Water News Roundup – May 26, 2010

KCPW: Utah water outlook good, despite low snowpack – Yesterday marked the latest measureable spring snowfall in Utah’s history. It’s the most recent storm in what’s turned into a cool, wet spring. That’s just the kind of weather the state’s water forecasters like to see when the snowpack is lower than average.

Salt Lake Tribune:

Archaeologists work on ancient ruins as dam construction begins – A site once occupied by prehistoric Puebloan people, which includes multiple American Indian remains, is being excavated before the place is scraped away to make room for a dam and reservoir.

Amateur biologists – A Utah angler, leading a flotilla of state biologists to the spot where he caught and killed three non-native white bass, may have saved the rainbow trout fishery at Deer Creek Reservoir.

KSL: $7000 reward offered in illegal stocking case – The Provo River is one of the most popular fishing spots in Utah. Recently, a fisherman there caught a white bass near the inlet of Deer Creek Reservoir in Wasatch County.

Deseret News: Biologists study otters as they adapt to new home – Wildlife biologists are encouraged about river otters transplanted in the fall of 2009 into the Provo River.  The specialists are now gathering data on the otters to better understand how they are adapting to their new home.

Water News Roundup – May 24, 2010

Deseret News: Invasive quagga mussel found in Utah reservoir – State wildlife officers say divers have found what appears to be signs of the invasive quagga mussel in a Utah waterway.

Salt Lake Tribune:

Suspected quagga mussel found in S. Utah – The long-feared first case of an invasive, troublesome and costly exotic mussel is suspected at Sand Hollow Reservoir in southern Utah.

Thirsty farmers in Sanpete County may get dam soon – After nearly 80 years of hoping, bickering and legal challenges, farmers in northern Sanpete County are closer than ever to having water flow to their fields in the arid months of summer from a dammed creek high on the Wasatch Plateau.

Skip the sprinklers: rain will water for you this weekend – The bad news is that yet another spring weekend in Utah is likely to be wet. The good news: you still don’t need to start up the sprinkler system. (Check out the regional, weather-station/ET-based Weekly Lawn-Watering Guide!!)

St. George Spectrum: Water services expanding – The St. George City Council approved a bid for a $3.7 million water project Thursday that should improve water capacity and pressure on the south side of the city.

Provo Daily Herald: Pl. Grove needs $3M to pipe mountain runoff – A massive effort to pipe the Murdock Canal has left Pleasant Grove looking for ways to pay for its own $3 million pipeline.

Provo Daily Herald – Opinion: Another look at Utah Lake bridge plan – I am writing in response to the recent guest opinion by Howard Johnson (“Facts support need for Utah Lake bridge” in the May 17 edition of the Daily Herald).

I know I should be thrilled for our water supply, but dang it!! This is asking too much:

Water News Roundup – April 7, 2010

Ogden Standard Examiner: Meteorologist: Moisture in April not unusual – Remember the snowstorms of last April? While it shocked some to see snowplows on the street Tuesday, the first days of last April were spent in much the same way.

Deseret News: Environmental group Utah Valley Earth Forum submits no-build proposal for Utah Lake bridge – An environmental group has a plan for Utah Lake, and it doesn’t include a bridge.  The Utah Valley Earth Forum recently submitted to state officials a no-build option to counter a developer’s proposal to construct a bridge across Utah Lake.

New York Times: Study says U.S. waterways are warming – Many streams and rivers in the United States are getting warmer, with the greatest increases in urbanized areas, according to research to be published in an upcoming edition of the journal Frontiers of the Ecology and the Environment.

An interesting opinion piece on water-related rhetoric in California…

L.A. Times – Opinion: Deceptive arguments are being made in California’s water wars – Who needs absinthe, vodka or even a six-pack of beer? Judging from the quality of our debate on natural resource policy, all it takes to addle the political mind in California is water.

Technorati Tags: California,California drought,precipitation,stream warming,thermal pollution,Utah Lake,Utah Lake bridge

Water News Roundup – March 30, 2010

Salt Lake Tribune:

Storm expected to hit Utah this week – Four-wheel drive fans participating in the annual Moab Jeep Safari usually don’t let a little bad weather keep them from exploring the trails surrounding the southeastern Utah recreational hotbed.

Brian McInerny’s STORM WATCH – 60 mph winds??? Oh my!!

Company seeks first U.S. oil sands project, in Utah – An energy company with government approvals to launch the first significant U.S. oil sands project is trying to raise money to build a plant in eastern Utah that would turn out 2,000 barrels of oil a day.

AWRA Blog: Dr. Rita Colwell awarded 2010 Stockholm water prize – Dr. Rita Colwell, a professor at the University of Maryland and at the Johns Hopkins University, has been awarded the 2010 Stockholm Water Prize.

The prize, awarded by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), is sometimes referred to as water’s Nobel Prize.

New York Times:

Of Water, Electricity and the Time of Day – Water accounts for an astonishing percentage of electricity use — 19 percent in California, for example — partly because of all the energy needed to pump it.

Can people be persuaded to change the hours that they use water, and thereby reduce their water utility’s electricity costs? A pilot study conducted last summer in Palm Desert, Calif., suggests that they can.

The Battle Over Bottled Water – Published in recognition of World Water Day, a video called The Story of Bottled Water, made its debut on YouTube this week, using animation and snappy narration to convey what its makers consider to be the evils of bottled water. (It comes from the same folks who produced ”The Story of Stuff” — an eco-themed viral video sensation from last year.)

Not missing a beat, the International Bottled Water Association, declared the new video to be sensational, and quickly posted its own minifilm, highlighting the sustainability practices of its members, which include major brands like Nestlé. (Who knew there was an International Bottled Water Association?)

Technorati Tags: bottled water,oil/shale development,precipitation,Rita Colwell,Stockholm water prize,water/energy nexus

Water News Roundup – March 22, 2010

Salt Lake Tribune:

Pumping too much water is sinking Cedar Valley – Since 1939, the Cedar Valley spreading west and north of Cedar City has dropped 100 feet and the only way to stop or slow the process is replenish the underlying aquifer with at least as much water as is being discharged through pumping.

Snake Valley water deal stalled for this year – A court ruling, and the inaction of Nevada lawmakers, means any agreement on Snake Valley water won’t happen until at least 2011, according to Mike Styler, executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources.

KSL: Spring ends a tale of 2 winters in Utah – Two winters came to Utah this year.  One, in southern Utah, delivered storm after storm that piled deeper-than-normal drifts of snow in the mountains.  The other, in northern Utah, offered only sporadic snow but nothing close to the 30-year average.

The Spectrum: UGS report: Water table down 4 feet – Reports on the Enoch Subsidence Study by the Utah Geological Survey topped the agenda at the Central Iron County Water Conservancy District meeting Thursday.

Technorati Tags: Cedar City,Enoch,groundwater management,Nevada,precipitation,Snake Valley,snowpack,subsidence

Water News Roundup – January 17, 2010

Deseret News: Two bills on stream access pass committee – Like that pesky carp that keeps returning to your fishing line, the controversial issue of accessing public streams on private property is presenting lawmakers with a boatload of debate.

Salt Lake Tribune: Two bills on stream access pass House panels – Two different Utah House committees passed separate stream access bills Friday.  The bills and the debate are the result of a 2008 Utah Supreme Court decision called the Conaster Ruling that gave anglers and river enthusiasts the right to access waterways on private property as long as they stayed in the riverbed and entered the river on public property.

The Spectrum: Local water district bill put on hold – Proposed by Sen. Dennis Stowell, R-Dist. 28, Senate Bill 20 focuses on creating a special local district to help develop and execute a groundwater management plan throughout the state.

Courtesy of Jeffrey Gittens at Utah Water Law: Water Rights Deed Addendum Bill – Representative Ben Ferry has introduced House Bill 314 (HB 314) entitled “Water Rights Addendums to Deeds.” The bill would require a water rights addendum (i.e., a “deed rider”) to be included with every deed that conveys land or water rights.

NPR: Warming planet can mean more snow – With snow blanketing much of the country, the topic of global warming has become the butt of jokes.  For scientists who study the climate, it’s all a bit much. They’re trying to dig out.  Most don’t see a contradiction between a warming world and lots of snow. That includes Kevin Trenberth, a prominent climate scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado.

Technorati Tags: Climate Change,groundwater management,precipitation,public access,snow,stream access,Utah Legislature 2010,Water Rights

Water News Roundup – January 12, 2010

Deseret News: Northern Utah water outlook is dismal – Utah’s northern region is parched and thirsty with a slim chance of achieving desirable snowpack by April, while the extreme southern portions of the state are faring much better, the latest numbers show.

Funniest comment so far… “I always pray for lots of snow since seeing pictures of Lake Powell a few years ago. My daughter always prays for no snow because being California transplants, she hates the cold. I guess we cancel each other out.”

AWRA Blog: Southwest Hydrology – Last Issue – Michael the “Aquadoc”, editor of AWRA’s blog, thanks Betsy Woodhouse for her contributions via the publication she began eight years ago “Southwest Hydrology”.  Unless they are able to find added funding this will be the last issue.

Water News Roundup – January 11, 2010

Salt Lake Tribune:

More dreary days ahead – The prospect of more pollution-filled days along the Wasatch Front next week is worrisome.  First, snowpack totals in northern Utah are about half of normal, causing water managers grief.

Herbert pulling back on water deal – Hand-delivered letters from elected officials in Salt Lake and Millard counties to Gov. Gary Herbert this week apparently have persuaded him to delay signing a Snake Valley water-sharing agreement between Utah and Nevada.

Salt Lake Tribune – Editorial: Don’t sign, Governor – Gov. Gary Herbert apparently has decided to sign off on the proposed Snake Valley water agreement with Nevada. We join the Utah Medical Association, officials of Salt Lake and Millard counties, and members of the Snake Valley Aquifer Advisory Council in urging him not to do it.

KSL:

Water watchers wishing for more snowpack – Utah’s water watchers are warning that this winter is stacking up to be a relatively mild one, which means a meager snowpack. With no big storms on the horizon, the chances of turning that around are slim.

Governor delays signing Utah-Nevada water-sharing pact – Gov. Gary Herbert has delayed signing a water-sharing agreement between Utah and Nevada for Snake Valley.

Deseret News: Water hearing set for proposed nuclear power plant – Protests sparked by a plan to divert river water for a new nuclear reactor in Emery County will be reviewed at a hearing next Tuesday.  The plan calls for the diversion of 53,600 acre-feet of water for use at the nuclear facility planned by Blue Castle Holdings.

New York Times – Environment: Water conservation could limit suburban lawns – …But now a 2006 state law, designed to conserve water by altering landscaping practices, is taking effect, and the changes that began three decades ago are likely to accelerate. One proposal being considered in Menlo Park could restrict lawns on new or reconfigured landscapes to no more than 500 square feet per dwelling unit or to no more than 25 percent of the landscaped area, whichever is larger….