Water News Roundup & Moratorium Edition

I am very sad to say this will be my last Water News in Utah update for a while.  I have been offered a job that likely won’t allow me to keep posting in a substantial way. I will leave the site up in the meantime however, since it has become a handy reference and news story archive. I hope you’ve enjoyed the water news round-up over the past year. I know I have, and I’ll be back if I can swing it. Thanks again for devoting time and energy to stay informed.

Salt Lake Tribune: Oil shale problems – In “Oil and water” (Forum, Aug. 14), Bill Johnson, Utah’s “community representative” for the U.S. Congressional Task Force on Strategic Unconventional Fuels, promotes oil shale development and says that there is enough water to uphold this industry because one study estimates that only about 1.7 barrels of water are needed to produce a barrel of shale oil.

Living history: Utah Lake carp provided food for the needy – Utah Lake was once a fabulous, rich fishery. George Washington Bean, a settler in Utah Valley, wrote that Ute tribes gathered at the lake “on account of the wonderful supply of fish moving up the stream from the Lake to their spawning grounds each spring.

KSL: Feds give $100,000 to help save June sucker in Utah Lake – The Federal Government has given the Central Utah Water Conservancy District $100,000 to rid Utah Lake of non-native fish.

St. George Spectrum: Water rate structure questioned – Water resources and the systems that make use of them shape the way a community develops and thrives, but Cedar City resident Doug Hall believes unless a new water rate structure is instituted by Cedar City Corporation, Festival City USA will no longer have cause for celebration.

The St. George Spectrum online edition requires a login.  I find it interesting that one of Cedar City’s water rate critics cites Washington County Water Conservancy District’s rate structure as a possible model for Cedar City.

Water News Roundup – August 24, 2010

Deseret News: Lake Powell ruled mussel free zone – The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has officially ruled Lake Powell mussel-free three years after a false positive detection.

Salt Lake Tribune: West can lead the new energy economy – The West, with its wealth of wind, solar, geothermal and other clean, renewable energy resources, is poised to lead the nation toward a new energy future.

The Hill: EPA unveils strategy to modernize clean water programs – The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday floated a draft strategy to improve water quality nationwide, one that bluntly recognizes that today’s pollution sources are often difficult to target with traditional Clean Water Act controls.

New York Times – Science: Levels plummet in crucial reservoir – Water levels in Lake Mead, the Colorado River reservoir, fell sharply again this summer and are nearing an elevation that would set off the first-ever official water shortage on the river, The Arizona Republic reported last week.

Indian Point nuclear plant’s toll on river stirs debate – Just beneath the wind-stippled surface of the Hudson River here, huge pipes suck enough water into the Indian Point nuclear plant every second to fill three Olympic swimming pools.

Water News Roundup – August 9, 2010

KSL: Counties sign Jordan River Pact – Three Wasatch Front counties took a major step Wednesday to make the Jordan River corridor a greater community centerpiece.

Agencies discuss safety plans for the Jordan River – Several agencies met to discuss safety plans for a trouble spot along the Jordan River after couple died last weekend while kayaking.

Logan canal project could be delayed by study – Work to restore the full flow of irrigation water to thousands of acres of northern Utah farmland could be delayed now that a more in-depth environmental study on a canal project is planned.

Pleasant Grove sets water restrictions – Pleasant Grove has issued a citywide conservation plan for watering.  Residents in odd-numbered houses can water on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The days for even-numbered homes are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

KCPW: Local officials sign agreement to create Jordan River Commission – Representatives from Salt Lake, Davis and Utah Counties signed an agreement this afternoon to coordinate efforts to restore and revive the Jordan River. And they’re calling the plan “historic.” KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports.

Water News Roundup – August 2, 2010

Will be at all day training sessions August 3-4.  No water news these days, but back on Thursday.  Thanks for checking in!

Deseret News: State forestry division plans open houses to craft Great Salt Lake Management Plan – With the wind rustling in the cattails and birds bobbing on the water of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, members of the new Great Salt Lake Advisory Council convened their second meeting — a get-acquainted session on topics related to the unique body of water.

Those meetings are:

Aug. 10, Weber County.

Aug. 17, Salt Lake and Davis counties.

Aug. 24, Tooele County.

Aug. 31, Box Elder County.

More information can be found at www.ffsl.utah.gov/sovlands/gsl.php.

Flash floods set off mudslides and close access to roads in Utah, Duchesne counties – Flash flooding triggered mudslides and closed off access to U.S. 89 near Bird’s Eye Sunday evening but forecasters predict the weather will clear up by Monday.

KSL: Storm floods parts of Utah County – A quick-moving rain storm caused major problems in Utah County Saturday evening.

Salt Lake Tribune: Storms cause flooding in S. Utah – Residents spent Saturday filling sandbags and clearing thick red mud from Kanab streets and basements, caused by floodwaters from torrential rains that swept into town.

Provo Daily Herald: New water restrictions for Pleasant Grove – Residents are using much more water this summer than last year and it is causing a concern about the city’s secondary water supply.

AWRA Blog: Western Governor’s Association DC Workshop: Drought, Climate and Water– The Western Governors’ Association and the Western States Water Council will sponsor a two-day workshop in DC, 14-15 September 2010, on: Drought, Climate and Water: Using Today’s Information and Designing Tomorrow’s Services.

Water News Roundup – July 29, 2010

Deseret News:

Flash floods might continue in southern Utah – The National Weather Service’s forecast of high precipitation levels and flash flooding proved true Tuesday as a mudslide blocked traffic in Grand County. The NWS issued a flash flood warning Tuesday morning for southern and eastern counties in Utah.

Payson officials remind residents of watering schedule – Although Utah experienced a wet winter and spring, water restrictions continue in this south Utah County city.

Report says Utah, northwest poised to make change to clean energy – Utah is among seven regional states identified in a new analysis as the best-positioned area in the country to transition to clean energy within 40 years.

KSL: Western climate initiative offers cap and trade – A coalition of seven western states and three Canadian provinces on Tuesday offered its most detailed strategy yet for controlling greenhouse gas emissions blamed for climate change, saying they hope it will stand as a model for national systems in the United States and Canada.

KCPW: Western climate initiative cap and trade plan released – The most detailed plan yet detailing how the Western Climate Initiative will attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions came out yesterday.

Ogden Standard Examiner: Energy startup defends oil sands project in Utah – An energy startup from Canada on Tuesday defended its plan to launch the first significant U.S. oil sands project in eastern Utah, after opponents argued it would dig up fragile topsoil and pollute groundwater.

After reading up on the “water/energy nexus” I am convinced that stories covering energy, such as cap and trade, oil shale development and renewables, are tightly integrated with water provision.  Water is inexpensive at this time, but will likely increase in cost in the near future as these two resources constrain each other.

A view of the capitol building this morning for a Think!Energy breakfast:

Water News Roundup – July 26, 2010

Provo Daily Herald: Residents learn more about canal, trail project – Jackie Adamson says seeing plans for the $150 million Provo Reservoir Canal Enclosure Project is like watching a life-long dream come true.

Deseret News:

Most residents voice support for Murdock canal, trail plan – Few people pay attention to the “No Trespassing” sign that warns people off the maintenance road along the Murdock Canal.  Every day, walkers, runners and cyclists can be found using the dirt road, and no one stops them.

Safe drinking water a goal of Utah agencies, cities – Orders to boil water issued in two cities about a month apart this year highlighted an aspect of modern-day living most people take for granted — safe drinking water as close as the kitchen faucet.

KSL: Southern Utah officials help residents save water – Water officials in southern Utah are continuing a program that offers free irrigation system checks to residents so they can save water.

AWRA Blog: Evaluating sustainability of water demands in 2050 under climate change –Tetra Tech and the Natural Resources Defense Council have just released the report, Evaluating Sustainability of Projected Water Demands under Future Climate Change Scenarios.

St. George Spectrum (sub. required): The Slide Divide – A discussion that initially started out over a battle of water rights for a few individuals on Cedar Mountain has escalated to an issue that could affect all of Iron County and its taxpayers.

Water News Roundup – July 20, 2010

Even die-hard water newsies like myself have to break for vacation now and again.  I’ll be up running the Snake River over the next few days.  The water news will be back on Monday.

St. George Spectrum:  (Unfortunately the Spectrum has switched to a subscription only format on the web.  You must have a subscription to view the articles below.  I am considering leaving the Spectrum out of the Roundup because of this.  Or I can keep posting them with a note that says ‘sub only.’ What would my readers prefer?  Feedback is greatly appreciated.  Please use the comment link, also below.)

Pipeline studies plodding along – Thousands of pages in, work continues on a group of studies on the possible environmental and social impacts of a proposed $1 billion dollar pipeline…

Residents look to save water – Triple-digit temperatures and a lack of rain have some people scratching their heads about how to keep their plants and lawns green…

Salt Lake Tribune:  Public input sought for proposed otter plan – The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is seeking public input on a proposed plan to guide northern river otter management in Utah for the next decade.

High Country News:  Dust takes a toll – Imtiaz Rangwala studies climate change on the Tibetan Plateau and, more recently, in the American West. In mid-May, the climatologist flew into Durango, Colo., through skies darkened by dust… (Subscription required.  Fortunately HCN offers a free 30-day trial.  Give this great pub a whirl!)

Water News Roundup – July 12, 2010

Salt Lake Tribune:  Questions linger a year after Logan canal burst – …Today, the property still looks like a disaster zone. The hillside is a jumble of dirt and tree limbs beneath the cracked edges of the empty canal.

High Country News:  Calm before the storm – Late last month, the Western Governors’ Association, a nonpartisan organization that works with the governors of 19 western states and three U.S. territories, took a step to prepare for the impending hail with the publication of their new report, “Climate Adaptation Priorities for the Western States.”

KSL:

Salt Lake residents speak out on Red Butte oil spill – Exactly one month after Utah’s biggest oil spill in memory, the residents most affected are speaking out — but not with a single voice.

Law lets raindrops keep falling in Utah buckets – Utahns can now legally collect rainwater, and at least a few are taking advantage of the freebie.

As mentioned last week in the Daily Herald’s article on BYU joining the Western Waters Digital Library, here’s a link to the library itself – seems like a useful and searchable resource for historical photos and documentation.  I’m sure everyone already knew about the collection, but it was news to me!

Water News Roundup – July 8, 2010

Salt Lake Tribune:

Fluoridation battle rages on – Holliday Water won’t have to fluoridate its supply — at least for now.  Under a recent decision by the Utah Supreme Court, the water company will not have to fluoridate its supply, despite a 2000 Salt Lake County ordinance that requires fluoridation. The company argued that as a private corporation, it was exempt.

Detecting oil leaks – In coordination with local, state and federal officials, Chevron has made all the right moves in responding to last month’s oil pipeline leak in Salt Lake City.  Chevron and city crews were on scene quickly, equipment materializing out of nowhere. Within hours of the discovery, the leak was stanched and the cleanup launched.

Open house on Murdock canal plan –  The Provo River Water Users Association is sponsoring an open house to discuss plans to enclose the Murdock Canal in a pipe and create a trail system over the canal right-of-way. The open house is on July 13 at 6 p.m. at Orchard Elementary School, 800 E. 1035 North [in Orem].

Provo Daily Herald:  BYU contributes to digital water policy library – Brigham Young University’s Harold B. Lee Library is one of five research libraries that helped complete a content expansion project for the Western Waters Digital Library.  Founded in 2004, the library is an online public resource that provides information about water issues in the western United States.

High Country News:  Monkey wrenchers keep on keeping on – When the news spread last year about Tim DeChristopher’s impromptu act of civil disobedience in Utah, I thought: Somebody is finally reviving the lost art of environmental monkey-wrenching.

Stories about hydro-fracking and groundwater contamination…

Wyoming Trib: Monitoring wells nearing completion – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has almost finished drilling two monitoring wells to test for pollution in a central Wyoming community where residents suspect chemicals related to gas drilling have contaminated their well water… Area residents say chemicals related to a process called hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” may have polluted their wells. Fracking involves pumping water, sand and chemicals underground at high pressure to open fissures and improve the flow of oil or gas.

AWWA:  Fracking bill may face uphill battle – Democratic Reps. Diana DeGette, Maurice Hinchey and Jared Polis introduced a bill in June to reverse a 2005 measure excluding hydraulic fracturing, used to enhance extraction of oil and gas, from regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Light n’ Fluffy News Roundup – June 30, 2010

I’ll have to wait to watch ‘Gasland’ until it’s out on video, but Michael ‘Aquadoc’ Campana provides a synopsis for those that haven’t seen it…

AWRA Blog: Review of ‘Gasland’ – If you saw Joshua Fox’s documentary Gasland on HBO last Monday night (check to see if it is still being shown) you know that one of Fox’s most compelling visuals is a flaming tap, such as the one shown here from the review in the New York Times.

Colorado River District: Water Education Video Page – Great collection of videos that discuss their topics clearly, intelligently and even humorously!

Water News Roundup – June 8, 2010

*** I’m headed for hot Moab for a bit of vacation tomorrow.  Water News will be back on Monday!**

Salt Lake Tribune:

Time to water, but just a little – OK, go ahead and water the lawn this week — but only once.  So advises the Utah Division of Water Resources, which posts a weekly lawn-watering guide at slowtheflow.org that is updated every Thursday.

Utah Lake Festival marks 6th year – Reed Price readily admits that Utah Lake doesn’t get the same respect as Utah’s other lakes.

High waters still threaten across Salt Lake County – From the backyard of his home on Canyonview Road, Jim Wilcox looked out over a rushing torrent of chocolate brown water that used to be little more, he said, than a “babbling brook.”

KSL: Officials confirm presence of Quagga mussels – Wildlife officials have confirmed the presence of quagga mussels in Sand Hollow Reservoir.

HCN:

One tough sucker – The razorback sucker evolved in a wild Colorado River. Now, humans are its biggest problem — and its only hope. (Article has a great video vignette on razorback sucker recovery efforts from biologist Abraham Karam’s point of view.)

Photo by Abraham Karam

A boring diagram – Las Vegas’ primary water supply — has been drawing down like a leaky tub over the past decade, thanks to prolonged drought in the Colorado River Basin.

Water News Roundup – June 1, 2010

KSL: Water use down considerably in Salt Lake City – Millions of gallons of water, hundreds of thousands of dollars.  That’s how much Salt Lake International Airport has saved by switching out thirsty lawns for water-wise landscaping.

Since urging conservation, water use is down considerably in Salt Lake City.

Las Vegas Sun: Water authority eye power for pipeline plan – Southern Nevada Water Authority is on the verge of getting into the geothermal power business.

Provo Daily Herald: Saratoga leaders consider imposing fines for cross connections – Saratoga Springs leaders are talking about putting teeth into a city code on cross connecting culinary drinking water with irrigation lines after a bacteria outbreak.

Deseret News – Editorial: Utah’s water is precious – May 24 had a record-breaking snowfall. And we don’t dare complain.

Salt Lake Tribune – Editorial:

Whoever thought this bathtub was a good idea? – A dozen miles from Lake Powell, up the Dirty Devil River, our canoes enter the old lake-bottom layer.

Great Salt Lake belongs to all of us – I was perplexed after reading Corey Milne’s op-ed (“A new approach to the Great Salt Lake,” Opinion, May 15).

Water News Roundup – May 17, 2010

Happy Monday!  Loads of water news today.  When it rains it pours?

Provo Daily Herald:  Task force formed to discuss water access on private lands – There have been few issues in the past five years hotter than recreational access to water flowing over private property.

Provo Daily Herald – Opinion:  Facts support need for Utah Lake bridge – In the last few weeks there have been two news articles that state the bridge across Utah Lake is "a bad idea" and it is "not viable." People can have thoughts and beliefs, but not their own facts.

Salt Lake Tribune:

A new approach to the Great Salt Lake – Great Salt Lake Minerals Corp.’s expansion plan is moving forward so America’s farmers can continue to feed our country and help meet growing worldwide food needs.

Wyoming worried about Green River water grab – Wyoming has an unusual problem among the states in the Colorado River system: lots of water and, other than supporting some fine trout fishing, no way to put a significant amount of it to use.

Deseret News:  Comments sought on Gooseberry Narrows dam project – Envisioned 77 years ago as a way to supply water to northern Sanpete County residents, the proposed Gooseberry Narrows reservoir remains on the drawing board and a subject of bitter contention between two counties.

St. George Spectrum: Event highlights water education – A wet winter has water supplies looking good in Southern Utah, but water managers are reminding residents to do what they can to help those supplies last.

KCPW: Salt Lake County adopts stricter drinking water protections – Salt Lake County adopted a water source protection ordinance this week to beef up protections already in place and to comply with a new state law.

AWRA and News Roundup – May 11, 2010

Attending the AWRA – Utah Section Conference today.  Plenty of talks and more information than one could possibly digest in one day, as usual.  Notable talks so far include water quality of the GSL and Jordan River, updates on water infrastructure funding and an overview of recently adopted water legislation (water banking, aquifer storage and recovery, etc.).  Hilarious vignettes from a surprisingly frank Representative Patrick Painter.  My faves so far: Jay Franson and Representative Painter.  This year the venue is the University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium tower overlooking the Salt Lake Valley.  Quite a view of the ongoing rainstorm… hey, at least it’s not snowing.

Later:  Oooo!  I got to meet Michael the Aquadoc Campana from Waterwired!  (As a noob water nerd, I must geek out about this.)  He provides a great summary of the talks on his blog.  I’m glad that he was able to speak and that he enjoyed the rest of the presentations.

“Some of you are no doubt thinking, “Oh, no! WaterWired got stuck at Delta’s SLC hub waiting for a connection!” That has happened to me more than once, but not this time. My 28 hours in SLC were a WaterWonk’s delight…”

Ogden Standard Examiner: Farmington water rates could go up 40% – Water rates will rise by at least 40 percent in the coming year as part of a new rate structure being finalized by city officials in conjunction with Lagoon.  In a recent council work session, Mayor Scott Harbertson set 40 percent as the baseline for an anticipated water rate hike for the 2010-11 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Salt Lake Tribune – Editorial: Catastrophic Plan – The Salt Lake City Council will soon vote to either approve the proposed Northwest Quadrant Master Plan or uphold current zoning that preserves heritage farms and natural wetlands around the Great Salt Lake (“Plan sees mini-city west of airport,” Tribune , April 19). If developed as currently proposed, the results will be catastrophic.

Water News Roundup – May 10, 2010

St. George Spectrum: Utah allows rainwater collection – During its 2010 session, the Utah Legislature approved Senate Bill 32. The mandate allows rainwater collection and storage in no more than one underground 2,500 gallon container or no more than two above-ground containers of 100 gallons each.

Salt Lake Tribune: Outdoor Notebook: Migrate on over to the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival – The 12th annual Great Salt Lake Bird Festival is May 13-17 with field trips, workshops, lectures and educational and craft booths. The Davis County Legacy Events Center, 151 S. 1100 West, Farmington, is the main location for the event with hours from noon to 7 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Bill Fenimore, author of Backyard Birds of Utah and The Salt Lake Tribune ‘s Bird Sighting feature, will be the keynote speaker at a dinner May 15 at 6 p.m. Visit greatsaltlakebirdfest.com or call 801-451-3286 for information.

Technorati Tags: Great Salt Lake,Great Salt Lake Bird Festival,rainwater harvesting