Water News Roundup – June 28, 2010

Salt Lake Tribune:

Utah anglers may have to buy stream access – State fisheries managers want to overcome Utah’s newly restricted stream access by charging $3 to $5 extra from participating anglers and using the money to pay private landowners for walk-in access.

Quick note for summer field crews in Utah – if its in Centerville, it might be where you’re working too.  Watch your step!

Large marijuana plot discovered in Centerville – Police destroyed a clandestine plot of more than 12,000 marijuana plants near Centerville on Sunday.

Deseret News: Health officials brace for war against ‘crypto’ – Few things could bring more welcome relief and fun to a hot Utah summer day than spending time at a community swimming pool or a local water park.

And just to prove that the ol’ adage about whiskey and water still stands… HA!!!

Missoulian: Stevensville man accused of shovel assault – An apparent fight over opening a headgate one hour early left one man with a cracked tooth and another facing a felony charge of assault with a weapon. (HT: actively moving water)

 

An Email Digest…

I’ve added a link on the right sidebar for anyone interested in receiving the ‘Roundup’ via email instead of over the web.  Sign up and you’ll get the ‘Roundup’ in your inbox.

Skimpy News Roundup – June 2, 2010

Pretty light water news lately.  Everybody’s more interested in vacation.  This link seems apropos:

Salt Lake Tribune:  It’s like the Ski Salt Lake Superpass, but for golf – The golf super pass hasn’t taken off yet like the ski pass has, but every little bit of additional business adds up in the eyes of the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Water News Roundup – June 2, 2010

An interesting set of groundwater rulings that address whether an adjacent user’s water right is impaired by declining water table levels.  Jeff Gittens provides a clear summary – thank you Jeff!  Here is the legal-ese version.

Utah Water Law & Water Rights Blog:  Bingham vs. Roosevelt City – The Utah Supreme Court recently issued its opinion in Bingham v. Roosevelt City. The case centered around five City wells, known as the Hayden Well Field, through which the City pumped water out of an unconfined, shallow aquifer underlying the Hayden area. The water level in the area dropped significantly due to the City’s pumping. For example, the static water level at one well dropped from 14.3 feet to 94.6 feet.

Water world in pictures today – a bit bleak:

Recent satellite imagery of the gulf (complete with helpful ‘oil’ labels.. ha!):

Beautiful satellite imagery of the Colorado River Delta:

View of the sinkhole in Guatemala caused by recent tropical storms:

Water News Roundup – TGIT!

To celebrate the arrival of Thursday (the end of the week for we plebeian public servants), I’m posting vids instead of the news.

Via Thirsty in Suburbia, the latest water appreciation campaign out of Yorkshire, U.K. features two grannies, Edna and Mary, discussing the incredible value they receive for a pittance from their local water company.

Or how about this new one out of Austin, TX?  Keep in mind that Austin has a city-wide campaign to ‘Keep Austin Weird’!

Finally, another interesting one that is simply fascinating to watch.  It’s actually a bit of performance art by one Petr Spatina… NEAT!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Technorati Tags: videos,water videos,water conservation,stormwater quality,fun stuff

SLC Skybridge Timelapse

I’m starting to get excited about the new City Creek Re-development and this is an awesome time lapse video of the Main Street bridge installation.  Wonder why they did it at night.  Any thoughts??

Water News Roundup – March 9, 2010

Daily Herald – Opinion: Trailing indicators – Vigorous public debate has once again showed its effectiveness — this time in helping to clarify why it’s time to begin work on the Murdock Canal Trail.

Happy Groundwater Awareness Week!  (Mar. 7 – 13th) Didn’t even know there was such a thing until today, but it’s a great reminder to get your well tested and perform any preventive maintenance on your groundwater equipment.

Jordan River Basin Plan Released for Public Comment

Salt Lake City, Utah  –  A regional water plan for the Salt Lake Valley is now available.  The Utah Division of Water Resources has just released Jordan River Basin-Planning for the Future, which is the latest in the series of “Utah State Water Plan” reports.

The new report is a comprehensive review of the Salt Lake Valley’s water resources.  It discusses current supplies and uses and explores in-depth how future demands will be met.  “This report has been reviewed by the major water suppliers in the valley and is now ready to receive input from the public,” said Dennis Strong, Division Director.  “We believe the plan lays out a roadmap that will ensure the water needs of the valley are met in a way that is economically and socially responsible, and also protects the environment.”

The new report also addresses future population projections and associated water demands to 2060, water conservation goals and successes, innovative water management strategies, major water development projects, and water quality and environmental issues.

A public meeting to receive comment on the report is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 30, 2010, at the Department of Natural Resources, 1594 W. North Temple in Salt Lake City.  A copy of the report is available at the division’s web site:  www.water.utah.gov.  Printed copies can also be obtained by contacting the division.

The Division of Water Resources plans, conserves, develops and protects Utah’s water resources.

Technorati Tags: Groundwater,groundwater awareness,Murdock Canal,Provo Reservoir Canal,Provo Reservoir Canal Enclosure Project,Jordan River,Jordan River Basin Plan

Water News Roundup – March 4, 2010

KSL: Legislature OKs personal collection of rainwater – The Utah Legislature has passed a bill that would permit the personal collection of rainwater.

Deseret News: Great Salt Lake Bird Festival registration begins Thursday – Registration for the 12th annual Great Salt Lake Bird Festival begins at 9 a.m. Thursday.  Registration can be made online at www.greatsaltlakebirdfest.com or by calling 801-451-3278.

The Spectrum: Legislators to meet with city – Enoch City Council members will have the chance at their next meeting to ask Sen. Dennis Stowell, R.-Dist.28, questions about the recently passed Senate Bill 20 that allows for the creation of special districts by local entities to assess water rights.

Technorati Tags: Enoch,Great Salt Lake,Great Salt Lake Bird Festival,rainwater harvesting,Water Rights

Water News Roundup – March 3, 2010

Salt Lake Tribune:

Canal bill advances to the Senate – A bill that would require city and county officials to notify canal companies of applications to build on land within 100 feet of a canal cleared a legislative committee Tuesday.

Six water companies not compliant – Six water companies in Utah have been listed as noncompliant with the state’s Water Conservation Plan Act.

Deseret News:

Water bill clears the House – A legislative proposal that clarifies water rights in a time of shortage such as a drought or natural disaster unanimously received support from the House.

Six water systems out of compliance – Six water companies in Utah are not compliant with the Water Conservation Plan Act because they failed to submit water conservation plans by the February deadline.

For anyone whose taken a muncipal water system class, this article will be fascinating.  It may well change the way we distribute water to through urban communities…

Science Daily:  Leaf veins inspire new model for distribution networks – A team of biophysicists at Rockefeller University developed a mathematical model showing that complex sets of interconnecting loops — like the netted veins that transport water in a leaf — provide the best distribution network for supplying fluctuating loads to varying parts of the system. It also shows that such a network can best handle damage.

Technorati Tags: water conservation plans,Water Rights,water shortage

The Golfing Index…

A bonus link for those of you in the water industry who enjoy a good round on the links.  Apparently it’s a mandatory activity so I am signing up for more lessons this spring.  Fun!!  Sadly the current golf index is an abysmal 0 on a scale of 0 to 10 for all local courses.

Water News Inaugural Post

WHAT?

This is a blog dedicated to providing a helpful summary of the day’s water-related news.  Sometimes I just want to read news that relates to my work instead of sifting through the culture section and getting side-tracked for an hour  .  It also occurred to me that the water professionals that work in and around Utah might appreciate the same.  So yeah… I still sift through it all but with a little help (see ‘How?’ below).  As far as content, I load all local news and opinion blurbs regardless of left/right/dev/green leanings.  I pick and choose articles that are of interest to me from regional/national/international news (there’s so much that everything would be too much).

WHEN?

First thing Monday morning through Thursday, all the water news that’s fit to drink.  Catch up with major weekend news on Monday.

HOW?

Google Reader makes it relatively easy to review topic-specific recent news from a wide variety of news sources.  I have a small but growing list of online newspaper and association websites that generate my news round-up.  Here is the list and if you have a suggestion PLEASE email me or comment on this thread.

In Utah, the biggies from North to South:  Ogden Standard Examiner, KSL, Salt Lake Tribune, Deseret News, Provo Herald, and the St. George Spectrum, KCPW…

Nationally: Washington Post, New York Times, NPR, Newsweek, CNN, Science, Scientific American, WSJ, AWRA, NWRA, ASCE, MSNBC…

Miscellaneous Blogs:  Circle of Blue, City Brights with Dr. Gleick, Thirsty in Suburbia, and the AWRA Water Blog (need more water blogs here…)

WHERE?

HERE!!!

WHO?

I am also a graduate student at the University of Utah in the MS Civil Engineering program with an emphasis on water resources.  I am currently working on a thesis about the energy requirements of treating and conveying water in Utah and the effects of water right transfers, water conservation, and possible reductions in surface storage (i.e. climate change) on those requirements.  I am fascinated with water politics and policy in the arid West.

WHY?

Utah is a great place to live but there are some issues coming up concerning water that are pretty staggering.  We can be pro-active or reactive about them – we should at least strive to be informed about them.  On every level – local, regional, national and international – how to provide clean water is of tremendous importance.  Let’s not take such a valuable resource for granted.