meandering Utah river in the sights of thirsty Wasatch Front cities.
The Bear River covers 500 river miles but ends just 90 miles from its origins in the Uinta Mountains at the marshlands at the northeast shore of the Great Salt Lake in Utah; a 17-year-old fiat from the state's Legislature based on an even older agreement between Utah, Idaho and Wyoming, has kept the river from being tapped for drinking water, but that's going to change in the near future.
Salt Lake Tribune; July 26, 2008
Report: Climate change poses serious threat to Nevada's water supply.
A report released this week by the National Conference of State Legislatures and Center for Integrative Environmental Research said that climate change could cause a profound drought in Nevada which will have a serious effect on the state's water supplies, affecting growth and tourism which will impact state revenue.
Reno Gazette-Journal; July 25, 2008
Groups warn warmer Wyoming waters will hit fish hard.
A report issued by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Trout Unlimited said that water temperatures in Wyoming's trout fisheries have already increased by 2 degrees, and if they continue to increase, fishing opportunities could be halved in the state over the next 90 or so years.
Jackson Hole Daily; July 24, 2008
Oil-shale proposal elicits bipartisan skepticism.
Even stalwart Republicans were skeptical that the Interior Department's proposal to ramp up oil-shale development by lowering royalties would do much to address the high cost of fuel, given that such development will take massive amounts of water which simply might not exist, and U.S. refineries are currently not set up to process the kerogen from the oil shale. Another look.
Salt Lake Tribune; July 23, 2008
Scientists: Nonnative species in Columbia, Snake rivers threaten salmon.
A report requested by the federal, regional and tribal groups working on dam and salmon issues in the Northwest said that hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers in the Northwest have turned those rivers into a series of lakes that provide good habitat for nonnative fish, which eat a lot of baby salmon, pass on diseases, and compete for food, all which threaten wild salmon populations.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer; July 22, 2008
Few attend public meeting on Washington state reservoir project.
The public meeting hosted by the Washington state Ecology Department in Yakima to develop a list of alternatives to the proposed Black Rock Reservoir to meet the water needs of the Yakima Basin was sparsely attended; an evening meeting Monday was planned again in Yakima with a Thursday meeting set in Ellensburg.
Yakima Herald; July 22, 2008
Utah high court rules public entitled to streambed access.
The Utah Supreme Court issued a decision (.pdf) Friday that said stream- and riverbeds are open to the public, no matter whose private lands they flow through, and while anglers and rafters applauded the decision, some landowners were less than enthusiastic.
Salt Lake Tribune; July 21, 2008
Water-thrifty rain barrels violate Washington state law.
Water-conscious residents of Washington state who place barrels under their rain gutters to capture precious water are violating a state law which says that rainwater is a public resource; however, the law doesn't set a threshold on when collecting rainwater comes under state jurisdiction.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer; July 21, 2008
OSHA plugs up Nevada university's water-recycling plans.
The University of Nevada-Reno planned to reroute 600,000 gallons of water each year from drains to its landscape, but the plan involved putting a pump in a room where the air-conditioning system for the student union is located, and the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration said that's a no-no, because it violated a rule that bans any "nonessential" equipment in such facilities.
Reno Gazette-Journal; July 21, 2008
Groups protest BLM auction of leases on Wyoming's Little Mountain.
Federal and state agencies, along with several conservation groups have spent $1.5 million improving habitat in a popular fishing and hunting area near Flaming Gorge Reservoir on Wyoming's Little Mountain, and hunting and fishing groups said they are planning to protest parcels in that area that the Bureau of Land Management plans to auction off at its Aug. 5 energy lease sale.
Casper Star-Tribune; July 21, 2008
U.S. House panel passes Utah lawmaker's water-study bill.
The U.S. House Science and Technology Committee approved legislation sponsored by Utah Rep. Jim Matheson that would create an Environmental Protection Agency program to study ways to expand the nation's water supplies through collection and use of rainwater and gray water, storage and distribution systems and other methods. The measure now moves on to the full House for action.
Deseret News; July 17, 2008
Water officials plan series of meetings in N. Idaho counties.
As part of the state's effort to sort out who owns what water rights in Northern Idaho, water officials plan seven public meetings in Kootenai, Benewah and Shoshone counties next week to inform residents about the process.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; July 15, 2008
Nevada water engineer approves SNWA's pipeline plan.
Tracy Taylor, the Nevada state engineer, approved Southern Nevada Water Authority's plan to pump 18,355 acre feet of groundwater annually from the Snake Valley aquifer that lies along the Nevada-Utah border, and that the two Utah counties that had requested a chance to testify on the project had missed their opportunity to be included by not protesting in 1989 when the project was first proposed.
Salt Lake Tribune; July 10, 2008
USFWS designates more of Idaho river as critical habitat for sturgeon.
A genetically distinct species of the white sturgeon is found only in parts of northern Idaho, northwest Montana and southeast British Columbia, and on Wednesday the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service added another 7.1 miles of the Kootenai River to 11.2 river miles previously designated as critical habitat for the sturgeon in 2001.
Idaho Statesman; July 10, 2008
Idaho seeks public input on plan to address nitrate contamination of water.
Nitrate contamination is one of the most widespread, preventable problems in Idaho's groundwater system; the state has identified 25 areas across the state where nitrate levels are near or exceed federal and state standards, and the Department of Environmental Quality is asking for public comments on its draft management plan for the Minidoka Nitrate Priority Area.
Twin Falls Times-News; July 10, 2008
Nevada senator's bill on dam inspections hits a snag.
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials said Nevada Sen. Harry Reid's bill that would require the agency to inspect all federal dams, levees and canals annually and develop a prioritized list of those needing repairs, is not needed and would undermine the agency's current effort to do inspections and prioritize projects.
Salt Lake Tribune; July 9, 2008
SNWA wants Utah counties out of Nevada pipeline negotiations.
Southern Nevada Water Authority officials said 15 applicants, including Utah's Salt Lake and Utah counties, have failed to meet the requirements to be included in negotiations over a proposed pipeline to ship groundwater from areas on the Nevada-Utah border south to Las Vegas; the Nevada state engineer is expected to rule on SNWA's request at a hearing next week in Carson City.
Deseret News; July 8, 2008
S.Ct. decision muddies EPA enforcement of Clean Water Act.
A 2006 Supreme Court decision on the Army Corps of Engineers' regulatory role in the federal Clean Water Act, as well as a subsequent Environmental Protection Agency memo on enforcing such actions, has led to the EPA deciding not to pursue potential Clean Water Act violations in hundreds of cases due to "jurisdictional uncertainty."
Washington Post; July 8, 2008
Despite state, federal efforts, Nevada lake continues to recede.
Walker Lake's water is so laden with minerals that it's tough for fish to survive, but the Nevada Wildlife Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service continue to stock the lake with tens of thousand of fish each year, and realty companies continue to tout lakefront parcels, which grow by about a yard a year as the water level in the lake drops.
Las Vegas Sun; July 8, 2008
Groups challenge Washington State U's water rights.
The Palouse Water Conservation Network, the Palouse Group Sierra Club and Pullman resident Scotty Cornelius filed a lawsuit against Washington State University over its use of groundwater to maintain a golf course on land along the Washington-Idaho border, alleging that the new course endangers drinking water supplies for more than 50,000 residents in Washington and Idaho.
Idaho Statesman; July 8, 2008
Idaho governor wants nonmotorized watercraft to be registered.
Idaho's 880 square miles of water, its teeming rivers and creeks, are a draw for watercraft, motorized and human-powered, and Idaho's consideration of a proposal to require all watercraft be registered has roiled the waters of public debate.
Los Angeles Times; July 6, 2008
Idaho governor presses ahead on canoe registration fee.
Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter formed a task force to study requiring registration of nonmotorized watercraft, such as kayaks and canoes, and if successful, Idaho would be the only state in the West to have such a program; Alaska and Arizona have, in the past, required registration of canoes and kayaks, but ditched their programs.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; June 27, 2008
Idaho developer headed for jail after U.S. high court denies appeal.
Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear his appeal, an eastern Idaho developer who was found guilty of violating the federal Clean Water Act for not obtaining a permit to reshape a creek that flowed through a subdivision he was building will now have to serve an 18-month prison sentence handed down in 2005.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 24, 2008
Study challenges stream restoration efforts.
River and stream restoration is big business in the United States, with one 2005 study estimating $1 billion was spent annually on such projects, but many projects are done without a full understanding of the waterways and most waterways aren't adequately monitored after restoration to see if the project was a success.
New York Times; June 24, 2008
Effort under way to end Washington state river's erosive ways.
Washington state, federal and local officials are working on a decade-long, $36-million project to redirect the Naches River away from U.S. Highway 12 in Yakima, slow the river down and restore a normal floodplain.
Yakima Herald; June 24, 2008
Water transfers in Washington state worry local officials.
Local officials in Washington state's Okanogan County said that they're concerned that if farmers continue to sell their water rights to landowners down river, the county will dry up, but farmers say the rights are theirs to sell.
Seattle Post Intelligencer; June 23, 2008
Demand for water outstrips supply in Utah valley.
Iron County is one of the fastest growing counties in Utah, with a 30 percent increase in population since 2000, and local officials say that growth has put demand for Cedar Valley water beyond supplies.
St. George Spectrum; June 23, 2008
Wyoming judge tosses coalbed-methane water lawsuit.
A Wyoming state district court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Powder River Basin ranchers that alleged the state engineer had failed to adequately protect groundwater supplies by not managing water produced during coalbed methane drilling operations.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 23, 2008
Nevada water official: FERC not qualified for Utah pipeline review.
The head of the Southern Nevada Water Authority questioned Utah's decision to have the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission manage the environmental studies of a proposed 158-mile pipeline from Lake Powell to southern Utah. The SVWA said the federal agency doesn't have the expertise needed to lead the project.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 19, 2008
Groups file lawsuit challenging federal plan to balance salmon, dams.
Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski said he would join the lawsuit filed Tuesday by environmental groups challenging the federal government's latest plan to balance salmon recovery and the continued operation of hydroelectric dams in the Columbia River Basin.
Seattle Times; June 18, 2008
Calif. judge orders water board to reconsider Klamath algae issue.
As Oregon-based utility PacifiCorp seeks a new operating license for hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River, the Klamath Riverkeeper group, Indian tribes and salmon fishermen have been campaigning to force the removal of those dams. One of the issues in their campaign is that the dams allow toxic algae to build up behind them, putting salmon at risk.
Portland Oregonian; June 17, 2008
Attendees flood Idaho water conference in Sun Valley.
The Idaho Water Users Association has been holding annual conferences for 25 years. This year interest is definitely at the high water mark; more than 200 people showed up to hear the details of the Clean Water Act, the details of three water calls in the state, and federal efforts to manage salmon on the Snake and Columbia rivers.
Twin Falls Times-News; June 17, 2008
Water the focus of Idaho conference this week.
The Idaho Water Users Association's two-day conference in Sun Valley kicks off today, and will feature water storage and aquifer management talks as well as briefings on several water delivery calls currently being litigated and the effect the outcome of those legal actions could have on other regions of the state.
Twin Falls Times-News; June 16, 2008
EPA, homebuilders sign off on Clean Water settlements.
Four of the nation's largest homebuilders have agreed to pay $4.3 million in fines for Clean Water Act violations in failing to control run-off from construction sites, most of which were in Arizona, Nevada, California, Florida and Texas, although the settlement covers sites in Utah as well.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 12, 2008
Lake Powell pipeline plan gets cool reception at Utah meeting.
More than 300 people attended the second of three planned meetings hosted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on a proposal to build a 158-mile pipeline from Lake Powell in Arizona to a reservoir in Utah's Washington County to provide water to three Utah counties; dozens of attendees fired questions at state and federal regulators who successfully sidestepped questions on the project's cost and the ratio of power generated by the project versus the power needed to operate it.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 12, 2008
Utah wildlife officials suspect bucket biology in walleye catch.
There are a lot of walleye being caught in Utah's Red Fleet Reservoir these days, and Utah wildlife officials want anglers to catch and keep them all as the voracious predator threatens trout and bluegill populations the state has tried to bolster over the past few years in the reservoir.
Deseret News; June 12, 2008
Waterfowl group works to restore Platte River in Wyoming.
The North Platte River has been dammed, diverted and developed to the point where it's nearly disappeared, taking with it important waterfowl habitat, but Ducks Unlimited, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust, have launched a multi-year effort to restore that habitat, one wetland at a time.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 12, 2008
Group says Grand Canyon flooding efforts need more study.
Grand Canyon Superintendent Steve Martin's statements that manmade floods need to be done about every year or so to remove sediments to restore the Colorado River's ecosystem below Glen Canyon Dam appear to be in conflict with the Interior Department's position that the benefit of such floods is so questionable that there are no plans to regularize the releases, a position one watchdog group said proves that the Interior Dept. is putting power generation concerns over environmental needs.
Arizona Daily Sun; June 12, 2008
Lawsuit alleges Montana's Rock Creek mine will harm bull trout.
A coalition of conservation groups have filed a lawsuit to stop the Rock Creek copper and silver mine proposed in Montana's Cabinet Mountains because they fear the mine will increase the sediment load in Rock Creek and harm bull trout; Revett Minerals officials said the mitigation measures the mine plans to put in place will actually improve the water quality of the creek.
Missoulian; June 11, 2008
Late Nevada rancher wins water suit against USFS.
The late Wayne Hage, a Nevada rancher who sued the U.S. Forest Service in 1991 over the agency's requirement that Hage use only hand tools to keep irrigation canals clear of brush and trees, won his lawsuit on Friday, when a federal appeals judge ruled the U.S. Forest Service's hand-tool regulation resulted in the agency's wrongful taking of that water right.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer; June 11, 2008
Federal judge lets Colorado River states join Glen Canyon dam suit.
A federal judge allowed Nevada, Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming to intervene in support of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in a lawsuit filed by the Grand Canyon Trust against the federal agency over management of Glen Canyon Dam.
Las Vegas Sun; June 11, 2008
Canada, U.S. pledge new cooperation on Columbia River Basin issues.
The United States and Canada already collaborate on the hydroelectric power system that includes 14 dams on the Columbia River, but officials met earlier this week at the Grand Coulee Dam and pledged additional cooperation, including the possibility of creating a Columbia River Institute.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; June 11, 2008
Utah county water managers, residents divided on water project.
Washington County is one of the nation's fastest-growing counties, and the county wants to build a 139-mile pipeline to divert about a quarter of Utah's remaining allocation of the Colorado River water south to St. George; some say more water will mean more growth in the desert, while others say more water will turn the area into another Las Vegas or Los Angeles.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 7, 2008
Groups say B.C. mining plan near Montana NP an 'international' issue.
A coalition of environmental groups from both the United States and Canada said proposed coal mines and coalbed methane operations in British Columbia directly upstream of Glacier National Park present a direct environmental threat to the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park that link national parks in Alberta and Montana, and asked the United Nations to investigate the dangers posed by the plans.
Missoulian; June 7, 2008
Scientists take Colorado River concerns to Congress today.
At a congressional hearing today, scientists will provide federal lawmakers with their concerns about the effect climate change is having on the Colorado River and present a study that shows that even a 1.5-degree increase in the Southwestern United States would shrink water supplies in the river to the point where allocations required under the Colorado River Compact could not be met.
Las Vegas Sun; June 6, 2008
Utah residents tell DOE to put Moab tailings on the train.
At a public meeting Thursday evening, U.S. Department of Energy officials discussed the removal of 16 million tons of uranium tailings off the banks of the Colorado River near Moab, including how to move the tailings 30 miles away for permanent containment, and most of the attendees of the meeting said they preferred the tailings make that trip on rail cars rather than trucks.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 6, 2008
Montana, Idaho senators team up on federal water bill.
Montana Sens. Jon Tester and Max Baucus, along with Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo, are co-sponsors of the Cooperative Watershed Management Act, federal legislation that would create a funding program for cooperative efforts on water management projects.
Billings Gazette; June 6, 2008
Wet winter, rainy spring pulls half of Wyoming out of drought.
The U.S. Drought Monitor map released last week indicated normal moisture conditions across 57.4 percent of Wyoming, 42.6 percent of the state was abnormally dry, 17.2 percent was considered in a moderate drought, and 6.9 percent in a severe drought.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 5, 2008
Proponents of Washington state reservoir begin work on legislation.
The Yakama Nation and Roza Irrigation District have both expressed doubts about the proposed Black Rock Reservoir project, and proponents of the Washington state reservoir proposal have now begun drafting legislation that will lay out the benefits of the project.
Yakima Herald; June 4, 2008
Study: Drought making Yellowstone's geysers sluggish.
A study conducted by Shaul Hurwitz, a researcher with the U.S. Geological Survey, along with Stanford University statistician Ashish Kumar and two National Park Service scientists, found that drought lengthened the amount of time between eruptions of Yellowstone National Park's famed geyser.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 4, 2008
Water proposal could slow development in Utah county.
Fearing an over-allocation of water rights in Tooele County, the Utah State Engineer has suspended water rights transfers within the Utah county while it considers a proposal to divide the county into three regions and prevent the transfer of water rights from one region to another.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 2, 2008
BLM mulls future of silt-laden Wyoming reservoir.
The Teton Reservoir was built to trap silt from tiny streams and creeks before the water hit the North Platte River in Wyoming; it has performed its job so well that it is no longer fit fish habitat, and the Bureau of Land Management has begun debating what the future holds for the reservoir.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 2, 2008
Utah transfers county's Colo. River rights to farmer.
Utah State Engineer Jerry Olds said his decision to transfer Wayne County's right to 50,000 acre-feet per year of Colorado River to a farmer was done to keep the water right in Utah, as Wayne County wasn't putting the allocation to use, and he said he'll do more such transfers if that's what it takes to keep Utah's allocation of the river.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 1, 2008
Wyoming GOP adopts platform, says no to wild, scenic rivers.
At their state convention Friday and Saturday, Wyoming Republicans adopted a platform endorsing year-round access on Sylvan Pass, opposing the adoption of any legislation related to the concept of "man-made climate change," and opposing the designation of any of the state's waterways under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers program.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 1, 2008
Washington state monitoring toxic spill in Columbia River.
A break in a pipe at the huge Teck Cominco lead and zinc smelter in Trail, British Columbia, dumped approximately 2,100 pounds of lead and 100 gallons of acid into the Columbia River, putting Washington state environmental regulators on alert.
Idaho Statesman; May 30, 2008
Global community questions water's role as right or resource.
Some analysts say water has become the "oil of this century," with cities and countries around the globe now importing and exporting the precious resource, but while oil gets used up over time, water only changes forms; since World War II, fresh water consumption has nearly doubled worldwide, but waste, climate change and pollution have depleted fresh water supplies.
Christian Science Monitor; May 30, 2008
New climate report paints grim picture of West's water supply.
The new climate report issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture said that over the next 20 to 50 years, the American West will face increased demand for water at a time when mountain snows upon which the West depends to fill reservoirs are expected to diminish; and when precipitation does come in the form of rain, it will come in amounts and times when it's difficult to manage.
New York Times; May 28, 2008
Rainfall, snowmelt boosts water levels in Wyoming reservoir.
Water levels and releases from Bighorn Lake in Wyoming have historically been a point of contention between Wyoming recreational interests and Montana fisheries officials; over the weekend, inflows into the reservoir increased substantially, and Bureau of Reclamation officials told Montana and Wyoming representatives that releases from Yellowtail Dam into the Bighorn River would remain at 4,500 cubic feet per second for now.
Billings Gazette; May 28, 2008
Wyoming conference addresses balance between energy, wildlife.
At the Responsible Energy Development Symposium at Jackson Lake Lodge, about 170 people discussed ways that energy development could continue on public lands in the American West and the rest of the nation, without endangering wildlife and the environment.
Casper Star-Tribune; May 23, 2008
U.S.-Canada accord may use $30M to buy out B.C. salmon fleet.
The newly negotiated Pacific Salmon Treaty between the U.S. and Canada calls for a 30 percent reduction of salmon catch off the coast of Vancouver Island and a 15 percent reduction of the catch in Alaska, and the president of the West Coast Trollers Association criticized the deal which she said will use the $30 million to buy out British Columbia's commercial fisheries fleet.
Toronto Globe and Mail; May 23, 2008
Washington governor praises U.S.-Canada salmon pact.
The agreement reached between the United States and Canada on reducing salmon fishing to help boost salmon numbers earned the endorsement of Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, Native officials and environmental groups, although some groups said the treaty didn't go far enough.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer; May 23, 2008
High grain prices, demand shipwreck Idaho's water-conservation program.
Two years ago, a federal-state program began offering Idaho farmers $130 an acre to stop irrigating land and to plant cover crops, but the high price of corn, the increased demand for the crop due to the state's expanding dairy operations, and a lessening threat of water curtailment has led to little interest in the program.
Twin Falls Times-News; May 23, 2008
High water keeps business at bay on Idaho lake.
Memorial Day is traditionally a busy one for lakefront business on Idaho's Lake Coeur d'Alene, but high water has flooded some of those businesses forcing them to close, and it is dampening the boat-rental business as well.
Coeur d'Alene Press; May 23, 2008
Biologists: Burbot eat their way up the food chain in Utah-Wyo. reservoir.
A team of researchers from Utah State University are studying how fast the population of burbot, or ling cod, is growing in the Flaming Gorge, a 91-mile-long reservoir that straddles the Wyoming-Utah border, and they have found that the voracious fish are eating crayfish and may be feasting on kokanee salmon eggs.
Salt Lake Tribune; May 22, 2008
Colorado governor signs uranium mining bill into law.
Companies that mine uranium in Colorado must now clean groundwater to pre-mining quality once mining operations cease after Gov. Bill Ritter signed House Bill 1161 into law; the governor has not yet acted on Senate Bill 228, that increases state oversight of all mining operations.
Greeley Tribune; May 22, 2008
Boise River at flood stage twice Tuesday night.
Idaho officials said no major flooding was reported as flows in the Boise River surpassed the 7,000 cubic feet per second flood stage level overnight Tuesday night; water levels were reported at 6,853 cfs Wednesday morning.
Idaho Statesman; May 21, 2008
Washington governor issues emergency declaration for Spokane County.
After spring runoff washed out a section of State Route 206, also known as Mt. Spokane Park Drive, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire issued an emergency declaration for Spokane County, and county commissioners for that county closed access to the Spokane River which is running at or above flood stage.
Spokesman-Review; May 21, 2008
Isolated flooding reported in parts of Idaho, Washington state.
Heavy rains fell in Eastern Washington and Western Idaho on Tuesday, and officials of those states said more flood warnings may be on the way; flood warnings continue on the Kettle, Methow, Moyie, Okanogan, Clearwater and Coeur d'Alene rivers and the St. Joseph River was running 5 feet above flood stage near St. Maries in Idaho.
Idaho Statesman; May 21, 2008
U.S. Solicitor urges high court to hear Montana-Wyoming water case.
In a "friend of court" filing, the U.S. Solicitor General's office urged the U.S. Supreme Court to hear Montana's lawsuit against Wyoming over flow levels in the Tongue and Powder rivers and said that three of Montana's four main arguments in the matter had merit.
Casper Star-Tribune; May 20, 2008
Colorado governor urges Senate panel to go slow on oil shale.
At a hearing before the Senate Energy Committee, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter said he does not oppose oil shale extraction, but he does want a full assessment of how the work will affect the wildlife, water and climate in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, before work proceeds.
Denver Post; May 16, 2008
Montana, Wyoming monitor salinity levels in Tongue River water.
Irrigators in southeastern Montana are again questioning salinity levels in Tongue River water caused by discharge water from coalbed methane operations in Wyoming, but a U.S. Geological Survey monitor at the border indicated that salinity concentrations in the Tongue River this past week were nearly half of what they were in late March.
Billings Gazette; May 16, 2008
Boise River expected to roar this weekend.
In order to make room in reservoirs for snowmelt, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation will increase releases into the Boise River today to 5,300 cubic feet per second, and Idaho officials are warning residents to stay away from the water, which they said will be fast, cold and full of debris.
Idaho Statesman; May 16, 2008
Clogged pipes caused sewage spill into Idaho's Hayden Lake.
Hayden Lake Recreation, Water and Sewer District officials said baby diapers and baby wipes flushed down toilets were believed to have clogged pipes, forcing raw sewage out of manhole cover, and down into Hayden Lake.
Coeur d'Alene Press; May 16, 2008
N. Idaho, E. Washington brace for high-water weekend.
Colder weather has kept snowpack levels high in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, but with much warmer temperatures forecast for this weekend, counties in those regions of Idaho and Washington are filling sandbags and keeping an eye on river levels.
Spokane Spokesman Review; May 15, 2008
Closure of Bighorn River to fishing on Montana Game Dept.'s agenda.
Continuing low flows on the Bighorn River forced the Montana Wildlife and Parks Commission to put possible closure of the river to fishing on its agenda for its meeting tomorrow; drought and the National Park Service's required minimum level for Bighorn Lake in Wyoming have led to lower levels of water in the Bighorn River.
Billings Gazette; May 14, 2008
Plan to drill on Colorado's Roan Plateau creates unlikely alliances.
"Roosevelt Republicans" - hunters and anglers who take exception to the pace of energy development on public lands - have joined forces with environmental groups to fight the plan to open portions of the Roan Plateau in Colorado to drilling.
Christian Science Monitor; May 14, 2008
DOE report: Wind can supply one-fifth of nation's power by 2030.
The Energy Department said Monday that meeting the target of 20 percent of the nation's power produced by wind would require better technology in wind turbines, cost reductions, new transmission lines and a much faster pace of installation, but if the 20 percent goal were reached by 2030, water use by the energy industry would drop 17 percent and the need for new coal-fired power plants could be averted.
Washington Post; May 13, 2008
Federal appeals court hears challenge of N.M. uranium mine.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Monday in what lawyers said was the first-ever challenge of the National Regulatory Commission's approval of an in-situ uranium mine on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico; some of the judges said they were surprised the NRC had approved a plan that allowed a company to leach uranium out of an aquifer that supplies drinking water to thousands of residents on the Navajo Nation.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer; May 13, 2008
Questions about in-situ uranium mining loom large in Wyoming.
With interest in in-situ uranium mining in Wyoming's Crook County on the rise, a group of concerned residents have formed the Ranchers and Neighbors Protecting Our Water, in affiliation with the Powder River Basin Resource Council, to educate people about in-situ uranium mining and to ensure the state identifies what aquifers could be affected by such activity and what the state is doing to protect the waters.
Casper Star-Tribune; May 13, 2008
Idaho outfitters say Army Corps of Engineers' work harmed bull trout.
Idaho requested the Army Corps of Engineers do an emergency flood-control project to pull woody debris deposited during a flash flood in 2006 from Lightning Creek, but two local outfitters said the work done damaged important bull trout habitat, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials are questioning the project as well.
Spokane Spokesman Review; May 13, 2008
Oregon salmon fishermen go after other catch.
After the federal government shut down salmon fishing along portions of the Oregon and California coast due to dwindling numbers of the fish, some fishermen along the Oregon coast decided to go after prawns, some are heading north to Alaska, and others are getting out of the business altogether; meanwhile, the small one-industry towns along the coast are casting about for another economic toehold.
New York Times; May 9, 2008
Idaho water officials take tour of newly obtained fish farm.
The Idaho Water Resource Board purchased the $26-million Pristine Springs fish farm in April to help solve surface water calls and Twin Falls' arsenic issues, and yesterday members of the board took a tour of the 450-acre operation that also includes cattle ranching facilities and two hydroelectric dams in the Snake River Canyon.
Twin Falls Times-News; May 9, 2008
Senate committee approves Wyoming conservation bills.
On Wednesday, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved the Craig Thomas Snake Headwaters Legacy Act, which would put 387 miles of waterways in the Snake River drainage under the protection of the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act; and the Wyoming Range Legacy Act, which would prohibit further energy leasing on the Wyoming Range and would allow conservation groups to buy existing leases to retire them; the measures must still be approved by the full Senate and the House.
Jackson Hole News & Guide; May 8, 2008
Former Utah AG says FERC shouldn't make Lake Powell pipeline decision.
Former Utah Attorney General Paul Van Dam, who heads up the Citizens for Dixie's Future, which opposes a plan to 158-mile-long pipeline to carry water from Lake Powell to a reservoir in Washington County, said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shouldn't be the oversight agency for the project since it's primarily a water, not a power, project.
Salt Lake Tribune; May 8, 2008
Committee floats Navajo water bill along to full Senate vote.
The $900 million price tag to settle the Navajo Nation's water claims in the San Juan River Basin has stalled similar legislation in the past, and the price remains the same on legislation approved Wednesday by the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee; the full Senate must now vote on the bill.
Santa Fe New Mexican; May 8, 2008
EPA official says agency might not act on perchlorate contamination.
At a hearing of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Benjamin H. Grumbles, the Environmental Protection Agency's assistant administrator for water, said that it was a "distinct possibility" that the agency may not set limits for perchlorate in water, even though experts testifying at the hearing said they had sufficient data to support such a limit.
Los Angeles Times; May 7, 2008
BuRec cuts flows from Wyoming reservoir into Montana river.
Cooler temperatures have slowed spring runoff from the Bighorn River Basin into Bighorn Lake, pushing the Bureau of Reclamation to curtail flows from Yellowtail Dam into the Bighorn River; two weeks ago, the BuRec decided to keep flows at 1,900 cubic feet per second (cfs) to aid the brown-trout hatch below the dam.
Billings Gazette; May 7, 2008
Sithe Global Power lets water contract for Nevada plant lapse.
The company that wants to build the 750-megawatt, coal-fired Toquop plant near Mesquite has let its contract with its water supplier lapse, giving opponents of the Nevada plant hope that the developer is walking away from the project.
Las Vegas Sun; May 6, 2008
Treatment of CBM water in Wyoming on the rise.
According to the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, gas companies treated about 8.8 percent of the 638 million barrels of water pumped to the surface by coalbed methane operators in Wyoming's Powder River Basin, or about 56 million barrels of water in 2007; operators treated 45 million barrels of the 680 barrels of water produced in 2006.
Casper Star-Tribune; May 6, 2008
Federal government releases revamped salmon plan.
The federal government released its final, court-ordered plans to protect 13 threatened and endangered species of salmon and steelhead in the Columbia Basin on Monday, but environmental groups called the plan, which does not require the removal of any of the 14 federal hydroelect | |
