EPA's hydraulic-fracturing rule review won't include Wyoming.
Wyoming and industry officials said the Environmental Protection Agency's decision not to include Wyoming in its review of states' hydraulic fracturing regulations is an indication that the federal agency believes the state's rules are adequate, but environmental groups questioned the EPA's decision.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 27, 2011

Flaming Gorge pipeline focus of river basin meeting in Colorado.
Representatives of Colorado's river basins will meet Wednesday to discuss whether to form a task force to evaluate the proposal to build a water pipeline from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir to Front Range cities.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 27, 2011

Reports cast doubt on future of hydroelectric power in British Columbia.
A new report indicates that, in the five decades between 1956 and 2005, snowpack levels decreased more than 18 percent in British Columbia, which relies heavily on hydropower, prompting concerns that the province could again be forced to buy power during periods of drought.
Toronto Globe and Mail; June 24, 2011

Montana high court rules Trout Unlimited has say in water rights case.
The Montana Supreme Court overturned a Montana Water Court decision on Thursday, ruling that although Trout Unlimited does not have a water right in the Big Hole River Basin, the group's considerable activity in that basin allows it some voice in water decisions.
Montana Standard; June 24, 2011

Rising groundwater keeps crews busy in Wyoming.
While cooler temperatures helped slow the rise of rivers in Wyoming, increased groundwater is eating at levees and threatening the stability of sandbagged areas.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 24, 2011

Researchers search for mercury at site of 2002 Colorado wildfire.
As part of ongoing research on the extent of mercury contamination in Colorado, researchers are taking soil and water samples from the area burned by the Missionary Ridge Fire in 2002, which burned 72,000 acres near Vallecito.
Durango Herald; June 24, 2011

Report details water conservation efforts in Colorado River basin.
A report issued today by the Pacific Institute report says that water conservation efforts in the Colorado River Basin resulted in the use of 2 million acre-feet a year less than the amounts used in 1990. In Durango, Colo., water use declined 24 percent during that period.
Durango Herald; June 23, 2011

U.S. House panel approves bill to take water out of EPA hands.
On a mostly party-line vote on Wednesday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted 35-19 to send a measure that would transfer authority over water, wetlands and mountaintop-mining regulation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to states.
New York Times; June 23, 2011

Data indicate Idaho aquifer depleting.
Mike McVay, technical hydrologist for the Idaho Department of Water Resources, said he was able to fill in the blanks of missing data and confirm that the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer in the south part of the state has lost, on average, 225,000 acre-feet of water every year since 1980.
Twin Falls Times-News; June 22, 2011

BLM approves new phosphate mine in S. Idaho.
Monsanto Co. got federal approval for its phosphate Blackfoot Bridge Mine project in southern Idaho near the Wyoming border, just 600 feet from the Blackfoot River.
Idaho Statesman; June 22, 2011

Atlanta Gold completes buy of parcel in Idaho.
Canada-based Atlanta Gold Corp. finalized the purchase of a 430-acre parcel of land in Idaho near Atlanta up the Middle Fork of the Boise River, and $200,000 of the sales price will go to the Environmental Protection Agency to cover past costs for cleaning up a failed tailings pond of the previous owner's.
Idaho Statesman; June 22, 2011

Miner wants another go at gold mine on Oregon salmon stream.
Gold Miner Cliff Tracy wants to try again to pull gold out of a 5-acre parcel on Sucker Creek, one of Oregon's top streams for chinook, steelhead, cutthroat trout and wild coastal coho, all of which are threatened species, and U.S. Forest Service officials said that they'll not take into consideration Tracy's earlier conviction of illegal mining on the same parcel.
Portland Oregonian; June 22, 2011

Summer's heat ushers in new flood concerns in Utah.
Temperatures ranged from the upper 80s in northern Utah to the 90s and 100 degrees farther south, raising concerns that snowmelt would increase flooding in northern Utah’s Logan and Weber rivers and in the Green River in eastern Utah and the Sevier River in the central part of the state.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 22, 2011

U.S. Supreme Court to hear PPL Montana's riverbed rent appeal.
The appeal of PPL Montana of a Montana Supreme Court decision that said the company owed the state $41 million in rent for the riverbeds on which the utility operated its hydro power plants was just one of four cases out of 182 appeals the court agreed to hear.
Helena Independent Record; June 21, 2011

EPA budget cuts hamstring states' clean air, water funds.
The deal struck in April between Republican lawmakers and President Obama to cut the Environmental Protection Agency's budget by 16 percent is starting to hit home, specifically in the amounts of money states are getting in clean water and clean air programs.
Washington Post; June 21, 2011

Montana hunting, fishing groups join national Clean Air campaign.
About 30 hunting and fishing groups were part of the 330 organizations that signed off on a letter to Congress urging federal lawmakers to oppose any measures that would weaken the Clean Air Act.
Helena Independent Record; June 21, 2011

Montana ecologist discusses new climate-change report.
Greg Pederson, an ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Montana, was the lead author of a report based on the study of tree rings in the Columbia, Missouri and Colorado river basins. The report found precipitation amounts in the upper and lower regions of the Colorado River basin have been "decoupled," which means that when the upper areas gets more moisture, the lower gets less, and vice versa.
Billings Gazette; June 20, 2011

Idaho wildlife agency faces future with less funding.
Sales of hunting and fishing licenses are down in Idaho and other states, and while Virgil Moore, the new director of the Idaho Fish and Game Department, isn't worried about a lack of funding in the short term, he does believe his agency needs to explore new ways to raise funds for wildlife management.
Idaho Statesman; June 20, 2011

Idaho farmers, ranchers angry about proposed aquifer boundary change.
Buhl-based Clear Springs Foods has submitted a request that the Idaho Department of Water Resources re-examine the boundary lines of the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer, which could redefine the state's understanding of what tributaries feed the aquifer, as well as what users are entitled to take water from it, and how those users would share the resource.
Twin Falls Times-News; June 17, 2011

Utah posts flood warnings in the north, fire advisories in the south.
Continued high water kept flood warnings in place in Salt Lake, Cache, Davis and Weber counties in northern Utah, while red flag warnings are in place through Friday for Dixie County, and portions of Zion Canyon, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park and the Natural Bridges National Monument in the southern part of the state.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 16, 2011

Idaho city's water-conservation plan creates $1M budget shortfall.
After a presentation at the Twin Falls City Council meeting Monday, where water officials presented their five-year financial forecast for water and wastewater systems that indicated conservation efforts would lead to a $1-million budget shortfall, council members wondered if the city residents were too motivated to conserve water.
Twin Falls Times-News; June 14, 2011

DOE cleanup of mining waste in Utah to slow down.
The Department of Energy has removed about a quarter of the mining waste left on the banks of the Colorado River near Moab since cleanup work began in 2009, but work to remove the remainder will slow under the new budget as the stimulus funds that fueled the previous work have been spent.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 14, 2011

Deep snowpack in the West means rising waters in Lake Powell, Mead.
With hefty snowpack levels in the upper Colorado River Basin, experts are predicting that reservoir levels in Lake Powell could rise 17 feet, and Lake Mead levels could rise by 34 feet.
Los Angeles Times; June 13, 2011

Scientists believe persistent drought in SW U.S. a sign of climate change.
Data from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise indicate that in the past decade, the average number of acres burned by wildfire was 4.2 million, and in six of the past 11 years, 7 million to 10 million acres burned.
Christian Science Monitor; June 10, 2011

Rocky Mountains' shrinking snowpack threatens water supplies.
A new report published in the journal Science said dwindling snowpack in the Rocky Mountains threatens water supplies in states that get their water from the Colorado, Missouri and Columbia rivers.
Seattle Times; June 10, 2011

At Colorado River conference, BuRec chief discusses shortages.
This year's abundant snowpack aside, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Mike Connor told attendees of the Colorado River conference at the University of Colorado-Boulder Thursday that shortages on the system that provides water to 30 million residents in Arizona, California, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico are coming.
San Jose Mercury News; June 10, 2011

Mulroy defends SNWA pipeline plan at Colorado River conference.
In her keynote speech at the "Navigating the Future of the Colorado River" conference hosted by the Natural Resources Law Center of the University of Colorado, Pat Mulroy, the general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, said SNWA's proposed plan to pipe water from valleys on the Utah-Nevada border will have to be hammered out at the local level, because neither litigation nor action by Congress will result in a good outcome.
Deseret News; June 9, 2011

Wyoming city closes boat ramps as North Platte River nears flood stage.
The Bureau of Reclamation will continue releases from reservoirs upstream of Casper, pushing the North Platte River to near or at flood stage in the Wyoming city today.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 9, 2011

Utah reports 5 drownings in less than 2 weeks.
An eight-year-old boy drowned in the American Fork River on Wednesday, the fifth water-related death in Utah reported since May 29.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 9, 2011

Climatologist: La Nina responsible for destructive weather pattern.
The La Nina climate pattern is being cited by experts for this year's destructive tornado season, the harsh drought in the southern United States and the flooding along the Mississippi River.
USA Today; June 8, 2011

Wyoming officials warn North Platte River will rise faster than predicted.
Natrona County officials said flows in the North Platte River in the Wyoming county could reach up to 9,000 cubic feet per second this week, about four times higher than average, as the Bureau of Reclamation increases releases from upstream reservoirs about two weeks earlier than previously announced.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 8, 2011

Wyoming ranchers, Nature Conservancy team up on habitat project.
The Nature Conservancy and several Wyoming ranches will continue work begun in 2009 on a five-year project to improve riparian areas, wildlife habitat, water quality and range conditions in the Grass Creek and Cottonwood Creek drainages between Meeteetse and Thermopolis.
Billings Gazette; June 8, 2011

BLM takes public comment on wilderness, wild river plan in Idaho.
The Bureau of Land Management is taking public comment through June 29 on its Wilderness and Wild & Scenic River Management Plan being developed for the six wilderness areas and 16 wild and scenic river segments designated in Idaho's Owyhee County by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act in 2009. A public meeting is scheduled for June 28 in Twin Falls.
Twin Falls Times-News; June 7, 2011

Wyoming city finds rupture in water pipeline, asks residents to curb use.
Casper put a three-day ban on watering lawns into effect after a ruptured water pipe was found in the Wyoming city's delivery system.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 7, 2011

EPA estimates oil spill in Wyoming's Emigrant Creek at thousands of gallons.
The Environmental Protection Agency updated information on a reported oil spill in Wyoming's Emigrant Creek by a piece of equipment that separates water from pumped oil, indicating that the spill occurred in January while not being discovered until May. Estimates are that as much as 10,000 gallons of oil may have reached the stream, and the EPA and the Bureau of Land Management are considering action against Denver-based Nadel and Gussman Rockies LLC, the owner of the well site where the leak occurred.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 7, 2011

Experts warn Wyoming rivers will rise dramatically this week.
Temperatures are predicted to be in the 70s and 80s this week in Wyoming, and river flows will increase dramatically with all the runoff.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 6, 2011

Harlequin ducks' declining numbers in Montana prompts Glacier Park study.
Lisa Bate, a wildlife biologist at Glacier National Park, is conducting a 2 1/2-year study of harlequin ducks, which are at high risk of extinction in Montana.
Missoulian; June 6, 2011

Rivers in south-central Wyoming rise to flood stage.
High water is rolling south through Wyoming, with the National Weather Service forecasting the North Platte River will hit flood stage in Carbon County, as warmer temperatures increase snowmelt.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 3, 2011

Snake River claims backyards in Idaho community.
The Snake River is rising and some Hagerman residents are watching the river creep ever closer to their houses. With the river still a foot or more below flood stage. Gooding County Sheriff Shaun Gough said he doesn't believe the Idaho residents need to be concerned - yet.
Twin Falls Times-News; June 2, 2011

Wyoming county predicts North Platte River will rise to 1984 levels.
The North Platte River is at nearly 7 feet in downtown Casper, just a foot under flood stage, and the Natrona County Emergency Management Office predicted that the river could reach levels not seen since 1984, when flows hit 9,200 cubic feet per second.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 2, 2011

Satellites track depletion of Earth's groundwater.
The University of California's Center for Hydrologic Modeling's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, two satellites acting in tandem and known as GRACE, track depletion of groundwater on the planet by measuring gravitational variations, and have found trouble spots in Africa, India, China and California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley.
New York Times; June 1, 2011

Wyoming community sandbags water treatment plant as North Platte River rises.
Natrona County placed thousands of sandbags around the Mills Water Treatment Plant on Tuesday to protect it from the rising North Platte River that has already flooded areas of the Wyoming county.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 1, 2011

Flood concerns rise higher with another increase in snowpack in Wyoming.
The water content in Wyoming's snowpack increased from 227 percent of last week to 327 percent this week, increasing concerns about flooding as temperatures rise.
Casper Star-Tribune; June 1, 2011

Wet spring delays planting of Montana wheat crop.
With drought curbing wheat production in Europe and Russia, and springtime flooding preventing planting in North Dakota and Canada, Montana farmers could have a corner on the global wheat market if they could get in their soggy fields to plant their crop.
Great Falls Tribune; June 1, 2011

Runoff from abandoned mines impair water quality in Colorado, the West.
The federal government estimates that there are an estimated half million abandoned mines in the West and that toxic runoff from them has tainted the headwaters of 40 percent of the region's rivers. In Colorado, which has at least 7,300 abandoned mines, the state Department of Natural Resources records indicate 450 of those mines are leaking measurable amounts of toxins into watersheds, impairing 1,300 miles of streams to date, and the federal Clean Water Act is handcuffing groups' efforts to address the situation.
Denver Post; May 31, 2011

BLM investigating oil spill into Wyoming's Emigrant Creek.
An oil spill that occurred an estimated four months ago was discovered at an oil well storage site south of Rawlins. An undetermined amount of crude oil spilled into Wyoming's Emigrant Creek, and work is under way to clean up the oil.
Casper Star-Tribune; May 28, 2011

Snowpack in Utah holds many times more water than reservoirs can hold.
National Weather Service hydrologist Brian McInerney said that snowpack in Utah's Weber Basin contains six to eight times the holding capacity of the seven reservoirs operated by the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, making it likely that the District will have to release water that will cause flooding in some areas along the Weber and Ogden rivers.
Salt Lake Tribune; May 27, 2011

USFS: Better mapping will help keep fire retardant away from sensitive areas.
At a listening session in Montana Thursday, U.S. Forest Service researchers said better mapping will help keep fire retardant drops away from waterways and other sensitive areas for species.
Missoulian; May 27, 2011

Washington state fish farmers say dam releases into Columbia River killing fish.
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials said they have no option other than to release massive amounts of water from the Grand Coulee Dam into the Columbia River in Washington state, as they need to make room for run-off from snowmelt, but the releases thus far have resulted in the buildup of dissolved nitrogen and other gases that are killing fish.
Seattle Times; May 27, 2011

Former PA exec: Marcellus Shale primary concern should be air pollution.
John Hanger, the former secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and previous head of the environmental group PennFocus, has dismissed concerns that using the hydraulic fracturing drilling method poses a threat to Pennsylvania's water. But he is concerned that emissions from drilling operations could impact air quality, a situation he said would be a "poor fit" for the Northeast, leading to lawsuits.
New York Times; May 27, 2011

Federal agency suspends review of Wyoming-Colorado water pipeline project.
Aaron Million, the Colorado businessman who wants to build a pipeline from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir to supply water to Front Range cities in Colorado, convinced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to suspend its review of the project. He is considering expanding the project to produce electricity and looking into whether that expansion would put the project under the purview of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. In other news, Million is currently in jail in Colorado, facing charges of stalking a former girlfriend.
Casper Star-Tribune; May 26, 2011

Montana senator assured North Fork Watershed bill will pass.
At a hearing Wednesday, Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, the acting chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, told Montana U.S. Sen. Max Baucus that the North Fork Watershed Protection Act of 2011, which would act in tandem with an agreement with British Columbia to suspend all energy and mineral development in the cross-border watershed, will get passed this year.
Missoulian; May 26, 2011

Wyoming residents take on Windsor Energy, DEQ about aquifer cleanup.
Five years ago, a Windsor Energy natural gas well on Wyoming's Beartooth Front blew up, and the state Department of Environmental Quality and the company reached a deal to monitor groundwater for a list of contaminants that includes benzene, acetone and carbon disulfide. But at a meeting Tuesday night, area residents complained about the lack of monitoring of private wells for contaminants, as well as the list of contaminants for which the company was testing.
Billings Gazette; May 26, 2011

Yellowstone NP finalizes conservation plan for native fish.
The plan to manage native fish populations in Yellowstone National Park over the next two decades has been signed, and is available online for review.
Billings Gazette; May 26, 2011

West's reservoirs ready for Colorado's snowmelt.
Colorado's snowpack just keeps getting deeper, and water managers along the Colorado River are releasing water downstream to be ready for when high temperatures hit all that snow.
New west.net; May 25, 2011

Tribal officials: Closure of coal-fired power plant in Arizona will devastate economies.
Leaders from the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe and the Gila River Indian Community testified before Congress that the closure of the coal-fired Navajo Generating Station in northern Arizona would have a devastating effect on their economies and threaten water settlements.
Salt Lake Tribune; May 25, 2011

In arid West, nexus of water and energy floats to the surface.
Most processes used to create energy also require an enormous amount of water. In the arid West, where population growth is fueling higher energy needs and water resources are dwindling, the water-energy nexus is getting more attention.
New west.net; May 24, 2011

NPS tells Utah river-running companies they're on their own in Utah canyon.
In years past, the National Park Service has stationed rangers at a rescue camp near the most dangerous stretch of the world-renowned rapids of Utah's Cataract Canyon on the Colorado River. But with high water everywhere this year, the Park Service said it won't be setting up the rescue camp and notified river-running companies to be prepared to self-rescue.
Deseret News; May 24, 2011

High water puts on a show at Idaho's Shoshone Falls.
Flooding isn't a big concern along the Snake River in Idaho near Twin Falls yet, but the increase in river volume is creating a show at Shoshone Falls.
Twin Falls Times-News; May 24, 2011

Canadian miner said it's done cleaning up water from Idaho gold mine.
Canada-based Atlanta Gold isn't done mining gold in Idaho, having paid $3 million to exercise its option to buy Monarch Greenback's 33 mining claims on 430 acres in the Boise National Forest. But the Canadian miner said its permit for the mining tunnel from where arsenic-laden water flows expires at the end of this month, along with its obligation to clean up that water, a position with which the U.S. Forest Service and the federal Environmental Protection Agency do not agree.
Idaho Statesman; May 23, 2011

EPA begins cleanup of uranium mining waste on Navajo lands.
For decades, residents of the Navajo Nation have asked for help in addressing the uranium waste left behind by mining operations that ended in 1962, and this year the Environmental Protection Agency began a $6-million operation to remove contaminated soils on the top of Oljato Mesa. In addition, $22 million is earmarked for alternate water systems, and $60 million will be spent over the next five years identifying and cleaning up other contaminated sites.
Salt Lake Tribune; May 23, 2011

Lack of funding stalls Utah's progress on addressing mercury contamination.
Six years ago, a panel was formed in Utah to study the extent of mercury contamination in the state's lakes and waterways and to come up with solutions for that contamination, but a lack of funding has stalled testing and members of the panel have stopped showing up for meetings.
Salt Lake Tribune; May 20, 2011

ProPublica finds drilling companies do have pre-drilling water data.
ProPublica's investigation into the use of hydraulic fracturing, a drilling method that uses water, sand and chemicals introduced at high pressure to break open rock formations to get to oil and natural gas and that has been criticized for its effect on water resources, found that drilling companies have been collecting pre-drilling data on water wells in Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale, but have not been willing to share it.
New west.net; May 19, 2011

Utah agencies stop quagga-infested boats at border.
A weekend checkpoint held by the Utah Department of Transportation and state Division of Wildlife Resources at St. George stopped two quagga-mussel infested boats from entering state waters.
Deseret News; May 18, 2011

Critics say USFS proposed new management plan ignores science.
In a conference call on Monday, the last day of the 90-day public comment period on the U.S. Forest Service's new rules on administration of the National Forest Management Act, representatives of the Pew Environment Group, the Defenders of Wildlife, and former Clinton administration officials, said the new rules give local forest supervisors too much leeway to ignore science when making decisions on protecting water, habitat and endangered species.
Missoulian; May 17, 2011

Wyoming river on American River's 2011 most endangered rivers list.
American Rivers northern Rockies director Scott Bosse said the oil and gas development at the headwaters of the Hoback River in Wyoming put that river at seventh on the group's 2011 list of most endangered rivers.
Jackson Hole Daily; May 17, 2011

Wyoming, energy company to discuss aquifer clean-up plan next week.
The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and Windsor Energy, the company that operated the natural gas well that blew out five years ago and polluted groundwater, will meet with Clark area residents on May 24 to discuss the plan to clean up the groundwater.
Billings Gazette; May 17, 2011

Arizona senator asks tribes to cut cost of water settlement deal.
Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl wants to submit legislation to settle water-rights disputes in Northern Arizona before he retires, but the $800 million price tag is a primary obstacle to the deal between the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe and nearly three dozen other entities. Kyl has asked them to work together to see if they can lower the cost by next month so he may introduce his bill.
Arizona Republic; May 17, 2011

Utah legislators take an aerial tour of the Colorado River, tributaries.
Utah Department of Natural Resources Director Mike Styler said the annual aerial tour of the Colorado River system should be a requirement for state legislators to give them a better overview of the issues within the river system.
Deseret News; May 17, 2011

Heavy rain pushes rivers in N. Idaho, E. Washington state above flood stage.
The National Weather Service says the Coeur d'Alene River at Cataldo and the St. Joe River at St. Maries, Idaho, were above flood stage and expected to go several feet higher as heavy rain fell in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho.
Idaho Statesman; May 16, 2011

Flood waters recede in two Utah counties.
Although flood waters were beginning to recede in Weber and Cache counties in Utah, flood warnings will remain in effect for those counties today and into Tuesday.
Salt Lake Tribune; May 16, 2011

Preview of Nevada water pipeline hearing indicates a lengthy fight.
Last week, a pre-hearing was held on the September hearing on Southern Nevada Water Authority's proposal to pipe groundwater from Northern Nevada to Las Vegas, and given the disagreements voiced on a number of issues, including just how long the hearing days will be, the September event could be a long one.
Deseret News; May 16, 2011

Montana farmers may go wanting for water from Wyoming.
The decades' old water compact signed between Montana and Wyoming determines how the states share water from the four Yellowstone tributaries - the Powder, Tongue, Bighorn and Clarks Fork rivers - in times of scarcity, but the deal didn't envision more efficient irrigation practices or coalbed methane development, both of which have an impact on the amount of water reaching Montana.
High Country News; May 16, 2011

Higher temperatures, deep snowpack prompt flood warnings in Idaho.
The National Weather Service issued flood warnings for the Snake River Plain in Idaho, as well as the towns of Pocatello and Blackfoot, as temperatures rise and snowmelt begins. Although no warnings have been issued yet for the Wood River Valley, the potential for flooding there remains.
Idaho Mountain Express; May 13, 2011

Nestle exec's remarks about Alberta water creates political uproar.
Peter Brabeck, chairman of Nestle, described Alberta as the perfect place to create a water exchange, where the resource is traded like a commodity. He said the company was involved in negotiations with the Canadian province to create a water exchange, but Alberta Environment denied that the talks had gone that far, and opposition parties were quick to criticize what they said was a move that jeopardizes the province's most valuable resource.
Edmonton Journal; May 12, 2011

Alberta city's water utility wants larger share of oilsands business.
Epcor Utilities, owned by the city of Edmonton, made headlines south of the border by its acquisition of water utilities in Arizona that will make it the largest investor-owned water utility in that state, and now the company wants to expand its operations in Alberta's oilsands country.
Edmonton Journal; May 12, 2011

Utah Supreme Court rules for private landowners in water fight with Sandy.
The failure of the city of Sandy to record a water right for nearly 27 years led the Utah Supreme Court to rule for a group of private residents in their ongoing battle to use the water right to develop cabins in the Cecret Lake area of Little Cottonwood Canyon's Albion Basin.
Deseret News; May 11, 2011

Study of hydraulic fracturing in Pennsylvania and NY yields surprise results.
A Duke University study of hydraulic fracturing, a drilling method that uses water, sand and chemicals introduced underground at high pressure to break open rock formations to free natural gas and oil held captive, tested 60 water wells in northeastern Pennsylvania and Upstate New York. The study found elevated levels of methane in 13 of the 26 water wells tested within a kilometer (0.62 of a mile) of hydrofracking sites, with some levels so high the water could catch fire.
USA Today; May 10, 2011

Colorado Oil and Gas Commission reviewing Duke University study.
The energy industry has faulted a Duke University study of hydraulic fracturing in New York and Pennsylvania that found a high incidence of methane in water wells near hydraulic fracturing sites for not getting water samples before drilling occurred and for the geographic breadth of the study. Colorado Oil and Gas Commission Director Dave Neslin said he is reviewing the study.
Denver Post; May 10, 2011

Cleanup of uranium mine waste in Utah to slow as stimulus funds disappear.
Funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allowed the cleanup of uranium mine tailings on the bank of the Colorado River near Moab to be accelerated, but with those funds expended, about 200 of the 320 workers will be let go, and the pace of the cleanup will slow considerably.
Salt Lake Tribune; May 10, 2011

Federal judge tells government salmon plan isn't done.
The hearing on the federal government's latest plan to operate hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers and protect the seven endangered species of salmon and steelhead began Monday. U.S. District Judge James A. Redden told government lawyers he still sees snags in the plan.
Portland Oregonian; May 10, 2011

Wyoming's statewide snowpack at 167 percent of average.
On Monday, the U.S. Agriculture Department's Natural Resources Conservation Service said Wyoming's statewide snowpack is 167 percent of average, and that translates into spring runoff into streams and rivers that will be 155 percent of average.
Casper Star-Tribune; May 10, 2011

Federal judge to hear updates on NW salmon plan today.
U.S. District Judge James A. Redden will hear from parties today on how restoration efforts along the Columbia River have bolstered survival rates of seven threatened runs of wild salmon and steelhead.
Portland Oregonian; May 9, 2011

California PUC vote supports removal of 4 dams on Klamath River.
The California Public Utilities Commission voted Thursday to endorse the removal of four dams on the Klamath River in southern Oregon and northern California.
San Francisco Chronicle; May 6, 2011

BLM hosts meeting on oilshale development in Wyoming.
The final of seven meetings the Bureau of Land Management hosted on commercial development of oilshale deposits in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming was Thursday in Cheyenne, where Erik Molvar, a biologist with the group Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, was the only person who spoke during the public comment period of the meeting. He expressed concerns about how much water the process to draw oil out of its rocky bed would use, and after the meeting, Larry Wolfe, a Cheyenne lawyer who represents oil companies, said Wyoming's oilshale deposits were inferior to those in Colorado and Utah.
Casper Star-Tribune; May 6, 2011

BuRec begins early release of water from Wyoming-Utah reservoir.
The Flaming Gorge Reservoir on the Wyoming-Utah border is already 84 percent full, and with snowpack in basins above the reservoir well above average and snowmelt in the immediate future, Bureau of Reclamation officials began releasing water from the reservoir a little early this year, raising water levels in the Yampa and Green rivers.
Deseret News; May 5, 2011

At Colorado hearing on oilshale, questions raised about water use.
At one of the two hearings the Bureau of Land Management is holding in Colorado on commercial development of oilshale resources in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming, supporters touted the economic benefit such development would bring to the state, but others who attended the hearing in Rifle wanted the BLM to get specific on just how much water the process to extract the oil would use. Another hearing will be held today in Golden.
Grand Junction Sentinel; May 4, 2011

BLM, Encana promise Wyoming wells won't harm wildlife, environment.
The Bureau of Land Management and Encana said the energy company's plan to add 3,500 wells across 220 square miles adjacent to the Jonah field in Wyoming will be done responsibly to avoid harm to wildlife and the environment. But environmental groups and residents are concerned about the impact those wells will have on Sublette County's air quality, and how they will impact sage grouse, pronghorn antelope and mule deer.
Jackson Hole News & Guide; May 4, 2011

U.S. Supreme Court sides with Wyoming in water dispute with Montana.
In the Montana-Wyoming dispute over water in the Tongue and Powder rivers, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Montana on one of the four claims, leaving the issue of whether Montana is getting its fair share of the water in those rivers unresolved.
Helena Independent Record; May 3, 2011

Alberta woman's lawsuit against Encana says drilling method polluted water.
Just weeks after Quebec put the use of hydraulic fracturing on hold, a Southern Alberta woman filed a lawsuit against Encana alleging that the company's use of the drilling method, which uses a combination of water, sand and chemical introduced underground at high pressure to break open rock formations holding natural gas and oil deposits hostage, contaminated her water supply.
Toronto Globe and Mail; May 3, 2011

Black Creek blowout creates new rapid on Idaho's Salmon River.
A blowout flood that occurred last month on Black Creek that moved boulders, trees and other debris in the Salmon River has created a new rapid on the Idaho river that includes a 10-foot drop.
Idaho Statesman; May 2, 2011

States ban felt-soled waders to block migration of aquatic invaders.
Felt-soled waders, used by anglers to make fishing in rushing rivers and streams more comfortable and their footing more secure, have been blamed for carrying invasive species such as the algae known as rock snot, from stream to stream. Maryland became the first state in the union to ban the waders, Vermont followed, and a ban will become effective in Alaska on Jan. 1. Idaho stopped short of banning the waders but did acknowledge they played a role in spreading invasive species; Nevada's wildlife agency's proposed plan will address the waders.
USA Today; April 29, 2011

Indian water walkers make their way through Montana.
The Blackfeet Nation in Montana will welcome water walkers taking part in the Mother Earth Water Walk 2011, in which grandmothers from tribes and First Nations have been carrying a pail of salt water from Aberdeen, Wash., through six states and two Canadian provinces, with an estimated arrival date on June 12 in Bad River, Wisc.
Great Falls Tribune; April 29, 2011

Wyoming senator calls changes to Clean Water Act a "power grab".
The Environmental Protection Agency released proposed new guidelines on streams, wetlands and other sensitive waterways earlier this week, and Wyoming U.S. Sen. John Barrasso said the new regulations are just another attempt to extend the federal government's authority.
Casper Star-Tribune; April 29, 2011

Climatologist: S. New Mexico could see megadrought this century.
At New Mexico Sen. Jeff Bingaman's Santa Fe field hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on climate change and water resources on Wednesday, climatologist Jonathan T. Overpeck, co-director of the University of Arizona's Institute of the Environment, said a soon-to-be-published study found that Southern New Mexico has a 50 percent chance of seeing a megadrought - one that lasts more than two decades - yet this century.
Santa Fe New Mexican; April 28, 2011

Wyoming communities prepare for high water.
Natrona County officials are preparing for the North Platte River to flood, as the river has already left its banks in some communities in the Wyoming county.
Casper Star-Tribune; April 27, 2011

Idaho DEQ's tests of water for elevated levels of radioactive iodine find none.
Over concerns that radioactive releases from Japan may have found their way into Idaho's water, the state Department of Environmental Quality checked for elevated levels of radioactive iodine-131 and found none in the municipal drinking water systems in Boise, Bonners Ferry, Challis, Coeur d'Alene, Elk City, Fruitland, Glenns Ferry, Horseshoe Bend, Kamiah, Lewiston, McCall, Orofino, Priest River, Salmon, St. Maries, Troy, Wallace, or Weiser.
Idaho Statesman; April 27, 2011

Army Corps of Engineers adopts watershed wide policy for Montana river.
The Army Corps of Engineers released its Upper Yellowstone River Special Area Management Plan that requires the Corps to evaluate projects by looking at how they'll affect the entire watershed, flood plain and valley in Montana before issuing permits.
Billings Gazette; April 26, 2011

BuRec releases report on climate change in the West.
The Bureau of Reclamation completed its first ever region-wide study of how climate change will affect the West. In the Columbia River Basin, the 2-degree increase in temperature over the past 100 years and a projected 6 to 7 degree increase in this century could have a profound effect on water supplies.
Idaho Statesman; April 26, 2011

BuRec report says climate change will reduce Colorado River flows.
A new report issued by the Bureau of Reclamation that examined how climate change will affect water supplies in the West found that the Colorado River basin will likely see its annual runoff reduced by 9 percent by 2050 due to higher temperatures. This could have considerable implications in Utah and other western states that are already struggling with water issues.
Salt Lake Tribune; April 26, 2011

NPCA report says dams harm national parks.
The National Parks Conservation Association will release a report today that is critical of the impact dams and reservoirs have had on national parks along the Colorado River and its tributaries: Dinosaur National Monument on the Green River in northeastern Utah, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on the Gunnison River in Colorado, Canyonlands National Park in Utah, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area on the Utah-Arizona line, and Grand Canyon National Park.
Arizona Republic; April 26, 2011

Documentary on Colorado River premieres Thursday in Colorado.
Photographer Pete McBride and author Jonathan Waterman have documented the Colorado River from its source in the high country to its terminus in the Sea of Cortez. Their trek will eventually become a book, but on Thursday, McBride will premiere an 18-minute documentary about the river at the 5Point Film Festival in Carbondale, Colo.
New west.net; April 26, 2011

Water concerns in California community draws U.N. scrutiny.
A U.N. lawyer on a world tour to investigate unsafe drinking water stopped in Seville, a farming community in central California, to hear concerns about tainted groundwater.
Los Angeles Times; April 25, 2011

Wyoming DEQ gets plan from BP on finding source of leak from Casper refinery.
BP, the company that now owns the former Amoco refinery site in Casper, has submitted a plan to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality to find the source of a leak that has left an oily sheen on the North Platte River.
Casper Star-Tribune; April 22, 2011

Idaho DEQ resumes water quality monitoring program after 2 year hiatus.
A funding shortage put water quality monitoring by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality on hold two years ago, but the Legislature scraped together $390,000 in the upcoming fiscal year for the Beneficial Use Reconnaissance Program which will pay for six three-person seasonal teams to collect water data throughout the state.
Twin Falls Times-News; April 20, 2011

Idaho has cash for irrigation companies to send water into aquifer.
The Idaho Water Resource Board is offering contracts to seven irrigation districts and canal companies to send 72,000 acre-feet of surface water back underground to recharge the Lake Erie-sized Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer.
Twin Falls Times-News; April 20, 2011

Levee breaches send Utah's Weber River into fields.
Flood concerns increased in Utah's Weber County where levee breaches allowed the Weber River to flood fields and put homes in harm's way.
Deseret News; April 20, 2011

Corps of Engineers changes course on rip-rap on Montana river.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that it will no longer routinely issue permits for landowners along a 48-mile stretch of the Yellowstone River in Montana between Emigrant and the river's confluence with Mission Creek east of Livingston to put in levees or install rip-rap, acknowledging that the river needs "room to breathe."
Bozeman Daily Chronicle; April 20, 2011

Lake Mead levels rise enough to fend off Colorado River water rationing.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced that while water levels in Lake Mead are still 100 feet below the high-water mark, they're still high enough to keep from triggering shortage provisions on the lower Colorado River system.
Arizona Republic; April 19, 2011

N. Utah rivers, creeks overflow their banks.
Spring runoff and heavy rains pushed rivers and streams in northern Utah beyond their carrying capacity on Monday.
Salt Lake Tribune; April 19, 2011

Groups pitch beaver as solution to S. Utah water woes.
Environmental groups say bolstering beaver populations in southern Utah in the Escalante River Basin will help both the agricultural economy and the tourism industry, and the groups are pitching the plan to area ranchers, communities and residents.
Salt Lake Tribune; April 19, 2011

World water summit: 2 of 3 people will be 'water insecure' by 2025.
At an international water summit in Washington, D.C. on Friday, experts said that by 2025 two of every three residents on the planet will be living with some sort of a water problem, although they also said the real problem isn't a lack of clean water, but a lack of management of resources.
Christian Science Monitor; April 18, 2011

USFS, Montana FWP consider limiting access to W. Fork of Bitterroot River.
The Bitterroot National Forest and the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department are working together to determine if the West Fork of the Bitterroot River needs a management plan, and are seeking public input on use of the river to determine if such a plan is merited.
Ravalli Republic; April 18, 2011

Confounding oil sheens return to North Platte River near Wyoming city.
Oil sheens again appeared on the North Platte River near the former Amoco Refinery in Casper, and although the oil doesn't threaten that Wyoming city's water supply, Evanston has shut down its intake on the river, which is just a few miles downstream from where the sheens appeared.
Casper Star-Tribune; April 15, 2011

EPA explores less-expensive options for cleaning up Idaho river basin.
After determining that its plan to line 10 miles of the Coeur d'Alene River in Idaho was too expensive and difficult, the U.S. Environmental Agency is examining other options to keep clean surface water from mixing with groundwater contaminated with zinc, arsenic and lead in the Silver Valley.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; April 15, 2011

Hydro plant work in Idaho increases flows at Thousand Springs.
Idaho Power has shut down its hydroelectric plant at Thousand Springs, which means water will run over the cliffs above the Idaho power plant for the next six months.
Twin Falls Times-News; April 14, 2011

'Very big planter' makes its debut in Idaho onion field.
Frisby Farms' custom-made 48-row planter rolled across onion fields in Idaho's Canyon County, not only laying down onion seed, but also rolling out black "drip tape" to irrigate the crop.
Idaho Statesman; April 14, 2011

Radiation from Japanese nuclear plant found in Colorado drinking water.
Environmental Protection Agency officials said the radioactive isotope iodine-131, released from the Japanese nuclear reactor damaged in last month's earthquake and tsunami, was detected at 0.17 picocuries per liter in Denver's drinking water supply on March 30, but it assured Colorado residents that the radiation levels are far below federal standards.
Denver Post; April 13, 2011

Debris blocks Main Salmon River in Idaho below Black Creek.
A blowout in Black Creek the first of this month sent debris tumbling down the Main Salmon River in Idaho, blocking it entirely and wiping out Salmon Falls. The U.S. Forest Service is waiting to see if high water will take out the blockage, but they are warning boaters that the logjam is completely blocking the river and has created a new, difficult rapid.
Challis Messenger; April 13, 2011

Utah state engineer denies uranium mill's request for water.
An Emery County official said the Utah state engineer's denial of Mancos Resources Inc.'s water request for a proposed uranium mill in the Utah county doesn't mean the mill proposal is dead, only that the company needs to look elsewhere for the water needed.
Salt Lake Tribune; April 12, 2011

Utah state engineer denies uranium mill's request for water.
An Emery County official said the Utah state engineer's denial of Mancos Resources Inc.'s water request for a proposed uranium mill in the Utah county doesn't mean the mill proposal is dead, only that the company needs to look elsewhere for the water needed.
Salt Lake Tribune; April 12, 2011

Deep snow means a banner year for wildlife in Nevada wetlands.
Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge officials estimate that wetlands at the Nevada refuge will increase from 8,000 acres to 12,000 acres this year due to the ample snowpack, providing more room for migratory waterfowl.
Las Vegas Sun; April 11, 2011

Soaking rain puts Wyoming basin on edge of ending drought.
The four counties that lie within Wyoming's Bighorn Basin and all of Sweetwater County are still in a drought, although state officials said snowpack levels in the high country, as well as adequate levels in reservoirs and flows in rivers and streams, suggest that the drought could be over in that area of Wyoming.
Billings Gazette; April 6, 2011

Idaho groundwater pumpers buy fish farm, water rights.
The North Snake and Magic Valley groundwater districts and the Southwest Irrigation District said the purchase of the Thousand Springs-area Blue Lakes Trout, Clear Lake Trout and Rim View Trout fish farms and all associated water rights was designed to end the cycle of water calls and litigation in south-central Idaho.
Twin Falls Times-News; April 4, 2011

New director named for Idaho Fish and Game Department.
Virgil Moore is the new director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
Idaho Statesman; April 1, 2011

Million's Flaming Gorge water project for Colorado floats along.
Colorado entrepreneur Aaron Million isn't letting critics of his proposal to tap into Wyoming's Flaming Gorge Reservoir to pipe water to Colorado's Front Range cities stop his work on the proposal, and he continues to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop the project.
Pueblo Chieftain; March 31, 2011

B.C. enviro chief says hydraulic fracturing's history in province a safe one.
Quebec halted the use of the drilling method known as hydraulic fracturing earlier this year over concerns it may contaminate water supplies, but Tuesday British Columbia Energy and Mines Minister Rich Coleman said the process has been used for years in the province without problems, making increased regulation of it unnecessary.
Vancouver Sun; March 30, 2011

Utah researchers charge up germs to clean dirty water.
A team of researchers at the University of Utah have found that introducing a small amount of electricity into water makes bacteria in the water work harder to clean up contamination.
Deseret News; March 28, 2011

EPA may use fracking activity in Wyoming county as a case study.
The Niobrara Shale play in Wyoming's Laramie County may provide the Environmental Protection Agency an important testing ground for how the use of hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas development impacts soil and water resources.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 22, 2011

Colorado lawmakers press for federal bill on hydraulic fracturing.
Colorado's U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette and Jared Polis are sponsoring legislation that would require drilling companies to disclose chemicals used in the drilling method known as hydraulic fracturing, and would end an exemption the companies have from complying with the Drinking Water Act, putting their activities back under the scrutiny of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Denver Post; March 22, 2011

National Geographic offers 'water footprint' calculator on World Water Day.
National Geographic's current issue focuses on the world's water and includes a calculator consumers can use to figure out their "water footprint."
National Geographic; March 22, 2011

DEQ: Baseline info needed on Wyoming Range drilling proposal.
In its comment on the Bureau of Land Management's proposal to allow drilling for natural gas in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality called a lack of information on baseline water quality a "glaring omission," and urged the U.S. Forest Service to obtain such information.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 21, 2011

Montana moves ahead on plan to give Yellowstone bison more leeway.
Montana is moving ahead with a plan that would allow bison from Yellowstone National Park to move into the Gardiner Basin, which straddles the Yellowstone River and runs roughly 13 miles north of the park, a plan a Republican state lawmaker likened to "a creeping cancer."
Billings Gazette; March 18, 2011

Idaho Supreme Court upholds lower court's decision on water call.
On Thursday the Idaho Supreme Court issued a ruling on one of the three water rights cases before it, which involved the 2005 water call issued by Clear Springs Foods and Blue Lakes Trout Farm, both fish producers relying on Snake River Canyon springs, with the high court upholding the lower court's decision on all seven issues.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 18, 2011

Australian firm withdraws permit for Washington state port.
Just three weeks before Millennium Bulk Terminals, a subsidiary of Australia-based Ambre Energy, was to go to trial on an appeal of its permit for a coal-shipping port on the Columbia River in Washington state to move coal from Montana and Wyoming to Asian markets, the company withdrew the permit application and said it will start over with a new permit.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 17, 2011

Idaho river recedes after reaching highest level in 14 years.
The Weiser River crested Wednesday morning at 2.75 feet above flood stage, but Idaho officials said waters are receding and U.S. 95 south of Weiser is once again open.
Idaho Statesman; March 17, 2011

EPA urges USFS to protect groundwater in Wyoming energy proposal.
Plains Exploration and Production's proposal to drill 137 gas wells from 17 pads near Boudurant in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest is in an area where an aquifer supports 45 domestic water wells, and the Environmental Protection Agency has asked the U.S. Forest Service to make certain the Texas-based company takes steps to protect groundwater during drilling operations.
Denver Post; March 16, 2011

Industry-backed water-quality bill now on Idaho governor's desk.
Legislation drafted to protect Idaho's lakes, rivers and streams, and heavily amended by industries operating in the state, gained final approval from the state Senate on Friday, and is now on Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's desk awaiting his signature.
Idaho Statesman; March 14, 2011

Utah orders Alton Coal to make changes at Utah strip mine.
Alton Coal Development LLC's Coal Hollow Mine, just 10 miles from Bryce Canyon National Park in Kane County, is the only mine in Utah using the strip mining method, and last week the Utah Coal Regulatory Program ordered the company to stop dumping untreated runoff into the natural channel of Robinson Creek, to move stockpiled top soil, and to build berms to prevent runoff from those stockpiles from reaching tributaries of the creek.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 14, 2011

Authorities meet in Wyoming to discuss high water on the North Platte River.
At a meeting Thursday in Casper, officials from several government agencies met to discuss how to handle high water on the North Platte River in Wyoming this year.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 11, 2011

Report finds Alberta oilsands water monitoring inadequate.
The six-member panel appointed by Alberta Environment Minister Rob Renner last fall to review the conflicting studies on water-quality monitoring in the province's oilsands country released its report. It said the government's current monitoring system is inadequate and that little is known about the environmental impacts of the industrial development in that region of Alberta.
Calgary Herald; March 10, 2011

Idaho Power releases 81,500 rainbow trout into Snake River.
As a condition of Idaho Power's federal license agreement to run its hydroelectric operations in Idaho's mid-Snake River, the utility releases rainbow trout in March and October. This week, 81,500 of the fish were released.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 10, 2011

Group tries again to make Wyoming company post bond on Colorado mine.
After the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board declined the request of the High Country Citizens' Alliance to require U.S. Energy Corp. to post a bond sufficient enough to cover water treatment costs before approving the Wyoming company's permit to explore for molybdenum at a former mining site near Crested Butte, the Colorado group filed a lawsuit in state district court requesting the court set such a bond requirement.
Denver Post; March 8, 2011

Montana senator submits bill to stop aquatic invaders at state's borders.
Montana state Sen. Verdell Jackson wants to expand the reach of his Aquatic Invasive Species Act passed in 2009, which provided funding for boat inspections at boat ramps and fishing access points to keep quagga and zebra mussels out of state waters, to set up such inspections at the state's borders.
Flathead Beacon; March 8, 2011

New drilling operation near 2006 blowout concerns Wyoming residents.
In August of 2006, Windsor Energy's natural-gas well Crosby 25-3 in Wyoming near Yellowstone National Park blew out, forcing evacuations for miles around the well and creating a plume of polluted groundwater 225 feet underground. Now that company wants to drill another well just a few miles away in the Shoshone National Forest.
Los Angeles Times; March 7, 2011

Idaho Fish and Game Commission names candidates for director post.
The Idaho Fish and Game Commission released the names of the six candidates vying to replace Cal Groen, who announced last month that he was retiring as director of the state Fish and Game Department.
Idaho Statesman; March 7, 2011

Politics play a role in EPA's plan to regulate natural gas drilling.
The New York Times continues its series on hydraulic fracturing with a look back at the Environmental Protection Agency's first try at handling waste from oil and gas drilling in 1987 to the present attempt, and how politics continue to play a part in drafting regulations.
New York Times; March 4, 2011

Marine biologist wants Exxon Valdez case reopened.
Twenty-two years ago this month, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Alaska's Prince William Sound. To this day, oil still coats rocks in the bay, the herring runs have not yet returned, and the legal wranglings may not be over either, as a marine biologist is headed back into court to try to reopen the matter under a provision of the 1991 settlement agreement signed by ExxonMobil and the federal government known as the "reopener" provision.
New York Times; March 4, 2011

Companies shut down Arkansas reinjection wells due to earthquake concerns.
Just before the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission was to meet Friday to discuss shutting down wells used to dispose of wastewater discharged during natural gas drilling operations, the two companies using the wells, Chesapeake Energy and Clarita, agreed to stop using the wells after a swarm of earthquakes raised concerns that the use of such wells were connected to the earthquakes.
New York Times; March 4, 2011

Wyoming leads effort to find source of Pavillion's water problem.
Federal and state officials, representatives of local water companies and Encana, the energy company with natural-gas operations near Pavillion, have launched an investigation into the source of contamination of the Wyoming community's drinking water wells.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 2, 2011

Idaho House sends industry-backed water-quality bill to the Senate.
Idaho is one of the few states that have yet to comply with the Clean Water Act that requires states to protect high-quality waters from pollution. The Idaho Conservation League sued the federal Environmental Protection Agency for not forcing Idaho to take action, but the legislation now before the state Senate to bring the state into compliance may not be strict enough to fend off federal intervention.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 1, 2011

Drilling for shale gas in Pennsylvania creates a water problem.
The nation's quest for natural gas has pumped up the use of hydraulic fracturing, a method of drilling that uses water, sand and chemicals injected under high pressure underground to release the gas trapped in rock, which in turn creates massive volumes of wastewater, and in Pennsylvania, half of the produced water, much of it containing radioactive contaminants, was shipped to wastewater treatment plants in 2008 and 2009, where few plants had systems capable of removing the radioactive materials.
New York Times; February 28, 2011

Tribal members angry with Navajo Nation's water settlement.
The Navajo Nation has been negotiating for years with Arizona, New Mexico and Utah to settle the Nation's right to Colorado River water, and with settlements with Arizona and New Mexico in place, and another with Utah edging toward completion, individual tribal members are angry that the Nation didn't seek more water.
High Country News; February 25, 2011

Colorado rancher taps irrigation canal to produce hydropower.
Dan Huntington installed a turbine at the end of a pressurized pipeline, using water from the irrigation canal that passes through his La Plata County ranch to generate 3,000 watts of power a day in the winter, and triple that in the summer. A new pilot program to streamline the permitting process for similar small hydroelectric power installations suggests interest is growing in Colorado.
Durango Herald; February 25, 2011

Wyoming rancher's quest for water cracks open debate on 'fracking'.
When Wyoming rancher Louis Meeks' sweet water well went dry in 2005, Meeks began drilling another well but tapped into water that was cloudy and smelled of fuel. His fight to prove that the use of hydraulic fracturing contaminated the local aquifers has been met with considerable contention from the energy industry, and local, state and federal agencies have not been able to link the water problem to the industry.
ProPublica.org; February 25, 2011

Washington congressman: No Snake River dam breaching bills this year.
Washington state U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings said he'll use his position as chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee to block any bills dealing with the breaching of dams on the Snake River.
Tri-City Herald; February 24, 2011

Idaho legislators OK $2.4 million for aquifer management.
Last week, Idaho legislative budget writers approved $2.4 million in funding for the Comprehensive Aquifer Management Plan for the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer and other water resources.
Twin Falls Times-News; February 22, 2011

Environmental, energy demands at odds on Columbia-Snake river system.
The Columbia-Snake river system is an important route for salmon migration, and environmental groups would like to see dams along the rivers removed. But the corridor is also an important route for mining and refinery equipment being shipped to Idaho's Port of Lewiston, and in Washington state, a port is being proposed to ship coal from Montana and Wyoming to Asia.
New York Times; February 20, 2011

Report: Southwest U.S. will face water shortages.
The report "The Last Drop: Climate Change and the Southwest Water Crisis" written by economists Frank Ackerman and Elizabeth A. Stanton of U.S. Center of the Stockholm Environment Institute, said it will cost $7 billion annually to cover water shortages in the Southwest United States if growth continues and water consumption remains constant.
Santa Fe New Mexican; February 18, 2011

Idaho well owners urge caution in granting M3 water permit.
There are 2,000 individual water wells in the Spring Valley where M3 Cos. want to build out a subdivision on 6,000 acres over the next 30 years, and well owners near the Idaho project spoke out against the proposal during a 17-day hearing before the Idaho Department of Idaho Resources because they fear more wells will go dry, an argument M3 executives countered with the statement that the water wells used by the subdivision will be drilled hundreds of feet lower than individual homes' water wells.
Idaho Statesman; February 18, 2011

Idaho city wants dairy to pay for spill that overloaded sewer system.
Jerome city officials said a spill Dec. 30 from a dairy dumped a large amount of calcium into the Idaho city's wastewater system, overloading the system's membranes, and forcing the city to use an irrigation canal for some overload water, a decision that concerns residents whose homes are near that canal.
Twin Falls Times News; February 18, 2011

President Obama wants Land and Water Conservation Fund fully funded.
As part of his "America's Great Outdoors Initiative," President Obama said he wanted a program that paid young people to build trails, another to take a broader approach to manage federal landscapes, and to fully fund the 45-year-old Land and Water Conservation Fund that is supposed to get $900 million from offshore oil and gas drilling taxes annually but usually gets just a fraction of those funds, which are diverted for other purposes.
Denver Post; February 17, 2011

Idaho governor puts natural gas execs on the hot seat at regulation hearing.
The Idaho Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is working on rules to regulate the use of hydraulic fracturing in the state, and at a hearing yesterday, Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter pressed executives from Bridge Resources, the natural gas company that wants to use the drilling method in Payette County, to provide details on how the company would protect the state's groundwater from any impacts from the use of that process.
Idaho Statesman; February 16, 2011

Idaho county says bluegill an effective weapon against mosquitoes.
The Twin Falls County Pest Abatement District leads Idaho in its use of nonchemical and inexpensive methods to control mosquitoes and black flies, and in its report Tuesday, the district reported that selectively stocking ponds in the county with bluegill had reduced mosquito larvae.
Twin Falls Times-News; February 16, 2011

Artificial flooding of Grand Canyon unleashes predator on native fish.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's releases from Glen Canyon Dam designed to build up sandbars to ensure the survival of the native endangered humpback chub, resulted in an eightfold increase in rainbow trout, which eat the chub, so now the federal agency is planning to again kill thousands of rainbow trout using electroshocks to do so, and improve the monitoring of future water releases.
Arizona Daily Sun; February 9, 2011

Utah legislators hear from nuclear-power developer.
At a hearing before the Utah Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee, Aaron Tilton, chief executive officer of Blue Castle Holdings, a company that is seeking to build a two-unit nuclear power plant in Emery County near Green River, discussed the project and how it might impact water resources.
Deseret News; February 8, 2011

Utah reservoir project unearths dozens of ancient remains.
The Kane County Water Conservancy District began construction on its Jackson Flat Water Supply Storage Facility more than a year ago near Kanab, and over period of the construction work, the remains of 54 people who lived in Utah more than 1,000 years ago have been unearthed.
Deseret News; February 8, 2011

National Park Service taking applications for Grand Canyon float trips.
The National Park Service is taking applications through Feb. 23 for 436 permits for 12- to- 25-day noncommercial trips on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon for the 2012 season.
Arizona Daily Sun; February 8, 2011

Congressional report on diesel fuel in hydraulic fracturing sparks Colorado probe.
After a congressional committee reported that energy companies had used diesel fuel in a drilling method known as hydraulic fracturing in several states including Colorado, state officials began their own investigation.
Durango Herald; February 7, 2011

Water deal may allow Idaho development to move forward.
The Idaho Department of Water Resources and M3 Cos. have reached a deal, which could allow the company's plan to build 7,100 homes on 6,015 acres in the hills north of Eagle, by putting the development's water permit to tap the Pierce Gulch Sand Aquifer in Eagle's hands, although the state will retain ultimate authority on the long-term water permit.
Idaho Statesman; February 7, 2011

Oregon, Washington to limit white sturgeon fishing on Columbia River.
The white sturgeon species has survived 170 million years, but the number of fish is in rapid decline. Today, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is expected to release a plan to dramatically lower the number of sturgeon allowed to be caught on the lower Columbia River, and agency directors for both Oregon and Washington are expected to announce similar limits next week.
Portland Oregonian; February 4, 2011

Idaho governor may sue USFWS over bull trout habitat designation.
A spokesman for Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service disregarded the state's input on designation of critical habitat for the endangered bull trout and said the state is contemplating suing over the agency's decision.
IdahoReporter.com; February 4, 2011

EPA to set limits for perchlorate, 16 other chemicals in drinking water.
On Wednesday, Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa P. Jackson announced the agency would set limits for perchlorate, a component of rocket fuel, that is found in drinking water supplies in 26 states, as well as 16 other toxic and carcinogenic chemicals, and that the regulations will take three to four years to develop.
New York Times; February 3, 2011

Idaho lawmakers hear impact of budget cuts on water agency.
The agency that monitors, tests, adjudicates and follows Idaho waters could see a nearly 30 percent decrease in its share of the state's general fund, and on Wednesday, Idaho Department of Water Resource Interim Director Gary Spackman told lawmakers how his agency's work will have to change should those cuts be made.
Twin Falls Times-News; February 3, 2011

Idaho Irrigation District wants to put its water to work.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is taking public comment through April 22 on Idaho Irrigation District's request for a preliminary permit to study the feasibility of putting a small hydroelectric power facility on one of its canals.
Twin Falls Times-News; February 2, 2011

Wyoming Senate advances constitutional right to hunt, fish.
The Wyoming Senate gave initial approval to Senate Joint Resolution 1, which would preserve citizens' right to hunt and fish as a constitutional right; the measure faces a second vote today in the Senate.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 2, 2011

Report: 3 Nevada cities make Top 10 list for worst drinking water.
AOL Daily Finance reports that the website 24/7 Wall St. used Environmental Working Group data on drinking water supplies and ranked cities' water supplies using a formula based on the percentage of chemicals found, the number of contaminants found, and the most dangerous average level of a single pollutant. Pensacola, Fla., was ranked first for the worst water; Las Vegas was ranked third; Reno fifth; and North Las Vegas eighth.
Las Vegas Sun; February 1, 2011

Nevada wildlife commission wants feral horses' use of water declared illegal.
The Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners has asked the state engineer to notify federal agencies responsible for overseeing feral horses and burros that the animals' use of water resources violates state law.
Elko Daily Free Press; January 31, 2011

Dam advocates question Interior appointee's nomination.
President Barack Obama's nomination of former American Rivers CEO Rebecca Wodder to serve as Assistant Interior Secretary of Fish, Wildlife and Parks is being opposed by a coalition of industry and agricultural groups, as well as the Idaho Water Users Association. A column by Rocky Barker.
Idaho Statesman; June 27, 2011

Idaho needs to work now on developing new funding for Fish and Game.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game doesn't get a dime of federal funding, and its bread and butter is provided primarily from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses, but with those activities in decline, the state needs to explore other sources, perhaps asking those who enjoy watching wildlife to help support their habit.
Idaho Statesman; June 27, 2011

BLM should expand public comment period on Las Vegas water plan.
Utah has a dog in the fight on the proposed plan to pipe groundwater from valleys on the Nevada-Utah border to Las Vegas. The Bureau of Land Management's environmental assessment of how that plan could affect federal lands is daunting, and needs more than the requisite 90-day public comment period to digest.
Salt Lake Tribune; June 21, 2011

West's energy, water, mining projects should be fully exploited.
Under the Maximum Trashing Utilization policy, irrigation projects would generate electricity, as would roof tops, mine waste would be depleted of all its valuable resources, and methane now burned off would be captured and sold. The government needs to make it easier for projects that are already disturbing the environment to ensure every benefit is fully utilized.
High Country News; June 8, 2011

Water is too precious a resource in the West to be hogtied politically.
Abandoned mines in Colorado and other western states are sending a toxic cocktail of contaminants through runoff into rivers and streams, and with snowpack well above average in many basins in Colorado and the region, this year promises to be a banner year for runoff. This means our rivers and our water are at risk, and Congress needs to act in concert to fix the Clean Water Act so groups that want to address the problem of abandoned mines can do so without the fear of litigation looming over them.
Durango Herald; June 2, 2011

Water quality in Idaho's Boise River is everyone's concern.
Idahoans should be thankful that the federal government is standing up to protect the water quality in the Boise River from Canada-based Atlanta Gold Corp., which recently announced it would no longer treat arsenic-laden water that runs off from a mine tunnel and eventually flows into the river.
Idaho Statesman; May 24, 2011

Washington has its eye on Northern Idaho's water.
Residents of Southern Idaho are used to fighting to protect their water rights, but state lawmakers and local officials from Northern Idaho have often been loath to spend taxpayer dollars to protect those rights. Now that Washington state is seeking some water from northern Idaho, perhaps there will be more empathy and a willingness to act together.
Twin Falls Times-News; May 17, 2011

Much has yet to be discovered about U.S.'s oilshale industry.
The Bureau of Land Management just completed seven public hearings about commercial development of oilshale resources in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming. The one common thread that ran through all of those meetings is that not much is yet known about the best processes to pull the oil from the rocks, nor the true impact the processes will have on the region's water resources.
New west.net; May 9, 2011

Salmon's epic journey in Idaho in the spotlight again.
As spring run-off brings high water back to Idaho, attention is again upon salmon, with a couple of notable events: On May 1, national public television's "Nature" series will broadcast "Salmon: Running the Gauntlet," and on May 9, U.S. District Judge James Redden of Portland, Ore., will hold oral arguments on a lawsuit over the iconic fish that dates back to 1994. A column by Rocky Barker.
Idaho Statesman; April 25, 2011

Wyoming communities deserve answers on air, water pollution.
Sublette County and its community of Pinedale have an ozone problem that rivals that of Los Angeles, and state regulators and oil and gas companies operating in the region are at a loss to explain the rise in ozone despite the decrease in emissions from those operations. In Casper, an oily sheen is again showing up on the North Platte River near the former Amoco refinery, and again state officials and industry reps cannot explain the occurrence. These Cowboy State communities deserve answers and should get them.
Casper Star-Tribune; April 18, 2011

Utah city should maintain its strong defense of watershed.
For decades, property owners in the watershed that supplies Salt Lake City with water have been trying to get around a 1976 contract and a 1977 affirming court decision to get the city to provide water for homes they wish to build in the watershed. The Utah city has always responded with a resounding "no," and just because the current request comes from a famous football player doesn't mean a different answer is due.
Salt Lake Tribune; April 5, 2011

Salazar: Colorado River declines change Western attitudes on climate change.
During a speech at a symposium hosted by the Center for American Progress on Thursday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said he believed conservatives in the seven member states to the Colorado River pact have a clear understanding of how climate change is affecting their water supplies, although legislation sponsored by Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch and Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso that would limit the president's ability to take steps to address climate change don't support Salazar's position.
Las Vegas Sun; February 25, 2011

Public needs to get vocal about Grand Canyon mining proposal.
There is much at risk if uranium mining is allowed near the Grand Canyon, including drinking water supplies for 25 million people, Arizona's tourism industry, wildlife and air quality. The public has 45 days to make its opinion known about keeping this area pristine.
Arizona Republic; February 22, 2011

Poll finds Idahoans don't support rebuilding Teton Dam.
Idaho and the Bureau of Reclamation are in the midst of a two-year study on the feasibility of rebuilding Teton Dam, which failed in 1976 shortly after it was built, killing 11. A recent poll of 300 Idahoans living in southwest Idaho found 63 percent preferred making improvements to improve the efficient use of water over rebuilding the dam.
Idaho Statesman; February 7, 2011

Idaho city needs to reclaim public access to the Big Wood River.
Ketchum Planning and Zoning Commissioner Rich Fabiano took a stroll along the banks of the Big Wood River and documented how private landowners are illegally preventing public access to the river. It's time the officials of the Idaho city stand up for the public and enforce the laws allowing access to the river.
Idaho Mountain Express; February 4, 2011

Wyoming must do more to address life in state post-glaciers.
The Casper Star-Tribune's series on the glaciers in Wyoming's Wind River Range provided ample evidence that the state's icy reservoirs are disappearing, and state officials, landowners and all stakeholders must begin work now to address an even more arid future.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 31, 2011