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Water News and Opinion
Study finds fish have been seeking cooler waters for decades.
Researchers from the University of British Columbia published the results of a study that looked back to the 1970s and found that fish and other sea life have been on the move to cooler waters since that time.
Washington Post; May 16, 2013
Montana county commission wants to talk water with USFS, DNRC.
After learning that Ravalli County's objection to the U.S. Forest Service's attempt to gain in-stream water rights on two streams had been denied by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the county commission has invited Tom Tidwell, chief of the U.S. Forest Service, and the top officials of the DNRC to come and talk with them about the Forest Service's plan to pursue in-stream water rights on 11 streams in the Bitterroot National Forest.
Ravalli Republic; May 16, 2013
NPS to conduct watercraft inspections in Yellowstone National Park.
All motorized and nonmotorized watercraft must be inspected for invasive species by National Park Service personnel before they can be used on waters within Yellowstone National Park, and park officials want to remind the public that permits are required for all boats and float tubes.
Casper Star-Tribune; May 16, 2013
Wyoming legislators briefed on baseline water test regs for energy industry.
Jerimiah Rieman, Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead's natural resources policy adviser, provided some details about new rules for oil and gas operators to obtain baseline water tests before drilling to members of the Legislature's Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development committee.
Casper Star-Tribune; May 16, 2013
USFWS plan for Idaho wildlife refuge sparks water fight with Canyon County.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working on its management plan for the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge in Idaho that includes rules for the 9,000-acre Lake Lowell. On Tuesday, the Canyon County Commission laid out its position that the lake belongs to the irrigators and the state, and the county will not enforce any federal rules on the lake and it will withdraw any aid provided to the refuge should federal agents be brought in to enforce on-water rules.
Idaho Statesman; May 15, 2013
Utah water board asks Gov. Herbert to reconsider Nevada agreement.
The Utah Water Development Commission voted Tuesday to formally ask Utah Gov. Gary Herbert to revisit his decision to decline to sign a water-sharing agreement with Nevada, and to provide the water panel with his response before the commission meets again in June.
Salt Lake Tribune; May 15, 2013
Wyoming Game and Fish tells legislators more cuts coming.
The Wyoming Legislature declined to increase fees charged by Wyoming Game and Fish, and on Wednesday, Scott Talbott, the director of that department, told legislators that the agency will have to cut between $1.5 million and $2 million if more funding isn't provided by the Legislature.
Casper Star-Tribune; May 10, 2013
Wyoming Game and Fish explains differing fishing regulations.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department will host a series of meetings to discuss proposed changes to fishing regulations, and how the rules on some species change in relation to the waters in which they are found.
Casper Star-Tribune; May 9, 2013
Montana to pay to keep 4 USGS river gauges operational.
After the U.S. Geological Survey released a list of river gauges that it would no longer pay to operate due to sequestration cuts, Montana agencies stepped up to pay the costs of keeping four operating: one on the Bitterroot River just below its confluence with the Clark Fork River, the Jefferson River near Three Forks, the Smith River near Eagle Creek and the Yellowstone River at Miles City.
Flathead Beacon; May 6, 2013
Montana ranchers watch their hay supplies dwindle.
Last summer's drought, combined with this year's cold, wet spring, meant that Montana ranchers had less hay to harvest and they've had to keep feeding their livestock longer as pastures haven't yet greened up, and the price of hay just keeps climbing.
Great Falls Tribune; May 5, 2013
Study says hydraulic fracturing could affect water resources in the West.
A report released by Ceres found that, although hydraulic fracturing in states like Colorado and Texas currently uses less than 1 percent of water resources overall, the group said the use of millions of gallons of water to drill one well could have a huge effect on local water resources.
New York Times; May 2, 2013
Wyoming sets meeting on motorized boat ban on stretch of Snake River.
Wyoming Game and Fish will hold a public meeting on May 8 in the Teton County Library in Jackson to gather public comments on a plan to ban motorboats on a 20-mile stretch of the Snake River from Grand Teton National Park to the South Park Bridge and to ban jet skis on an additional 20 miles to the West Table Boat Ramp.
Jackson Hole News & Guide; May 1, 2013
Hearing officer withdraws USFS permit for coal mine expansion in Utah.
A federal appeals officer has reversed the decision of Fishlake National Forest Supervisor Allen Rowley to approve the request of Operator Ark Land Co., a subsidiary of Arch Coal, to expand its coal-lease by 20 acres in Utah, a decision that Utah Environmental Congress had challenged over concerns that the removal of the estimated 400,000 tons of coal would lead to subsidence and the loss of streams in the area.
Salt Lake Tribune; May 1, 2013
Newly constructed spillway of Idaho dam passes first test.
In 2010, the Burley and Minidoka irrigation districts in Idaho passed bond measures to pay for a $21.3-million upgrade at the Minidoka Dam, and 12 newly constructed gated spillway structures passed their first tests this month.
Twin Falls Times-News; April 30, 2013
Owner of Berkeley Pit in Montana declines pilot project to clean water.
Montana Resources officials said they are currently not interested in having a pilot project tested at the Berkeley Pit touted as a way to clean the polluted water and use the contaminants to make potassium nitrate, a chemical compound used in fertilizer.
Montana Standard; April 29, 2013
Drought, bee loss sting Idaho honey producers.
Last year's drought led to a reduction in honey produced in Idaho, and with considerable losses reported by beekeepers across the state over the winter, production could be lower again this year.
Twin Falls Times-News; April 29, 2013
Budget cuts shut down 3 streamflow gauges in Idaho.
The U.S. Geological Survey's Idaho Water Science Center originally reported that five of the state's 31 stream flow gauges would be shut off due to sequestration budget cuts, but that number has since been cut to three, with one on the Little Salmon River at Riggins and the other on the Little Lost River near Howe pulled from the closure list.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; April 29, 2013
House panel holds hearing on USFS's policy on ski area water rights.
At a House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power hearing on ski area water rights last Thursday, Geraldine Link, director of public policy for the National Ski Areas Association, and Randy Parker, Utah Farm Bureau Federation's chief executive officer, testified about the U.S. Forest Service's proposed policy of tying water rights to lands, although no one from the Forest Service testified.
Durango Herald; April 27, 2013
Former Idaho water chief files for unallocated water in Big Wood River.
As Idaho moves toward conjunctive management of surface and groundwater, David Tuthill, the former director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources, said he believes hundreds of wells in the Wood River Valley will be forced to shut down to keep water flowing to senior water rights holders, and his company, Innovative Mitigation Solutions, has filed for water rights on the Big Wood River to recharge aquifers, a filing that is being protested by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the Idaho Conservation League and others.
Idaho Mountain Express; April 26, 2013
Montana group says states must track water used in hydraulic fracturing.
A new report from the Western Organization of Resource Councils, a Montana-based group that represents a coalition of land-use groups, said that Wyoming and other western states must begin keeping better track of groundwater used in hydraulic fracturing operations or agriculture and communities could be left wanting.
Casper Star-Tribune; April 26, 2013
At Wyoming water conference, Ten Sleep wins honors for tastiest H2O.
As part of the Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems' 22nd annual conference, judges, including Casper Star-Tribune reporter Leah Todd, picked water from Ten Sleep as the state's tastiest water, which means a jug of the water will be sent to Washington, D.C., next February to represent Wyoming in a national taste test.
Casper Star-Tribune; April 26, 2013
Nevada's native trout flourish once again.
Lahontan cutthroat trout, Nevada's state fish, were thought to have gone extinct, but decades of effort by the Paiute Tribe and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have restored a population in Lake Pyramid.
New York Times; April 24, 2013
Federal appeals court rules EPA can veto mining permit.
On Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency does have the authority to retroactively revoke a mining permit granted to a subsidiary of Arch Coal in 2007 that allowed the company to dump mining waste into rivers and streams in West Virginia. The ruling overturns a federal court decision and returns the case to the lower court.
New York Times; April 24, 2013
Leak sends tailings from Idaho phosphate operation into wetlands.
Monsanto Co. reported on March 29 that an earthen holding pond at a phosphate mine in southeastern Idaho began leaking, sending an estimated 3 million gallons of water into adjacent wetlands and creating a sediment plume 100 feet long. The Bureau of Land Management has given Monsanto 60 days to come up with a proposal to deal with the incident as well as a plan to prevent such events in the future.
Idaho Statesman; April 23, 2013
Idaho irrigation company to cut water deliveries, season.
The drought in southwest Idaho forced the Pioneer Irrigation District to cut water deliveries by 30 percent this season and to end its season in August, two months earlier than normal.
Twin Falls Times-News; April 23, 2013
USFS's budget policy gives western forests more flexibility.
The U.S. Forest Service's "Integrated Resource Restoration" policy, which combines budgets for timber, wildlife, range, soil and watershed projects, is being used in the Bridger-Teton and Caribou-Targhee national forests, and a dozen other forests in the Intermountain West.
Jackson Hole Daily; April 22, 2013
Groups oppose federal plan to dredge channel at Idaho port.
The Port of Lewiston in Idaho is the nation's most inland seaport on the West Coast, and the plan to dredge the channel to allow barges to continue to access that port is being opposed by environmental groups because they said use of the port is declining and the dredging is a misuse of taxpayer funding.
Idaho Statesman; April 22, 2013
Wyoming DEQ seeks public comment on Belle Fourche River report.
The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality found levels of E. coli, ammonia and chloride that exceed water quality standards in the Belle Fourche River and two tributaries that flow into the river, and the state is taking public comment on the report through May 10.
Casper Star-Tribune; April 21, 2013
Oregon legislators move bill to put moratorium on gold dredging.
On Wednesday, the Oregon Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee voted 3-2 to send Senate Bill 838, which would impose a five-year moratorium on using suction dredges to mine for gold in certain salmon streams, along to the Joint Ways and Means Committee.
Idaho Statesman; April 19, 2013
Few attend USFS's public meeting in Colorado on ski areas' water rights.
The U.S. Forest Service was ordered by a federal court in December to rewrite its policy on ski areas' water rights and to include the public in that process. On Tuesday the agency held a listening session on the policy at its headquarters in Lakewood which drew only a few representatives of ski areas in Colorado.
Denver Post; April 18, 2013
Idaho Power cites decline in revenue in request for rate increase.
On Monday, Idaho Power Co. submitted a formal request to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to raise its residential power rates by 8 percent to address an unanticipated drop in revenue. A decline in hydroelectric power due to low stream flows last year and a decline in revenue due to cheaper energy prices on the open market were cited as causes.
Idaho Statesman; April 16, 2013
B.C. orders coal company to provide plan to limit selenium in Elk Valley.
Teck Coal has admitted that coal mining operations in the Elk Valley watershed, which includes the Elk and Fording rivers and Lake Koocanusa, which flows across the border into Montana, are linked to high selenium levels in those waters. On Monday, the British Columbia government ordered the company to come up with a plan to address selenium and other contaminants in 90 days.
Toronto Globe and Mail; April 16, 2013
U.S. begins review of Columbia River treaty with Canada.
The U.S. and Canada signed the 60-year Columbia River Treaty in 1964, and under the terms of the treaty either party may terminate most of the agreement with 10-years' notice, which makes September 2014 an important marker in that pact. Today in Portland, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bonneville Power Administration will hold a meeting on the treaty review.
Portland Oregonian; April 15, 2013
Study: Drought in Wyoming, Colorado in 2012 not likely to recur any time soon.
The drought of 2012 was most evident in Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri. A study released last week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said last May through August in those six states was the driest in 117 years, and a drought of that severity would likely not reoccur for several hundred years.
Christian Science Monitor; April 14, 2013
EPA asks Encana to provide more info on Wyoming reinjection well.
Encana Oil and Gas won approval from Wyoming to reinject wastewater from drilling operations into the Madison aquifer, which the company said was too deep at 15,000 feet to make withdrawal and treatment of the water economically feasible for drinking water, but U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials have asked the company to provide more information about how its plan won't contaminate groundwater and why the aquifer would not be a source of drinking water.
Casper Star-Tribune; April 11, 2013
Corps extends comment period for Idaho dredging proposal.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has extended the comment period to April 30 for its plan to deposit sediment removed during dredging operations in the Snake and Clearwater rivers and deposit it near Knoxway Canyon in Idaho.
Idaho Statesman; April 11, 2013
Idaho group's lawsuit alleges grazing on USFS lands threatens fish.
Western Watersheds Project filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday against the U.S. Forest Service, alleging that three grazing allotments in the Salmon-Challis National Forest in the Little Lost River watershed degrade water quality in that river, which is critical habitat for the endangered bull trout.
Idaho Statesman; April 11, 2013
Salazar: Wyoming to get a say in Blueways designation of Yellowstone River.
Wyoming U.S. Sens. Mike Enzi and John Barrasso and U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis opposed the Interior Department's plan to designate the Yellowstone River as a "Blueway," and outgoing Interior Secretary Ken Salazar answered those concerns with the promise that "...the nomination process will also require a letter of support from states with a significant portion of the watershed within their borders."
Casper Star-Tribune; April 9, 2013
Colorado College's annual conference begins tonight.
"Conservation in the Rockies: Issues of Citizen Science, Water Friendly Futures, and Winter Recreation," is the theme of Colorado College's annual conference which begins tonight on its campus in Colorado Springs.
Mountain West News; April 8, 2013
EPA rolls out new rules for recreational dredge miners in Idaho.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its new regulations for recreational gold miners who use small dredging systems in Idaho that includes a prohibition on such mining in the Salmon River, main stems of the biggest rivers in the state and on all waters passing through tribal lands.
Idaho Statesman; April 5, 2013
After Utah rejects water pact, experts debate Nevada's options.
On Wednesday, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert declined to sign an agreement that would have allowed Nevada to pump 21 million gallons of groundwater from an aquifer that lies on the states' border south to Las Vegas, leaving Nevada with a few options, including suing Utah citing bad-faith negotiations, reopening talks on the water agreement or taking the dispute to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Salt Lake Tribune; April 5, 2013
Utah's dry winter this year a rerun of last year.
Snowpack levels in Utah's mountain ranges are averaging about 60 to 70 percent of normal, soils are dry from last year's drought and reservoir levels are 20 percent lower now than they were last year at this time, and state officials are gearing up for a rough wildfire season -- again.
Salt Lake Tribune; April 5, 2013
Search begins anew for Idaho Fish and Game commissioner.
Residents of Idaho's Magic Valley who are "well informed and interested in wildlife conservation and restoration," are being urged to apply for that district's open Fish and Game Commission seat.
Twin Falls Times-News; April 4, 2013
Utah governor declines to sign water compact with Nevada.
Saying it was one of the hardest decisions he's had to make while governor of Utah, Gov. Gary Herbert announced Wednesday that he would not sign an agreement with Nevada to share groundwater in an aquifer along the states' border.
Salt Lake Tribune; April 4, 2013
Scientist urges Canada to explore what's causing fish deformities in Alberta river.
University of Alberta professor David Schindler said deformities found in fish in Alberta's Athabasca River downstream from oilsands operations are similar to deformities found in the waters off the coast of Alaska following the ExxonValdez oil spill and in Gulf Coast waters following the Deepwater Horizon well disaster. Schindler is asking Canadian officials to investigate to determine if there's a link between the fish deformities and exposure to crude oil.
Calgary Herald; April 4, 2013
Groups put BNSF, coal companies on notice of Clean Water Act lawsuit.
The Sierra Club, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, Columbia Riverkeeper, Friends of Columbia Gorge, RE Sources for Sustainable Communities and other groups sent a notice of intent to sue to Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, Arch Coal, Peabody Energy, Cloud Peak Energy, Ambre Energy and other coal companies over the loss of coal from railcars into Washington state waterways that the groups said violates the federal Clean Water Act.
Casper Star-Tribune; April 3, 2013
Wyoming Game and Fish budget cuts could mean lighter creels for anglers.
The Wyoming Legislature's decision to not raise hunting and fishing fees this year created a shortfall in the state's Game and Fish Department's budget, which means a 25 percent reduction in the department's fish stocking in 140 lakes, reservoirs and waterways.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 28, 2013
NOAA forecasts more drought in U.S. in 2013.
Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said drought conditions seen so far this year are worse than in 2012 and 2011, and said 54.2 percent of the contiguous United States was in some stage of drought in February, compared with 39 percent in February of 2012.
InsideClimateNews.org; March 28, 2013
Snake Valley residents divided over Utah-Nevada water pact.
Groundwater in Utah's Snake Valley sustains the Utah valley's ranches on the Utah-Nevada border, and Nevada's proposal to pump groundwater south from that border area to Las Vegas concerns those ranchers, who are split about whether an agreement between Utah and Nevada will protect their water and way of life.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 27, 2013
Updates provided Tuesday on Utah pipeline spill.
Another trio of beavers were taken from their lodge at Willard State Park to protect them from the effects of a diesel fuel spill from Chevron Pipe Line Co. in Utah. The incident command team lowered the estimate of diesel fuel captured by a third from the figure released Friday.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 27, 2013
Utah judge makes initial ruling on stream access law.
On Monday, the Utah State District Judge Derek Pullan rejected most of the state's defense of the 2010 law that restricts public access to rivers where they cross private lands. However, the judge stopped short of overturning the law and said he needed to hear more evidence about it.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 26, 2013
Idaho's share of USFWS fund is $16.1 million.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service distributed $882 million in funds generated by sales of sporting firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, fishing gear and fuel taxes paid by recreational boaters. Idaho's share was $16.1 million, of which the Idaho Department of Fish and Game will use $9.8 million for wildlife restoration projects and $6.3 million for fish projects.
Idaho Statesman; March 25, 2013
BLM to hold energy site reclamation workshop on April 4.
The Bureau of Land Management Buffalo Field Office, the Wyoming Natural Resource Conservation Service, Campbell County Conservation District and Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory will hold a day-long workshop on April 4 on reclaiming energy infrastructure and converting coal-bed natural gas wells to livestock water sources.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 23, 2013
USFWS updates its recovery plan for pallid sturgeon in Montana.
Over the past 20 years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has made some gains on bolstering the number of pallid sturgeon in the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers in Montana, and now the federal agency is updating its management plan for the species and will take public comment on that plan through April 15.
Billings Gazette; March 22, 2013
Wyoming Game and Fish set meeting on motorboat use on Snake River.
Motorboats are prohibited on the stretch of the Snake River that flows through Grand Teton National Park, but are allowed south of the park to the West Table Boat Ramp. Wyoming Game and Fish will hold a meeting Monday in Jackson to bring people who approve of motorboat use on that stretch of the river and those who want restrictions on that use together to discuss what, if any, changes are needed.
Jackson Hole Daily; March 21, 2013
Idaho river runners optimistic about whitewater season.
With snowpack levels hovering near 80 percent of average, members of the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association are predicting a good whitewater season on the Salmon, Snake, Lochsa and Payette rivers.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 21, 2013
Utah governor lays out pros, cons for Nevada water pact in EskDale.
On Wednesday, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert traveled to the Snake Valley to meet with residents in EskDale to discuss the proposed agreement with Nevada to share water in the basin, where he heard from both proponents and opponents of the water-sharing agreement and Nevada's plan to pipe water from that basin to Las Vegas.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 21, 2013
Montana researcher finds alarming levels of selenium in B.C.s Elk River.
As part of a larger study on water quality in the Flathead River, University of Montana researcher Richard Hauer collected water samples from the Elk River in British Columbia, and found selenium levels routinely 10-times-plus those in the Flathead, nitrate 1,000 to 5,000 times higher, sulphate a 100-fold increase, and that the higher levels were directly attributable to coal mining in the Elk Valley.
Toronto Globe and Mail; March 21, 2013
Three groups sue USFWS, Montana DNRC over logging plan on state lands.
The Friends of the Wild Swan, Montana Environmental Information Center and Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Missoula on Monday challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's review of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's management plan for 548,000 acres of lands in western Montana. The groups assert the plan did not sufficiently consider the effect logging would have on grizzly bear habitat nor the impact building roads would have on streams that contain bull trout.
Missoulian; March 19, 2013
Colorado congressman introduces bill on oil, gas emissions.
U.S. Rep. Jared Polis' BREATHE Act, would make sure wells drilled using hydraulic fracturing can be regulated by the federal government and adds hydrogen sulfide to the list of hazardous pollutants under the Clean Air Act, and the Colorado Democrat also co-sponsored legislation Thursday offered by Pennsylvania U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, that eliminates the exemption for oil and gas companies to meet federal standards for storm water runoff under the Clean Water Act.
Boulder Daily Camera; March 15, 2013
Mexico reports monarch migration declined 59 percent in one year.
On Wednesday, the Mexican government reported that the December migration of Monarch butterflies covered just 2.94 acres in the Mexican forest where the butterflies make their winter home, a 59 percent decline from the 7.14 acres reported in December of 2011. The drought in the U.S. Midwest, as well as an increase in the planting of genetically modified corn and soybeans in that region, were cited as the reason for the population decline.
New York Times; March 14, 2013
Wyoming board approves Encana's request to inject wastewater into aquifer.
Despite a recommendation from the two state geologists on the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission that Encana not be allowed to inject wastewater from oil and gas drilling operations into the Madison aquifer, the board voted Tuesday to allow the company to do so.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 13, 2013
Wyoming Game and Fish proposes 30 program cuts.
After the Wyoming Legislature declined to allow the state Game and Fish Department to raise hunting and fishing license fees, the state agency announced 30 program cuts that will be discussed at the Fish and Game Commission's meeting next week.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 9, 2013
Wyoming county appoints operating board for Lake DeSmet.
The ownership of Lake DeSmet may be in limbo, but Johnson County farmers and ranchers will need water for their crops and stock before Wyoming, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Johnson and Sheridan counties hammer out that issue, so Johnson County went ahead and appointed an operating board.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 9, 2013
Wyoming Game and Fish proposes 30 program cuts.
After the Wyoming Legislature declined to allow the state Game and Fish Department to raise hunting and fishing license fees, the state agency announced 30 program cuts that will be discussed at the Fish and Game Commission's meeting next week.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 9, 2013
Idaho sets public hearing on plan to remove sediment from Silver Creek.
The Nature Conservancy and Picabo Livestock Co. have permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address sediment buildup in the stretch of Silver Creek known as Kirkpatrick Pond, but they need additional permits from Blaine County and the Idaho Department of Water Resources. A public hearing on those permits is set for March 19, where it is expected that fly fishermen will show up to speak about the project.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 7, 2013
Idaho Power releases 72,000 rainbow trout into Snake River in Idaho.
A condition of Idaho Power's license to operate hydroelectric power plants on the Snake River requires the utility to enhance recreation opportunities along the Idaho river, and the release of 72,000 rainbow trout at various spots along the river was done to meet that requirement.
Twin Falls Times-News; March 7, 2013
Colorado congressman, USDA chief wrangle over ski areas' water rights.
At a House committee hearing on Tuesday, Colorado U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton pressed U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack about the U.S. Forest Service's plan to continue to tie ski areas' water rights to the special permits they have on U.S. Forest Service lands.
Durango Herald; March 6, 2013
Last year's wildfires spurring early snowmelt in Utah.
The supervisor of the U.S. Natural Resources' Utah Snow Survey said that last year's Seeley and Clay Springs fires will increase sedimentation flows in two watersheds if heavy moisture occurs, and that snowmelt could occur early in an area where soils are already powder dry.
Deseret News; March 6, 2013
Colorado legislators wade into water fight between USFS, ski resorts.
After a federal judge tossed the U.S. Forest Service's policy that prohibits ski resorts from selling their water rights to any entity other than the next owner of a ski area, the Forest Service is working on a new public process to address ski areas' water rights. Some Colorado legislators are working to get a state law in place that clarifies those water rights belong to the ski areas and can be transferred without limitations.
Durango Herald; March 4, 2013
Conservationist sees Montana's Yellowstone River as a 'watery Appalachian Trail'.
Mike Penfold has worked for both the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service, and those administrative posts helped him create a network of people with whom to work on his proposal to create a recreation area that runs along the unfettered Yellowstone River in Montana.
Billings Gazette; March 3, 2013
Navajo Nation reports renewed interest in uranium mining.
A number of companies are seeking to tap uranium resources in the Navajo Nation, where such mining between the 1940s and 1980s left behind contaminated soils and water. The Navajo Nation formally banned uranium mining in 2005, but due to a mixture of federal, state and tribal ownership of lands within the reservation in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, some companies are finding ways to mine uranium.
Farmington Daily Times; March 2, 2013
Idaho legislators streamline state's water plan.
The Idaho Water Resource Board spent five years updating the state's water plan, which is used to support appeals for grants, but the state lawmakers rewrote the plan to remove references to changes in climate, endangered species and minimum stream flows, and the House Resources and Conservation Committee will take testimony on those changes at a hearing today.
Idaho Statesman; March 1, 2013
Effects of U.S. drought cascades through feedlots, meatpacking plants.
The nation's financial crisis shuttered some feedlots in the United States, and the drought that forced ranchers to sell their herds has kept those closed and others are closing, and with a lack of cattle to process, meatpacking plants are shutting down as well.
Edmonton Journal; February 25, 2013
Tribes explore options to remove lake trout from Montana's Flathead Lake.
Despite two fishing tournaments that pull 50,000 or so lake trout from Flathead Lake each year, Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribal officials said the invasive trout are multiplying faster, and now the tribes are examining other ways to curtail lake trout to improve conditions for native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout in the Montana lake.
Missoulian; February 22, 2013
Montana professor's talk on hydraulic fracturing draws 120.
On Thursday, Duncan Patten, an ecologist with the MSU Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, told a crowd of 120 that there is much about the drilling practice known as hydraulic fracturing that isn't known yet, and that a primary concern about the drilling method in the West is the amount of water the process uses.
Great Falls Tribune; February 22, 2013
Wyoming DEQ opposes energy company's water reinjection plan.
Alberta-based Encana wants to dispose of water produced during drilling in its Moneta Divide project area by pumping into a reinjection well 15,000 feet deep into the Madison geological formation, a plan the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality is officially opposing because the aquifer provides drinking water to some areas of the state.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 22, 2013
Cheesemaker tells Idaho city it may treat its own wastewater.
Concerns that a lack of capacity at the Jerome wastewater treatment plant was limiting commercial development, the Idaho city is contemplating a $50-million bond to expand that capacity, but Jerome Cheese Co., which uses approximately one-third of the wastewater treatment's capacity, said it is contemplating building its own treatment facility.
Twin Falls Times-News; February 22, 2013
Utah garden designed to encourage gardeners to conserve water.
Greg Lee, the executive director of Red Butte Garden, laid out plans for a water-wise botanic garden planned near the University of Utah designed to encourage gardeners to use plants that don't require much water.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 21, 2013
Montana professor to discuss hydraulic fracturing in Great Falls Thursday.
On Thursday in Great Falls, the Island Range Chapter of the Montana Wilderness Association is sponsoring the talk "Hydraulic Fracturing: Progress or Problems, Boom or Bust," by Duncan Patten, a research professor with Montana State University's Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences and director of the Montana University System Water Center in Bozeman.
Great Falls Tribune; February 20, 2013
Wyoming drought divides ranchers into haves, have-nots.
The drought of 2012 wreaked havoc on Wyoming ranchers who didn't have access to irrigated ground, and the ranchers who were able to actually harvest hay from their irrigated acres are the ones posting a profit for last year.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 19, 2013
Montana senators submit bill to fully fund Land, Water Conservation Fund.
Legislation to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund was again sponsored by Montana's U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, both Democrats, and with Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr joining as a lead sponsor, there is optimism that the bill will get bipartisan support.
Ravalli Republic; February 15, 2013
USFS considers weighted lottery in granting permits on 4 Idaho rivers.
The U.S. Forest Service's Four Rivers Lottery awards float permits for the main Salmon, Snake, Selway and Middle Fork of the Salmon rivers in Idaho, and the agency is contemplating establishing a weighted system, which would award points for unsuccessful applicants giving them an additional chance to win in the future.
Ravalli Republic; February 15, 2013
BuRec says Wyoming reservoirs have enough water this year.
Although water levels in the Pathfinder, Seminoe and Alcova reservoirs are close to the lowest reported, Bureau of Reclamation area manager Coleman Smith said there will be enough water to meet contractual demands this year, but if Wyoming has another dry year, fulfilling those demands in 2014 may be difficult.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 14, 2013
Utah state representative to introduce 'Public Waters Access Act' this week.
State Rep. Dixon Pitcher is expected to introduce legislation this week that would expand some of the public access lost with the passage of HB141 a couple of years ago that allows private property owners to keep anglers and others on public streams from walking on streambeds on private property.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 13, 2013
Montana county commissioners challenge USFS's water rights filings.
In 2007, the U.S. Forest Service and Montana completed 15 years of negotiations over water rights allowing the federal agency to file for in-stream water rights on rivers and creeks on federal lands. The Forest Service has completed such filings on five streams and are working on 11 others, which has raised the concerns of the Ravalli County Commission and local residents.
Ravalli Republic; February 12, 2013
Work continues to restore water to thousands of homes on Navajo Nation.
A cold snap in January caused water lines to break across Navajo Nation lands, with an estimated 3,300 homes left without water and businesses forced to shut down. Crews from the Salt River Project and the Navajo Engineering and Construction Authority have restored service to about two-thirds of the homes.
Farmington Daily Times; February 12, 2013
Montana FWP has full agenda for Feb. 14 meeting.
The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission has a wide-ranging agenda for its meeting on Feb. 14 in Helena, with temporary closures on the Blackfoot, Clark Fork and Yellowstone rivers, bighorn sheep die-offs and keeping the Madison Buffalo Jump as a state park, all on the crowded agenda.
Helena Independent Record; February 11, 2013
NorthWestern may be interested in PPL Montana's dams, power plants.
For months, industry publications have been reporting that PPL Montana may be putting its five hydroelectric plants and its share of coal-fired power in the Big Sky State up for sale. Montana Public Service Commissioner Travis Kavulla recently said he would not be surprised if NorthWestern Energy wasn't interested in the plants, although he did say that such a purchase would create an over-supply of power for the state's largest utility.
Great Falls Tribune; February 11, 2013
Wyoming communities prepared for North Platte River water call.
The continued drought in Wyoming has prompted the first wintertime water call on the North Platte River since 2005, but the Wyoming State Engineer's Office said the 16 affected communities, including Casper, have plans in place to deal with the call.
Casper Star-Tribune; February 8, 2013
Pipeline rupture in Montana river in 2011 spurred nationwide changes.
In 2010, Laurel officials were concerned about erosion along the banks of the Yellowstone River and how that erosion would affect pipelines buried under the Montana river for good reason, as a natural gas pipeline had ruptured on a girth weld in 2009 and in July of 2011, flooding exposed a pipeline, rupturing it and sending a plume of oil into the river, a spill that would prompt state and national reviews of pipelines at river crossings.
Missoula Independent; February 7, 2013
U.S. EPA, Montana raise concerns about B.C. coal mines.
Plans to expand coal mines in British Columbia's Elk River Valley just across the border from Montana prompted warnings from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as well as Montana's U.S. senators, who warned that the cumulative effect of expanded coal production could adversely impact water quality in the Kootenai-Koocanusa watersheds.
Vancouver Sun; February 7, 2013
For lack of a champion, Utah bill to add sales tax to water bills dies.
A long debate was held Monday on Sen. Scott Jenkins' SB154, which would have added sales tax to Utahns' water bills, but not one member of the Senate Taxation and Revenue Committee made a move to advance the bill before the panel adjourned, and Jenkins said he doubted the legislation would reappear this session.
Salt Lake Tribune; February 5, 2013
Portland General Electric Co. to build natural-gas powered plant in Oregon.
An independent evaluator ranked Portland General Electric Co.'s bid to build a natural-gas power plant along the Columbia River near Clatskanie in Oregon first, giving the utility the contract for the $300 million plant, but the company's bid on a companion, baseload plant near Boardman ranked third.
Portland Oregonian; February 1, 2013
Idaho DEQ wants fish-consumption study to improve water quality.
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality asked lawmakers to provide $300,000 for a study tracking how much fish Idahoans eat each week, because the federal Environmental Protection Agency bases its water-quality standards for states in part on how much fish residents eat.
Boise State Public Radio; February 1, 2013
IEA predicts use of water in energy production to double by 2035.
The International Energy Association predicted that the use of fresh water in energy production will increase from current levels 66 billion cubic meters (bcm) annually to 135 bcm by 2035, and credited that increase primarily to the increased use of coal-generated power and biofuel production, with hydraulic fracturing representing just a small slice of the increase.
National Geographic; January 31, 2013
Idaho Fish & Game director shares revenue woes with legislators.
Idaho Fish and Game Director Virgil Moore told legislators on Tuesday that revenue from out-of-state hunters and anglers was down dramatically, due in part to the national recession, and Moore also said fewer youngsters were becoming hunters and anglers.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; January 30, 2013
Japan eases restrictions on U.S. beef.
On Friday, Japan will begin allowing meat from cattle in the United States 30 months old or younger into the country, easing the 20-month age restriction put in place a decade ago, a bit of good news for the beef industry that has been hit hard by drought and rising costs.
New York Times; January 29, 2013
Wyoming congresswoman gets seats on 3 natural resource committees.
U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis announced that she will serve on the House Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, the Public Lands and Environment Regulation Subcommittee, and the Water and Power Subcommittee, all panels that will give the Wyoming Republican a voice on issues of importance to the Cowboy State.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 29, 2013
Boaters, anglers try to overturn Utah law on stream access.
In 2010, the Utah Legislature passed legislation that required anglers, kayakers and others to get a landowner's permission before walking on the private bed of a public body of water, which the Utah Stream Access Coalition is challenging in state court on the grounds that it violates the public trust doctrine.
Salt Lake Tribune; January 28, 2013
Report issued on proposed Wyoming-Colorado pipeline project.
After Aaron Million proposed building a pipeline to move water from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir to Colorado's Front Range cities, a task force was formed to evaluate the project, and in a report issued Wednesday, that group proposed that Colorado first assess and determine what its municipal water needs are.
Laramie Boomerang; January 25, 2013
Coal, water generate 94 percent of Montana's electricity.
The Montana Commerce Department reports that, in 2011, coal-fired power plants provided 54 percent of the state's electricity, hydroelectric plants provided 40 percent, and that wind-generated power made up 4 percent of the supply.
Montana Department of Commerce; January 25, 2013
Bill would require groundwater testing in Wyoming before drilling.
Wyoming state Sen. Floyd Esquibel's Senate File 157 would require baseline groundwater tests before all oil and gas development in the state, and would give citizens the right to challenge trade secret exemptions claimed by operators that use hydraulic fracturing to tap oil and gas resources.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 23, 2013
Utah city offers residents a choice on PCE contaminated water.
A plume of groundwater contaminated by the dry cleaning solvent, P Tetrachloroethylene, often called PCE, has rendered all but one of Woods Cross' drinking water wells unusable, and now the Utah city plans to ask residents if they would pay $9 a month to help remove PCE from their drinking water or just live with the low level contamination.
Salt Lake Tribune; January 22, 2013
Governor's female nominee for Idaho Fish & Game panel faces Senate fight.
In June, Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter nominated Joan Hurlock of Buhl and Will Naillon of Challis to serve on the Idaho Fish and Game Commission, and while the Idaho Senate has set a confirmation hearing on Naillon's nomination for today, Senate Resources Chairman Monty Pearce said concerns about Hurlock's commitment to fishing and hunting has stalled a hearing on confirming her appointment.
Spokane Spokesman-Review; January 18, 2013
Texas landowner says EPA backed down on water contamination case.
A homeowner in a Fort Worth subdivision said that the Environmental Protection Agency confirmed that drilling operations contaminated his drinking water well. But after the drilling company threatened to end its participation in a national study on hydraulic fracturing, the EPA backed away from that finding, although documents obtained by the Associated Press confirm the link between the drilling operations and the water contamination.
Deseret News; January 18, 2013
Ice jams on W. Montana, Idaho rivers cause flooding.
The frigid weather in Idaho and Montana has frozen rivers, leading to ice jams that are causing flooding along stretches of the Salmon River in Montana and the Gallatin River in Montana.
Missoulian; January 15, 2013
Groups asks USDA to re-evaluate program to eradicate tamarisk.
River guides on the Colorado River where it flows through Canyonlands National Park in Utah are used to answering questions about the dying tamarisk along the river, but the federal program that released tamarisk leaf beetles on the non-native, water-hogging species is under attack itself by groups that say the eradication of tamarisk is affecting river ecosystems.
Salt Lake Tribune; January 9, 2013
Anglers could win up to $10K in 'Burbot Bash' in Utah-Wyoming reservoir.
In order to pull unwanted burbot from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir on the Utah-Wyoming border, those states' wildlife agencies, the U.S. Forest Service and several areas chambers of commerce will hold the annual "Burbot Bash Fishing Derby" on Feb. 1-3.
Durango Herald; January 7, 2013
Oil spill in Montana river prompts federal review of pipelines, river crossings.
After flooding caused an oil pipeline under the Yellowstone River in Montana to rupture, the federal Department of Transportation examined other such incidents caused by flooding, and found that, since 1993, 16 flood-related pipeline spills have occurred in California, Texas, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Kentucky, and that of the 2.4 million gallons of gasoline, oil and other hazardous liquids released in those incidents, less than 13 percent was recovered.
Flathead Beacon; January 4, 2013
Wyoming power plant's operator questions ranking for toxic emissions.
After the Environmental Integrity Project ranked the Laramie River Station, just east of Wheatland, as second in the nation for releases of carcinogenic metals, Basin Electric Power Cooperative, the Wyoming plant's operator, questioned the ranking since 99 percent of the emissions were captured as ash, transported off-site and buried, not released into the atmosphere.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 4, 2013
Oil company, BLM team up to provide water for wild horses in Wyoming.
After the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality ordered Marathon Oil Co. to reduce the amount of water released from drilling operations into Dry Creek, which provided water for the McCullough Peaks wild horse herd, the oil company approached the Bureau of Land Management with a proposal to drill wells to keep water troughs full for the horses.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 2, 2013
BLM approves right-of-way for Utah-Nevada water pipeline.
On Dec. 27, the Bureau of Land Management approved the right-of-way for Southern Nevada Water Authority's 263-mile water pipeline that will stretch from the Utah border to Las Vegas, bringing the $15.5-billion proposed pipeline a stop closer to completion, although the states are still negotiating water rights agreements needed.
Salt Lake Tribune; December 28, 2012
Opinion
Wyoming oil, gas panel's decision on reinjection well defies science.
The decision by the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to ignore concerns of hydrologists and geologists and allow Encana to reinject discharge water from oil and gas drilling operations into the Madison aquifer is amazingly short-sighted, given how precious water is in the state.
Casper Star-Tribune; April 18, 2013
Utah governor made the right call on Snake River Valley groundwater.
There are myriad reasons the pact Nevada sought with Utah on groundwater in the Snake River Valley was a bad deal for the Beehive State, not the least of which was local residents' opposition to the deal, and Gov. Gary Herbert made the right decision when he declined to sign the deal.
Salt Lake Tribune; April 4, 2013
Utah governor must reject water agreement with Nevada.
Southern Nevada Water Authority's continuing quest for ever more water to slake the thirst of Las Vegas should not be allowed to extend to the arid valleys on the Nevada-Utah border. Allowing SNWA to slip its straw into groundwater has the potential to create an environmental disaster, and Utah Gov. Gary Herbert should not sign the proposed water-sharing agreement.
Salt Lake Tribune; March 27, 2013
Wyoming made the right decision on the Madison aquifer.
Usable water in the Rocky Mountain West and Wyoming is a disappearing necessity, and Wyoming recently made the right decision not to allow Encana Corp. to pump water from its operations near Casper into the Madison aquifer.
Casper Star-Tribune; March 12, 2013
EPA's incompetence unites Wyoming residents, gas operator.
Some residents near Pavillion have long argued that hydraulic fracturing operations near their Wyoming homes have contaminated their drinking water wells, a charge the gas company drilling in the area has vehemently denied. But after the Environmental Protection Agency initially linked the contamination to drilling, then backed off its findings - and rightly so given the accuracy of the agency's process - those residents agree with the gas company that they've waited long enough for the EPA to get its act together.
Casper Star-Tribune; January 24, 2013
Encounter at Denver restaurant sparks wild vs. farmed salmon debate.
Finding wild salmon on the menu at a number of Denver restaurants proved impossible, although Greg Thomas did have the opportunity to talk with restaurant staff and the chef about the differences between farmed and wild salmon, and the impact salmon farms have had on both Pacific and Atlantic fisheries. A blog by Greg Thomas.
AnglersTonic.com; January 24, 2013
Concept of energy independence ignores realities of development.
The natural gas boom, as well as the nation's bump in oil production has energy companies and politicians in the United States exclaiming that the nation is teetering on the cusp of energy independence, but the reality is that the drilling methods used to tap into the gas and oil resources are consuming mass quantities of water in Wyoming and other states, a situation that should be dealt with immediately. A guest column by John Fenton, the Chair of the Powder River Basin Resource Council.
Wyofile.com; January 16, 2013
EPA's policy on cleanup of abandoned mines a good step.
At the end of last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency implemented a policy change that affords so-called "good Samaritans" who tackle cleanup of abandoned mines some protection from liability under the Clean Water Act, and while the EPA's policy change is welcome news, federal law that codifies such protection would be a better approach.
Denver Post; January 4, 2013
USFS's dispute with ski areas over water rights far from over.
The decision rendered last month by U.S. District Judge William Martinez, which vacated U.S. Forest Service rules that required ski areas to transfer some water rights to the agency, was hardly the last word in the dispute, and the agency should correct the procedural deficiencies and continue its work to tie the water rights to the public lands.
Denver Post; January 1, 2013
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