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Down in southwestern Colorado they're welcoming the start of the North American Monsoon, according to The Durango Herald. From the article:

Here's an update on the possible effects on Florence from Colorado Springs' proposed Southern Delivery System, from The Cañon City Daily Record. From the article:

The Southern Delivery proposes to use the Lester Attebury Diversion, which is east of the Colo. 115 bridge near the treatment plant to build its pump station to take water to Colorado Springs, Piltingsrud said. The company has pledged to make several modifications to the River Park at 0215 CR 119. "They have two concepts," he said. "One is an inflatable dam. They blow it up to trap water. When high water comes, they lower it down to let the high water go by. The other one is more or less a concrete dam." The proposal for an inflatable dam includes a kayak/overflow for those wanting to go pass the dam. Amenities in the park include picnic shelters, a boat ramp and a trail complex. "The road into the River Park would have to be substantially upgraded to allow construction material to get in there to construct the dam," Piltingsrud said.

The proposal to build a concrete dam includes building a channel through the park. The channel will create a "nifty water slide and bridges across the waterways to smaller areas," Piltingsrud said. "In high waters with the permanent dam, the water would back up and then, at some point, flow through the River Park." After the presentation, Mayor Bart Hall said he didn't see any problem with building it in Florence. "It looks like it could be good for the city," he said. "Obviously, the devil might be in the details later." When Larry Baker asked if it would cost the city anything, Piltingsrud said no. In addition, the company would have to negotiate with the city because the park is property of the city.

More coverage from The Pueblo Chieftain. They write:

In one of the comments, a petition of 172 Colorado Centre residents opposed the reservoir at Jimmy Camp Creek upstream from their homes. The only alternative without a reservoir there would come from the dam, locate a reservoir on Upper Williams Creek and return water to Fremont County via a pipeline. Some, but not all, of the Colorado Centre residents supported that option. There were 36 additional, separate comments from Colorado Centre residents opposing the Jimmy Camp Creek reservoir...

Reclamation's EIS, with companion technical documents, totals more than 3,000 pages and is available at the SDS Web site. Of the 375 comments, however, 17 appeared to be duplicates, and 12 were either blanks, had gaps in numbering or could not be read. A significant number, 41, questioned the sufficiency of the draft EIS based on the statement of purpose and need, the limited scope of alternatives and using a "no-action" alternative rather than existing conditions to compare impacts of other alternatives. Another 30, sent mostly during the early stages of the comment period, asked for more time beyond the initial 60-day comment period (45 days were added) or criticized the open-house format Reclamation used in early April to share information about the draft EIS. The largest number of concerns raised, after opposition to a Jimmy Camp Creek reservoir and the need for a future water supply, questioned the impact of increased stormwater and base flows in Fountain Creek. New development fed by SDS is expected to create more impervious surfaces and increase the intensity of floods on Fountain Creek, which periodically overflows, damaging farmland north of Pueblo and neighborhoods on the East Side. Increased base flows, fueled by treated effluent, raise the level of bacteria and other contaminants in the creek, studies are showing...

Among new developments since the study was released are progress on the Arkansas Valley Conduit, the discovery of breeding zebra mussels in Lake Pueblo, a plan to develop a reservoir and pipeline east of Pueblo and the potential for a pipeline from Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Wyoming to the Front Range. New concerns were noted in comments from several agencies, including the state of Kansas, Fort Carson, the Army Corps of Engineers, federal Bureau of Land Management and the state Water Quality Control Division. The EIS is required under the National Environmental Policy Act as a condition for federal contracts. If a record of decision favoring an alternative is issued, expected as soon as early next year, public contract negotiations could begin. There will be a public comment period if a contract is recommended.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

From The Glenwood Springs Post Independent: "EnCana, one of the largest operators in Garfield County, was also recognized with an Environmental Protection Award and the Production Partner of the Year award from the U.S. EPA Natural GasStar Program. That program "encourages companies to adopt cost-effective technologies and practices that improve operation efficiency and reduce emissions of methane," according to the COGCC.

"The COGCC also recognized Chevron North America with a Water Quality Protection Award for initiating "a novel method of erosion control on a well site in La Plata County." The company incorporated a historical reserve pit as part of Chevron's storm water management plan for an existing well site, the agency said."

Here's a look at the proposed development of oil shale, from The Denver Post. Coyote Gulch wonders why they choose to frame the issue along party lines. Certainly there is that divide in places but many conservatives know that oil shale is not ready for prime time and that the new BLM rules are an attempt by the administration to distract the public from the real issues around a sustainable energy policy, climate change and energy independence. From the article:

In a conference call with reporters, Kempthorne said it would be 2015 before shale development produced oil. Even so, he said, that could affect gas prices by signaling to the futures market that the U.S. is ramping up domestic production. [Uh oh, Dirk Kempthorne is predicting the futures market.] For now, the Interior Department is limited in what it can do. Language inserted in a spending bill by Salazar bars the department from issuing final rules on oil-shale development. That moratorium expires Oct. 1. Kempthorne and Republicans want to prevent Salazar from extending that through 2009. Kempthorne said he plans to move swiftly if given an opening. Issuing the preliminary regulations started the clock on the final regulations, which could be published in about two months if the moratorium dies...

Environmental groups that oppose oil-shale development said the 235- page BLM document with preliminary rules is unnecessary. In it, the BLM states that "currently, there is no oil-shale industry and the oil-shale extractive technology is still in its rudimentary [rudimentary!] stages." "The only benefit that could come from this would be for those seeking partisan political gain in trying to give the impression that ... this oil-shale industry has a role to play in impacting high energy prices," said Chase Huntley, policy adviser with the Wilderness Society...

Shell gave a timeline for producing commercial quantities of oil that is far longer than the one suggested by Kempthorne. The company won't be ready for commercial leasing until probably 2015, Boyd said. Extraction of commercial quantities of oil, he said, will be almost a decade after that.

More coverage from The Salt Lake Tribune. They write:

But even stalwart Republicans question the connection between pump prices and oil-shale development. During a news conference at the Utah Capitol earlier this month, Sen. Orrin Hatch said that while the companies hoping to develop oil shale "are our nation's energy Minutemen," they cannot bring down the price of oil today. Conservation organizations called the administration's move to develop rules a "false hope." "Instead of gambling our resources on unproven fuel sources, such as oil shale, we should invest in proven options that will reduce prices such as higher fuel economy standards, energy efficiency and renewable generation technologies," Chase Huntley, energy policy adviser for The Wilderness Society, said Tuesday.

Oil shale development would require massive amounts of water that simply may not be available. In an April 8 letter to the BLM, Utah Public Lands Policy Coordination director John Harja said his office didn't understand if there were sufficient physical water, let alone water rights, "to support the scale of development contemplated and the effects this level of water demand might have on agriculture or wildlife [especially endangered fish] inhabiting lands and waters in the area." Harja said Tuesday that he had been in on meetings about the proposed rules, but that none of the issues raised in his letter were addressed. "It's a simple question," he said. "Where's the water going to come from?" Melting kerogen, a waxy substance in shale, is an old technology that poses significant threats to the environment. Kerogen can be further refined into diesel, jet fuel or naphtha. But no oil refinery in the United States currently is accepting kerogen for processing, and oil companies have indicated they are not interested in building new refineries in the country.

More coverage from The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. From the article:

Among the elements of the plan are three options for federal royalties on shale: One, a flat 5 percent royalty; two, a 5 percent royalty on initial production and a 12.5 percent royalty thereafter; or three, a sliding scale based on the market price of oil. [Coyote Gulch thinks that oil shale should be nationalized and profits dedicated to a sustainable energy policy that gets the U.S. off of fossil fuels.]

"We've been pushing very strongly to have regulation proposed," said Tracy Boyd, communications and sustainability manager for Shell Exploration and Production Co.'s Unconventional Oil Division. In setting regulations, the federal government "literally will be defining the rules of the road" and establishing the guidelines under which companies can decide whether their technology is commercially feasible, Boyd said. Shell is working on three research and development leases in northwest Colorado, as well as on private property, but has said it won't make any decision on whether to seek commercial production of shale until the middle of the next decade...

The BLM was free to publish a draft rule, the agency noted, because the moratorium applied only to a final rule. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., dismissed Salazar's fire-sale complaint as ridiculous because the process of rule-writing began in 2004. The oil shale industry is in its infancy, Frank Smith of the Western Colorado Congress said, citing the same finding in the draft rule itself. "We need to know what technology would be available and what technologies would impact the environment," Smith said. The federal government also needs to know how local communities, wildlife and water will be affected, he said.

More coverage from The Rocky Mountain News. They write:

[U.S. Senator Ken] Salazar promised to find a way to extend a congressional moratorium, which expires Sept. 30 at the end of the current fiscal year...

Republican Sen. Wayne Allard said: "You've heard false claims that the department is under a 'frenzied rush' to 'organize a fire sale' of development leases. It is ridiculous to consider the multiyear effort, started in 2004 that included congressional debate and the passage of a proposal, years of planning, studies, R&D and a draft environmental impact statement issued last December, as 'frenzied.' " "It's flat wrong to claim that western communities are being asked to stand aside to accommodate this 'fire sale,' " he added. "The truth is western communities understand both the potential and the realities of the oil shale resource in their backyard."[...]

Chris [Treece], director of external affairs for the Colorado River Water Conservation District in Glenwood Springs, said any oil shale development is likely decades away, despite the proposed rules. He said he hopes that if the oil companies move forward with oil shale production, they can work with the state to ensure that its remaining water supplies are developed responsibly and in a way that would benefit people, the environment and industry.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

Here's Part IV of The Pagosa Daily Post's series Lots of Water Lots of Debt. Here are a couple of excerpts:

The water districts seem intent upon stashing close to $140 million into a savings account over the next 20 years via the new Water Resource Fee, regardless of how such a fee may be affecting the local building industry. The fee is being assessed, not on all future reservoir users, but entirely on the first 20 percent of new users who move to Archuleta County over the next 20 years. Although PAWSD recently re-worked its fee schedule to be more fair to commercial projects, the fees levied on smaller residential homes appear to have actually increased. And with the building industry in a massive slump, the water districts are so far collecting less than 2 percent of what they originally expected for this year. With growth failing to happen and millions already paid for Dry Gulch land, PAWSD may soon be facing a cash flow crunch unless it greatly increases its monthly water fees charged to existing customers. The proposal Weiler handed out to the SJWCD -- and to the PAWSD board the following evening -- did not criticize the Dry Gulch project itself, but rather the funding approach the water districts have taken. Weiler referred to his proposal as the "HBO Method -- you're going to pay for it by the month."

Here are the links for Part II and Part III.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

Here's an update on the proposed La Plata-Archuletta Water District, from The Durango Herald. From the article:

Lunceford said he expects the district to have 5,500 customers in 20 years. His calculation is based on natural growth and the conversion of 80 percent of well users to the new system. La Plata County commissioners approved the district service plan in October. Financing for initial infrastructure - a river diversion facility, a treatment plant, a storage reservoir and distribution lines - is expected to be financed with $18 million in general obligation bonds. The final cost is estimated at $85 million. The certified assessed valuation of property in the district in 2005 was $984 million. The order authorizing the election that was signed June 6 by 6th Judicial District Judge David Dickinson gave people interested in running for a board seat six days to apply. The short turnaround was necessary because the ballot had to be certified at least 60 days before the election, said Micki Wadhams, a paralegal with the Denver law firm of Collins Cockrel & Cole, which is managing the election. Although it wasn't required, a legal notice announcing the nomination period was published May 29 in The Durango Herald, she said.

Lunceford said there are three potential sources of water for the district, but it hasn't been decided which one will be used. The possible sources:

- The Colorado Water Court gave the district the right to a total of 22 cubic feet per second of water from the Animas, Pine, Piedra and Florida rivers. One cfs produces almost 2 acre-feet of water in 24 hours. An acre-foot of water satisfies the household needs of two families for a year.

- Members of the Pine River Irrigation District who call themselves the Voluntary Shareholders Pool want to lease their water to the new district. Any water they lease would be subtracted from the amount they can use for their own irrigation but wouldn't affect the water allocation of any other irrigator in the district.

A group that calls itself Opponents of the Gopher Hole Project has the matter tied up in water court. The next status hearing is scheduled for Sept. 12. Project opponents use the gopher-hole analogy to identify what they say is a valuable resource going down a drain.

- The Animas-La Plata Project, which will store 120,000 acre-feet of water in Ridges Basin southwest of Durango for two Ute Indian tribes and others.

The La Plata Archuleta Water District would have to strike a deal with an A-LP partner to acquire water.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

Here's an update on Palisade's proposed whitewater park, from The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. From the article:

Arranging boulders into chevron formations in the whitewater park downstream poses little difficulty, Sarmo said. The proposed park contains three drop structures, which create eddies and riffles in which kayakers can perform maneuvers and tricks. "I'm very optimistic we have met the standard," Sarmo said. "In fact, we've gone above and beyond." Officials with the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, however, have yet to approve Palisade's project, Sarmo said. If Palisade is to build its whitewater park, it will need to be in the river on Oct. 1, the earliest date any such work could be done, Sarmo said. The town's contractor is "ready to mobilize" to get the project under way, he said. The sides likely will have to renegotiate once the project is approved to take into account higher fuel costs and other changes, Sarmo said. Boulders were stockpiled near the whitewater park in 2007 in hopes that the project could have been completed last winter.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

Here's a recap of a meeting between Moraine Park residents and Granby to discuss their options regarding the leaky Moraine Park water system, from The Sky-Hi Daily News. From the article:

"Mr. [Paul] Geisendorfer is not in the position to operate his system in a way that we think is best to deliver safe water," said Tom Roan with Water Quality Control Division of the state health department. "We hope that we can get a new system owner that can operate this system." Moraine Park water users have had a bottled water order in place most of the summer due to the state's belief that the neighborhood's water is not safe to drink. According to the system's current licensed operator Todd Conger -- who Roan commented was not in place when the state issued Geisendorfer an injunction against the system and personal property -- the system is antiquated and patched together with inappropriate materials that are failing because of corrosion caused by the necessary use of chlorine...

The state health department first penalized Geisendorfer in 1999 for failure to monitor contaminants in the system, fed from five lakes through three wells. To date, after a series of penalties, Geisendorfer's fines amount to $375,000, minus interest accrued. "Geisendorfer has done a minimal amount of work to comply with the order," Roan said. "We have what I would characterize as marginal amount of compliance. That's what we had until the total system failure." Geisendorfer's recent offer to the state is to convey water rights to a successor to run the system in exchange for forgiveness of the penalties, according to Roan. The state is saying that such negotiations are "not out of the question."

Granby officials at the meeting, including Mayor Jynnifer Pierro, new Town Manager Wally Baird, Attorney Scott Krob and trustees Ed Raffety, Deborah Shaw and Elaine Henrekin, voiced that they were willing to work with Moraine Park homeowners if homeowners decide they want to patch into the town's water system. Asked if well-users in the community would be forced to tap into the town's system, Krob relayed that although system use is town code, in annexation agreements, concessions are made to benefit both parties. Department of Local Affairs Regional Manager Greg Winkler stated that the benefit of Moraine Park homeowners becoming part of the town would be that doors open to grants and state and federal loans, whereas a decision to form a special district would negate help available only to government entities. Geisendorfer has offered to convey 50 acre-feet per year of his water rights, which he says is "three times what (Moraine Park) is using now." Engineers say they don't know how much water the neighborhood consumes annually. But the county and town maintain that the source of the water system must also be conveyed to guarantee wells can be recharged. "It's all or nothing," Krob said. Mayor Pierro and Grand County Water Engineer David Taussig concurred.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

From The Denver Post: "The Bush administration wants to set the stage before leaving office for developing oil shale, rocky deposits in the western U.S. that could eventually yield 800 billion barrels of oil, according to government estimates. The Interior Department is set to propose regulations today for a program to sell oil-shale leases on federal lands, similar to leases sold now for oil and natural gas both onshore and off...The Bush administration decision comes as lawmakers in Colorado's congressional delegation wrestle over how rapidly oil-shale development should proceed."

More coverage from The Glenwood Springs Post Independent. They write:

While the moratorium prohibited the agency from finalizing oil shale regulations, the agency has still been drafting proposed rules for the possible commercial scale development of oil shale on federal lands.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

From The Lamar Ledger: "Anglers in southeast Colorado will soon benefit from an agreement reached between the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the city of Aurora for 10,000 acre-feet of water for Nee Noshe Reservoir in Kiowa County near Eads, Colo. DOW representative Michael Seraphin told The Lamar Ledger the initial release of 5,000 acre feet was made during the last week of June and an additional 5,000 acre feet should start coming into the reservoir this week. While rainfall in the region is hovering around 19 percent below average, prompting farmers and ranchers to seek relief through the early release of CRP lands for emergency grazing, excess run-off from near record winter snowfall made it possible for the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) to buy water for Nee Noshe Reservoir."

Thanks to The Water Information Program for the link.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

Some people just aren't listening. Climate change deniers have succeeded in framing the climate change argument turning the conversation about runaway warming into fear mongering. It is not. As permafrost melts in the Arctic there will be a large release of greenhouse gases.

In other climate change news mining lime to add to the alkalinity of seawater to stimulate carbon capture is getting another look.

beSpacific: "IPCC technical paper on climate change and water.

Here's some background on the Boulder Creek Watershed Initiative, from The Colorado Daily. From the article:

The teams' first task will be primarily observing and monitoring the quality of the water in their area. Measurements taken will include pH balance and temperature. This fall, the BCWI is planning to introduce biological analysis to its teams. The teams will then undertake further research, such as observing aquatic habitats. The teams will also observe the "chemical, physical and biological aspects of the stream," Hempel said. Category: Colorado Water

Here's a look at the management of the South Platte River, from The Denver Post. From the article:

the water agency's performance often goes far beyond mere legal mandate. "From what I'm seeing, they're going above and beyond what's required of them," Spohn said. Part of that direction stems from the fact that Bennett, who makes many of the hands-on decision, is himself an enthusiastic angler. "He's well rounded," Spohn continued. "He has commitments to water delivery, but he's doing what he can to help the resource at the same time." Bennett in turn volleyed much of the credit to his boss, Chips Barry, who launched a change of corporate culture when he became chief executive of Denver Water in 1991. "Chips has a positive attitude about the resource and our responsibility to it," Bennett said of an outlook that perhaps dates back to Barry's earlier post as executive director of Colorado's Department of Natural Resources. Among Barry's early moves was to create the position of recreation director, a kind of ombudsman who gives a variety of water sports a seat at council. Other user-friendly initiatives flowed from there. Much of the recent interagency cooperation has centered around remedies for the aftermath of the 2002 Hayman fire. Ash and loose soil from the largest Colorado fire in history buried many of the river's best runs and stifled reproduction of rainbow and brown trout. Anticipating a banner runoff, Bennett for 10 days in late April released a 900-cubic-feet-per-second flushing flow from Cheesman, largest clean-water discharge since the fire. Prior to this, he briefly trimmed the volume to allow Spohn time to gauge sediment deposits as a benchmark for post-runoff measurements. Spohn will perform his formal tests in September, but an eyeball survey already tells a story of re-emerging bottom boulders and more prolific insect hatches. Category: Colorado Water

Here's a short update on the basin roundtable process, from The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:

The strategies that the CWCB will evaluate look at demand, supply and regional coordination. Municipal and agricultural conservation will be looked at, as well as density of urban development and the energy use of new projects. On the supply side, water reuse and ag efficiency will be looked at. Optimizing existing storage and groundwater supplies, new storage within basins and developing the Colorado River Compact allocation also will be studied. Agricultural transfers, such as the Lower Arkansas Valley Superditch, will be examined. Regional coordination strategies will be evaluated for opportunities, challenges and risks...

Last November, the Arkansas, Metro and South Platte roundtables agreed to ask the four Western Slope roundtables to support an evaluation of transmountain diversion concepts outlined in the Statewide Water Supply Initiative. The Western Slope roundtables - Gunnison, Colorado, Yampa and Southwest - suggested three members from each roundtable meet to discuss the idea. In the end, that seemed to everyone to be more of a duplication of the IBCC, so the idea will run its course through the established process, said Eric Hecox, roundtable coordinator. On its own, the Gunnison Basin Roundtable has contacted most of the other roundtables for "get-to-know-you" meetings, like the one with the Arkansas Basin Roundtable.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.

Planning for the future is the subject of this article from The Pueblo Chieftain. They write:

The most difficult issue for the state to confront is using efficiency in agricultural operations on the Western Slope to gain more water to use on the Front Range. Eastern Plains ag efficiency will not yield more water for growth, since both the South Platte and Arkansas basins already are overappropriated. Likewise, urban conservation is needed to provide a cushion for drought, but it cannot be used to feed growth, Brown said. Aurora's Prairie Waters project has been lauded for recycling return flows, but is an expensive project necessitated by a slowdown of the acquisition of new water rights, Brown said. "The conservation ethic is something we can all get behind, but it's not something we want to build growth on," Brown said. "If (cities) are going to be prepared in drought, we have to develop partnerships with agriculture. About 85 percent of the water is still used by agriculture, and 80 percent of the water is on the Western Slope." SWSI identified a savings of between 287,000 and 459,000 acre-feet of water that could be achieved through efficiency, but not how that water could be moved to the people who will need it, Brown said. On the other hand, there are somewhere between 400,000 and 2 million acre-feet available for Colorado to develop on the Western Slope, under the seven-state Colorado River Compact, and Brown does not think the new study by the CWCB will change the numbers...

Meanwhile, as the state continues to search for a water vision, the potential gap is increasing. Projects up and down the Front Range, the Northern Integrated Supply Project, Windy Gap, Preferred Storage Options Plan and Southern Delivery System all were identified as projects in progress to meet needs. As they stall, the gap could get bigger, Brown said. "If we lose projects, the gap only gets larger," Brown said. Rather than tying up huge volumes of water in recreational in-channel diversions, the state should be looking at more storage projects to capture flows during wet years for use in dry years, Brown added. He advocated more multipurpose reservoirs - those that combine flood control, recreation and storage needs - that satisfy the needs of many communities. Category: Colorado Water

The Department of Wildlife, Aurora and Colorado Springs are working together to provide water for several southeastern Colorado reservoirs, according to DOW. From the article:

John Martin almost went dry in the fall of 2006. At that time, the DOW and DPOR were able to reach agreements with local irrigation companies to keep it from dying. In the spring of 2007 water was purchased from both the Pueblo Board of Water Works and Colorado Springs Utilities. When full, John Martin can hold over 600,000 acre-feet of water [^] giving it the potential to be the largest reservoir in the state...

The DOW acknowledged the help and cooperation that both the Fort Lyon Canal Company and the Amity Mutual Irrigation Company provided in delivering water to Nee Noshe. Both companies were key players in making sure the water got to Nee Noshe. Category: Colorado Water

From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb) "Inflows to the reservoir have been slowing down and the water elevation is at about 7949--one foot below completely full. As a result, we have been cutting back releases from Green Mountain Dam to the Lower Blue over the past week. Going into the weekend, the Lower Blue will be running around 850 cfs. It is possible the releases might cut back some more over the weekend."

From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):

That water is flowing into Lake Estes (after some power generation). From there, a portion is being delivered through Olympus Dam down the Big Thompson. We are also seeing the inflows from the Big Thompson River flowing out of the mountains into Lake Estes start to drop off. That indicates we have passed our "peak" of snow melt run off. Accordingly, we have been scaling back releases from the Dam to the Big T. We are currently releasing about 250 cfs. Depending on what the weather and down stream demands due over the weekend, those around the Big Thompson River might expect a change late Saturday or Sunday night.

The rest of the water we are running through the project, generating power and delivering to Carter and Horsetooth Reservoirs. Pinewood Reservoir has been inching up over the past couple of days and is currently at an elevation of 6567--typical of this time of year and reflective of the power generating we are doing.

We have been pumping up to Carter. Demands out of it and Horsetooth have slightly leveled off over the last few days. As we go into the weekend, water elevation at Carter is 5727--about 30 feet down from full. Considering is it the middle of July and that we had a slow start filling Carter this year, that is a nice elevation. Horsetooth is currently sitting at about 5405, where it has been for the past several weeks.

But the heat has started to turn on. Visitors and residents around Horsetooth and Carter should expect to see demands out of both reservoirs go up as the heat comes on. Additionally, as we respond to needs around the project, the pump to Carter will go off early next week. Depending on weather and demands, it is possible we will not see the water coming into both Carter and Horsetooth quite as steadily as it has been so far this summer. That means water elevations will start to go down more visibly. But, that is also typical of July: the heat and the demands this time of year.

In other project news, you have probably already seen some media coverage of the confirmation that we have quagga mussel larvae in Granby Reservoir. Unfortunately, that is true. To learn more about quagga mussels and their cousins, the zebra mussel, please visit the Colorado Division of Wildlife's page: www.wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/Profiles/InvasiveSpecies/ZebraandQuaggaMussels.htm

If you are a boater, please become familiar with the Clean, Drain and Dry program. The most effective way we can protect our water resources from the further spread of these invasive mussels is by working together. Clean, Drain and Dry all of your water equipment--especially your boats! Category: Colorado Water

Here's a recap of Thursday's meeting of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District board meeting, from The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:

Stratmoor Hills is proposing a change in its augmentation plan that increases its reliance on Fryingpan-Arkansas water while selling 70 shares it owns in Fountain Mutual Irrigation Co. to Security. It is a concern for Southeastern because the district encourages water users to obtain their own supplies and reserve Fry-Ark water for supplemental uses, Bob Hamilton, engineering director, told the board Thursday. The board voted unanimously to file in opposition to the application. Such a filing is necessary if the district chooses to later intervene in the court case, although often the result is a stipulation of conditions for the application's approval.

In a second case, the board voted to oppose a proposed change in use water court application by Fountain and Widefield for water rights they purchased from the H2O Ranch in Custer County near Westcliffe. Fountain and Widefield bought the water rights from the 486-acre ranch for $3.5 million in April, and filed in June for a change of use for the water, which was historically used for irrigation. The historic use for irrigation is about 700 acre-feet and the El Paso County users would capture the water as it flows down Grape Creek and the Arkansas River into Lake Pueblo. Both communities are members of the Fountain Valley Authority, which has a pipeline from the dam. Hamilton said the transit loss, or the amount that soaks into banks as it moves downstream, on Grape Creek is high and the amount of water on the creek could affect a Southeastern application for exchange into DeWeese Reservoir in Custer County.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here.