Daily Colorado Water News
Coyote Gulch
Nonpoint Source Colorado
June 2010 : COLORADO, WESTERN U.S., NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL
COLORADO
Ritter signs bill to ensure uranium-mill cleanup
Gov. Bill Ritter stood along the Arkansas River on Tuesday near a neighborhood contaminated by a uranium mill and signed a bill into law aimed at forcing mill operators to clean up existing toxic messes before launching new projects."I don't want to drive them out," Ritter said. "Uranium has a useful purpose" in fueling nuclear-power plants, he said. "I believe it should be part of our future, part of clean energy. But we can't lose our stewardship responsibility just because it is carbon-free when you burn it." June 9, The Denver Post
Upper Colorado lands sixth spot on America’s Most Endangered Rivers list
The scenic Upper Colorado River between its headwaters in Rocky Mountain National Park and its confluence with the Roaring Fork River has landed the sixth spot on the America’s Most Endangered Rivers list. Threatened by two major diversion projects that would suck even more of its flow from the Western Slope to the middle-of-the-day, Kentucky-bluegrass, sidewalks-and-street-watering environs of the Front Range, the once-mighty Colorado is in big trouble, according to a report by American Rivers. June 2, The Colorado Independent
Colorado Geothermal Power Project needs data from deep wells
Nathrop, a small community in central Colorado's Upper Arkansas Valley, has received a lot of attention lately thanks to geothermal resources that produce natural hot springs. Interest in the location is motivated in part by Colorado's mandated goal of generating 30 percent of its power from renewable resources by 2020. Another motivating factor is new technology that has lowered the temperature threshold at which geothermal power generation becomes feasible. The new technology — already in use at Chena Hot Springs in Alaska and Thermo, Utah — works like an air conditioner in reverse. May 31, Associated Content
The cost of extinction
Species conservation isn’t just about feel-good efforts to save animals because they’re cute and cuddly. Allowing the current rate of of biodiversity loss to continue could cost the global economy untold trillions, said researchers who are compiling a comprehensive report on the cost of species loss. The report will be published in time for the October Convention on Biodiversity in Japan, part of the UN’s International Year of Biodiversity. May 30, Summit County Citizens Voice
Desert dust disrupting alpine plant cycles
Desert dust blown on to high country peaks is not only affecting the timing of snowmelt and runoff, but is also changing the growth and reproductive patterns of plants in Colorado’s alpine zone, according to recent studies conducted in the San Juan Mountains. Snow is melting off the high alpine tundra earlier — by as much as two weeks. As a result, growth and flowering patterns are becoming more synchronized across the landscape. Instead of growing and blooming in phases, different plants are all flowering at the same time. May 31, Summit County Citizens Voice
Changing of snowmelt, runoff timing threatens fish
Earlier snowmelt and runoff in Colorado have been well-documented over the past few years and the finding were reinforced once again in a press release from the U.S. Geological Survey last week. Water managers are already adjusting reservoir and diversion operations to account for the changes, but there’s been little discussion of the potential impacts to fish and other species that have evolved in tandem with historic streamflow regimes. May 31, Summit County Citizens Voice
Environmental groups, recreational community divided over land protection
Three citizen-crafted proposals to expand Colorado's wilderness acreage could increase the state's wildest lands by more than 1 million acres, marking one of the most sweeping pushes to protect Colorado's wilderness. After a decade of planning, environmental groups are pressing for the highest level of protection on several dozen parcels across the state, as population growth and encroaching development threaten wild lands. June 14, The Denver Post
Nestle to begin draining millions of gallons of Arkansas River water
If things go according to plan, in about a month someone at Nestle Waters North America will turn a valve and water will begin running out of a pipeline near Buena Vista and will splash into an empty 8,000-gallon tanker truck. It will take roughly an hour for the truck to fill, and then another truck will take its place. The water will run 24 hours a day, filling approximately 25 trucks each day, every day. June 16, The Colorado Independent
State on lookout for zebra mussels
Colorado isn’t taking chances this summer with Dreissena polymorpha, a 1- to 2-inch striped bivalve that has invaded the state and has no natural enemies. Mandatory boat inspections are under way at 58 lakes and reservoirs throughout Colorado, including Rampart Reservoir in El Paso County, to prevent the spread of zebra and quagga mussels. Zebra mussel larvae, called veligers, were first discovered in Lake Pueblo in fall 2007, and have since been found in seven more Colorado lakes and reservoirs. If the mussels spread, officials worry they could clog pipes to water treatment plants and damage ecosystems. June 14, The Gazette, Colorado Springs
Governor candidates clash on water
Republicans Dan Maes and Scott McInnis and Democrat John Hickenlooper showed differences over water, oil and gas and their styles of politics when talking to the Colorado Cattlemen's Association and Action 22, an advocacy group for Southeast Colorado. Colorado's water crisis is most acute in the Arkansas Valley, and both groups asked the candidates to address water. June 16, The Durango Herald
Upper Colorado lands sixth spot on America's Most Endangered Rivers list
The scenic Upper Colorado River between its headwaters in Rocky Mountain National Park and its confluence with the Roaring Fork River has landed the sixth spot on the America’s Most Endangered Rivers list. Threatened by two major diversion projects that would suck even more of its flow from the Western Slope to the middle-of-the-day, Kentucky-bluegrass, sidewalks-and-street-watering environs of the Front Range, the once-mighty Colorado is in big trouble, according to a report by American Rivers. June 2, The Colorado Independent
Reeling BP looks to resume Colorado drilling, alt energy projects
BP in the coming months may have to look to its lucrative natural gas fields in southwestern Colorado to recoup the massive financial hit it’s taking in the wake of the worst oil spill in American history. A BP America spokeswoman this week told the Colorado Independent the company is eyeing a resumption of coal-bed methane drilling in La Plata County this fall, although the decision has more to do with a hoped-for rebound in natural gas prices and some resolution with regard to local drilling regulations. June 17, The Colorado Independent
Zero tolerance on trash sought for river
Every time Jonathan Kahn sees someone drop a cigarette butt out a car window, he cringes. That’s because he knows it will eventually end up in the South Platte River. Kahn and other environmental advocates are trying to change that by working toward a “zero trash tolerance” program. After heavy spring rains and summer thunderstorms, runoff from city streets and sidewalks flows into storm drains, which flows into tributaries and streams and eventually into the South Platte River. As the 30 miles of urban waterway flows from Chatfield Reservoir to Weld County, it picks up trash from each community along its banks. June 17, Englewood Herald
Land managers face "ick factor" in reducing human waste
Public-land managers worldwide increasingly seek "exit strategies" for dealing with human waste as more people venture into the wild. The managers will brainstorm at an international conference on the subject — held at the end of July in Golden by the American Alpine Club — with participants from a dozen countries, including Argentina, China, Kenya and New Zealand. June 18, The Denver Post
National Forest campgrounds, trails take high-water hit
Recent surges of high water in local streams caused extensive damage to trails, roads and bridges across the White River National Forest, according to a press release from the Forest Service. In Summit County, the high flows damaged infrastructure associated with water transmission facilities for the Cities of Golden and Colorado Springs. Elsewhere on the forest, damage included a washed-out bridge in the Holy Cross Wilderness area and a mudslide along Piney Ranch Road (FDR 700) just past the Lost Lake Trail. June 17, The Summit County Citizens Voice
Marcellus Shale gas drillers will have to treat water before putting it back in rivers
Water used to drill new gas wells in the Marcellus Shale will have to be treated to drinking-water standards before being put back into Pennsylvania’s rivers and streams, under rules approved Thursday. The state Independent Regulatory Review Commission approved the regulations after a hearing. In voting for the new rules, Commissioner David Fineman said that without such a standard, “you could end up with our drinking water looking like the seawater in Louisiana.” June 17, The Patriot News
Development in Colorado going with the flow of water deficit
Colorado River water consumed yearly for agriculture and by the 30 million Westerners who rely on it now exceeds the total annual flow. A growing awareness of that limited flow is leading to increased scrutiny of urban development — especially projects that require diverting more water to the east side of the Continental Divide. "We're no longer in a surplus situation," said Bill McDonald, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's deputy commissioner for policy and budget. "The teeter-totter has tipped." June 20, The Denver Post
Rapid Runoff
April 1, it looked like this would be a banner water year for Colorado's San Luis Valley, which receives just six to eight inches of precipitation annually and relies on snowmelt to fill streams and irrigate crops. Heavy spring storms had bumped the snowpack in the surrounding mountains to 113 percent of the historic average. But just a month later, much of that snowpack had vanished, and by June 1 it was all but gone, says Steve Vandiver, general manager of the Rio Grande Water Conservation District. "There's nothing left to melt," he says. "We're done." June 21, High Country News
Feds nix bugs for tamarisk control on Colorado River
Land managers looking for ways to control invasive tamarisk trees in the Colorado River Basin may have to search for a new tool. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has terminated the use of a non-native insect used to destroy tamarisk after concluding that the bug was destroying critical habitat used by the southwestern willow flycatcher, listed as endangered by the federal government. The decision, announced in a June 15 memo, affects biological control efforts in 13 states. June 20, Summit County Citizens Voice
Gender bending fish problem in Colorado Creek mitigated by treatment plant upgrade
Male fish are taking longer to be "feminized" by chemical contaminants that act as hormone disrupters in Colorado's Boulder Creek following the upgrade of a wastewater treatment plant in Boulder in 2008, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder. June 21, Colorado University News Center
Clean water for a million people
After responding to an emergency need after the earthquakes in Haiti in January, a Rocky Ford company has a new goal: Fresh water for a million people. Innovative Water Technologies shipped a total of 17 Sunspring solar water purification units to Haiti this year after the earthquakes that devastated much of the country. Each unit produces 5,000 gallons of purified water daily, enough to keep 10,000 people alive. June 22, The Pueblo Chieftain
Summer confluence course
Bicyclists, runners and families with children filed through the classroom at inconvenient times.The teachers and pupils didn’t seem to mind. After all, they were part of the lesson. In this case, the classroom was Fountain Creek, specifically at the confluence with the Arkansas River. The students, educators from along the Front Range, were getting their lessons in the middle of the pedestrian bridge that connects the confluence park to Runyon Lake. June 23, The Pueblo Chieftain
Group studies dust effects
Eighteen scientists and graduate students, including representatives from Japan and China, met in Silverton to share their research on the effects of airborne dust and soot on mountain and polar snow and ice. June 24, The Durango Herald
Christo's "Over the River" not yet through the woods
"Over the River," a provocative public-art project along 40 miles of the Arkansas River between Salida and Cañon City, is very much alive, its co-creator made clear Wednesday. The artist Christo, best known for transforming places and things by draping them in colorful fabrics, is visiting Colorado for a round of appearances aimed at garnering support for the project. June 24, The Denver Post
Aurora may not have the right to sell water to Nestle
Last year, the city of Aurora made a deal to lease 65 million gallons of water to Nestle. In making the deal, the city council moved against the city’s culture of water conservation, bypassed the Aurora Citizen Water Committee, alienated one of the city’s vital water partners and also may have violated the terms of its rights to Arkansas Basin water–all for a mere $160,000 per year, a fraction of the profits Nestle will reap from bottling the water and selling it across the mountain west and beyond. June 25, The Colorado Independent
Millions of gallons spilled in Colorado over 2.5 year period
Oil and gas companies have reported almost 1,000 spills to Colorado regulators over the past 2 1/2 years, totaling 5.2 million gallons of drilling liquids and oil. They ranged from small oil leaks from half-closed valves to thousands of barrels of tainted water that escaped from pits. It's far from the volume of oil now shooting into the Gulf of Mexico, but a Denver Post analysis of state spill reports shows that even far from offshore, drilling for oil can regularly create unintended messes. June 28, The Denver Post
Mesa Verde lives up to green name
Green efforts are underway at Mesa Verde National Park's Morefield Campground, curbing the flow of millions of gallons of water as well as reducing carbon footprints by offering campers access to guided tours from their tent flaps. June 29, Cortez Journal.com
Group calls Upper Colorado River 'endangered'
New water diversions could sap the life from the Upper Colorado River Basin, according to American Rivers, a national conservation group. The organization declared the Upper Colorado America's sixth most endangered river earlier this month in its annual survey of the health of the nation's rivers. June, Glenwood Springs Post Independent
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WESTERN U.S.
Wyoming approves 'fracking' disclosure rules
A state agency that oversees oil and gas development voted Tuesday to require energy companies to disclose what chemicals they're pumping underground to improve the flow of oil and gas into well bores . June 8, The Associated Press
U.S. Supreme Court upholds Kern Count ban on L.A. sewage sludge
In refusing to review the city's claim, the high court sends the issue back to U.S. District Court for evaluation. The city may re-file in state court. June 8, The Los Angeles Times
Oil-processing gear's U.S. route sparks fears
As the nation anxiously watches the catastrophic continuing Gulf oil spill, one portion of the country is growing concerned about another oil-related issue — a plan to transport the enormous machinery required to build an oil-processing plant in Canada. June 15, USA Today
Gulf disaster stirs worries in Rockies
It's hard to imagine an oil well catastrophe in Wyoming that could compare to the damage wrought in the Gulf of Mexico for years to come. Yet, when it comes to prevention and response, perhaps that's what industry and regulators ought to consider, according to some conservationists. June 11, Trib.com
Some living in Lake Whatcom watershed offered money for pollution protections
Live in the Lake Whatcom watershed and been thinking about how to prevent more stormwater from heading directly into the drinking water source for more than half the county? Bellingham and Whatcom County officials would like to try to help, and that could include up to a $1,000 reimbursement from the government for qualifying projects. June 14, The Bellingham Herald
Where Energy Development Puts Rivers at Risk
The Teton River is one of the 10 most endangered rivers in the U.S., according to the annual national assessment released on Wednesday by American Rivers. A new dam on the river threatens many species, including the Yellowstone cutthroat trout, which has been proposed as an endangered species by officials on several occasions. June 7, Circle of Blue
Chevron makes an effort to wash more crude from Red Butte streambed
Zach Frankel held out an oil-drowned moth, his hands browned and slippery with crude oil. He had plucked the insect from a small eddy in a shady gulch on Red Butte Creek, where 33,000 gallons of oil from a leaking pipeline had run a week earlier. June 20, Salt Lake Tribune
California's drought may be over, but no one's rushing to lift restrictions
Precipitation has been above average this year and many state reservoirs are nearly full. But the long-term concerns that politicians and water districts have harped on for years aren't going away. June 20, The Los Angeles Times
Utah eyes new fee for stream access
State officials are considering expanding a program to provide more access to private property for fishing by selling anglers a stamp for $5 or less to raise money to compensate landowners. The Walk-in Access program is used to pay some property owners for use of their land, but a shortage of funding has kept it from being the success backers had hoped. June 27, The Durango Herald
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NATIONAL
Court sides with paper mill in Fox River cleanup
Two companies that once insured Appleton Papers, Inc. are liable for $10 million toward the cleanup of the Fox River after a court decision Tuesday, the firm's lawyer said. The 2-1 ruling by the Wisconsin Court of Appeals means Munich Re AG and Westport Insurance Corp., which is owned by Swiss Re, are each now liable for $5 million under decades-old policies, Madison attorney Ron Ragatz said. June 8, The Associated Press
Environmentalists vs Ranchers on the Clean Water Act
Congress is known for having arcane battles, but the biggest fight these days in water law is over a single word — and Texas environmentalists and ranchers are anxiously awaiting the outcome. At stake is the future of the Clean Water Act, a 1977 law designed to reduce pollution in America's waterways. June 7, The Texas Tribune
Ketchikan oceanography class has national impact
Ketchikan High School students participated this semester in a phytoplankton monitoring project which could help scientists worldwide. Julie Landwehr's oceanography class has been collecting phytoplankton in Bar Harbor weekly since March. The students take their samples back to the classroom to identify the species and enter their findings in the National Phytoplankton Monitoring database. June 6, Ketchikan Daily News
EPA Begins Review of Science for Florida's Coastal Water Quality Standards: Action reiterates agency's commitment to sound science and transparency
In an effort to ensure the use of the best available science and robust public participation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced plans to send its underlying data and methodologies to support development of coastal water quality standards, also known as nutrients criteria, to the Science Advisory Board (SAB) for peer review. June 7, EPA
USGS Survey Finds Contamination in Public Wells
A new study reveals that untreated water from public wells that serve 105 million Americans is contaminated, but further research is needed to explain the health effects of specific contaminants. May 28, Circle of Blue
Rain barrels catch on as a way to help environment
Thousands of businesses and homeowners from Cleveland to Parma to Shaker Heights have already hooked up rain barrels to their downspouts. And a lesser, but growing, number of others are planting water-absorbing rain gardens in their yards — or in some cases, even ripping out old pavement in favor of more modern, porous materials. June 14, The Dayton Daily News
Tight pollution limits proposed for canals
The Hillsboro Canal slices through the sugarcane fields south of Lake Okeechobee and heads east through the houses and strip malls of Parkland, Boca Raton and Deerfield Beach. Empty plastic bottles, candy wrappers and other trash litter the banks. An occasional wading bird pokes for food in the black water. The canal is among hundreds of streams, canals, lakes and rivers that face tough and controversial new pollution standards proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency. June 13, The Sun Sentinel
U.S. Lawns Getting an Eco-Makeover
From coast to coast, eco-concerned homeowners are ripping out their manicured, chemically-treated lawns and replacing them with organic food gardens, native flowers and sometimes, just rocks. "It's a growing endeavour. It gets bigger and bigger every year," said Steven Saffier, coordinator of the Audubon Society's At Home programme, which encourages people to let their lawns go wild to support birds and other wildlife. June 13, IPS News
EPA concerned about Monsanto pollution control dam
Federal regulators are concerned that a dam built by Monsanto Co. earlier this year to trap phosphate mine runoff may be stopping more than just pollution. June 16, Associated Press
Wetlands restoration plan is huge undertaking for White House
President Obama's announcement of an ambitious plan to restore Louisiana's wetlands promises to ensnare the administration in a long-standing political morass over how best to manage the lower Mississippi River. June 17, The Los Angeles Times
EPA Proposes Updating Drinking Water Rule to Better Protect Public Health
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to revise a national primary drinking water regulation to achieve greater public health protection against waterborne pathogens in the distribution systems of public water systems. Waterborne pathogens can cause a variety of illnesses with symptoms such as acute abdominal discomfort or in more extreme cases, kidney failure, hepatitis or chronic concerns. June 17, EPA
Environmental groups petition EPA to set up air pollution limits on coal mines
A coalition of national environmental groups Wednesday petitioned U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lisa Jackson to begin limiting air pollution from coal mines nationwide, including several large mines in Colorado. Earthjustice, WildEarth Guardians, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Environmental Integrity Project and the Sierra Club all called for the EPA to use its authority under the Clean Air Act to for the first time begin listing coal mines as a source of air pollution and mandating best practices for limiting emissions. June 17, The Colorado Independent
Army Corps of Engineers Suspends Nationwide Permit for Mountaintop Removal Mining
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers today suspended the use of a fast-track nationwide permit, Nationwide Permit 21, for mountaintop removal mining operations in the six states of the Appalachian region. June 17, Environmental News Service
Bottled water: The new cigarette?
Beginning January 2011, it will be illegal to sell bottled water in Concord, Mass. Although the city council has admitted it probably doesn’t have the power to ban a legal consumer product, it’s doing it anyway, just begging the International Bottled Water Association to sue. June 18, The Colorado Independent
Wis officials propose phosphorus limits for waters
Wisconsin farmers would face phosphorus run-off limits for the first time and wastewater treatment plants would have to follow tighter discharge standards on the oxygen-depleting nutrient under a sweeping rules package state environmental officials are poised to adopt. June 19, The Chicago Tribune
Impact of natural gas drilling environmental woes could linger
Dr. Boufadel is one of the scientists who study the rocks, water and people directly affected by Marcellus Shale drilling who cautions that everything from the way the rock breaks underground to the way contaminated water travels through an aquifer has not been - or cannot be -thoroughly considered. Much of the attention about the environmental risks of natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale has focused on the potential for hydraulic fracturing to contaminate drinking water aquifers. June 20, The Times-Tribune
The Return of the Superfund Tax
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has sent a letter to Congress in support of reinstating the old and lapsed Superfund polluter pays taxes. Superfund is the federal government's program that investigates and cleans up the nation's most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites. If reinstated, the Superfund tax would provide a stable, dedicated source of revenue for the program and increase the pace of Superfund cleanup. June 22, Environmental News Network
Voyages of the NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson
There are many ships at work right now in the Gulf of Mexico responding to the devastating consequences of the Deepwater Horizon explosion. Some are skimming the water to collect oil, some are burning off the oil. Some are busy digging a relief well. However, there is at least one vessel that is using this tragedy as an opportunity to conduct scientific research. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) ship, Thomas Jefferson, is using acoustic and fluorometric scanning to detect oil under the surface. June 23, Environmental News Network
Dems, Natural Gas Industry Negotiating Fracking Disclosure Plan
Rep. Diana DeGette and the natural gas industry are actively negotiating a plan to require public disclosure of the sometimes toxic chemicals that drillers use to flush gas out of the ground, according to sources on both sides of the talks. June 24, The New York Times
'Code Red' for the Great Lakes, Asian Carp Penetrate Electric Barrier
One invasive bighead Asian carp has been found in Lake Calumet along the Chicago Area Waterway System - the first fish that has been found above the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's electric barrier system built to keep out the voracious exotic species. The capture of this fish was announced today by the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, RCC, a group of federal and state agencies and the City of Chicago. June 23, Environmental News Science
Gulf farmers asked to flood fields for migrating birds
The U.S. says it will pay landowners in the region to create nesting grounds in the hope that birds will avoid oil-contaminated habitats. Up to $20 million could be spent. June 29, The Los Angeles Times
Toilet rebates not cost effective, city says in canceling program
Today is the last chance to buy a low-flow toilet at a retailer and apply for a rebate check from the City of Austin. The city is ending the toilet-rebate program as water utility officials shift limited dollars to other water conservation measures. June 29, Statesman.com
A year after the E.Coli debacle, Missouri's clean water program flails
Last summer, after the E. coli fiasco, Gov. Jay Nixon ordered a “sweep” of all Lake of the Ozarks facilities with a state-issued discharge permit. Water protection staffers from all five of the Department of Natural Resources offices were called in to investigate the facilities, leaving their normal duties unattended. June 29, The Kansas City Star
16 states ban phosphate-laden dishwasher soap
Starting Thursday, 16 states will ban the sale of dishwasher detergents that contain high levels of phosphates, a source of pollution in lakes and streams. June 30, USA Today
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INTERNATIONAL
INTERNATIONAL
Into an ancient glacial lake
Scientists have located the ideal drill site for the first ever exploration of an Antarctic sub-glacial lake, a development that it likely to facilitate a revolution in climate change research and which may lead to the discovery of life forms cut off from the main line of evolution for millions of years. Far below in the isolated dark strange life forms may have evolved isolated form the mainstream. Also down there are frozen relics of bygone ages and climates. June 8, Environmental News Network
A viral river is withering, Iraq has no answer
The Shatt al Arab, the river that flows from the biblical site of the Garden of Eden to the Persian Gulf, has turned into an environmental and economic disaster that Iraq’s newly democratic government is almost powerless to fix. Withered by decades of dictatorial mismanagement and then neglect, by drought and the thirst of Iraq’s neighbors, the river formed by the convergence of the Tigris and the Euphrates no longer has the strength the keep the sea at bay. June 12, The New York Times
The Fraser Institute: Sustainable Water Exports Possible With Reformed Canadian Water Policies
Canada should look closely at the benefits and opportunities presented by bulk water exports and move beyond the fear mongering and protectionism that has long tainted the issue, concludes a new report from the Fraser Institute, Canada's leading public policy think-tank. "Canada is blessed with abundant supplies of unspoiled surface water and groundwater, and bulk exports can be undertaken in an environmentally sustainable way," said Diane Katz, Fraser Institute director of risk, environment, and energy policy and author of Making Waves: Examining the Case for Sustainable Water Exports from Canada. June 16, The Fraser Institute
Water CO2 calculator for UK homes goes online
A website that helps people to work out how much CO2 is being emitted to heat water in their homes has gone online. Produced by the Energy Saving Trust (EST), it also suggests ways that users can save water and energy, as well as cutting their carbon footprint. June 16, BBC
Companies conserving water surprised by savings
Water is not only the next big environmental issue, but also the next savings opportunity, according to several companies. A survey conducted by research analyst Ethical Corporation in May 2010 found that 99 percent of corporate sustainability managers saw water becoming a top priority for businesses in the next 5 to 10 years. The report "Unlocking the Profit in Water Savings" found that 52 percent of sustainability managers ranked "water stewardship" within the top five most important issues they now deal with. June 16, CNET
Western leaders draw water charter to protect resource
Immediate action must be taken to conserve Canada's fresh water supplies, a group of western premiers and territorial leaders agreed Tuesday. Premier Gordon Campbell joined his counterparts from Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut for the two-day Western Premiers' Conference at Vancouver's Pan Pacific Hotel. June 16, The Vancouver Sun
Southern Australia State Plans to Save Additional 5 Billion of Liters of Water
This golf course is located near Broken Hill, an isolated mining town in New South Wales, Australia. This course, like others in the area, relies on irrigation to meet water demands. Six infrastructure projects are estimated to save an additional five billion liters of water a year in Australia’s New South Wales state, which faces severe drought in conjunction with its water demand, according to the Government Monitor [1]. NSW is the country’s most populous state and withdraws the most from the Murray River– which provides 70 percent of the country’s total water use, according to conservation group. June 17, Circle of Blue
Indian Cities Face Sanitation Challenge
Urban sanitation remains poor in India and requires drastic overhaul, despite a year-long campaign to improve public health, Bloomberg [1] reports. None of the 423 cities surveyed by World’ Bank’s Water and Sanitation Program achieved the study’s highest ranking of ‘healthy and clean.’ India’s Ministry of Urban Development commissioned the survey as part of its National Urban Sanitation Policy and Goals launched in November 2008. Goals [2] include the elimination of open defecation, city-wide sanitation, proper management of wastewater and storm drainage, and the proper disposal of solid waste throughout the country’s cities. June 18, Circle of Blue
Sub Makes Unexpected Find Under Floating Ice Shelf
A robot submarine has made a surprising discovery under the floating ice shelf of a West Antarctic glacier that recently has been disappearing into the sea with alarming speed. The yellow submarine found a small underwater mountain range that probably once acted as a speed bump, slowing the flow of the glacier from the West Antarctic ice sheet into the sea. June 21, NPR
Red Sea oil spill continuing
Environmental activists said Monday that an oil spill off the coast of Egypt's Red Sea is continuing even after the government said it had been contained, leaving turtles and sea birds covered in oil. Government spokesman Magdy Rady told the state news agency Monday that the spill, which began last week, was "limited" and has now largely been contained. It was one of the first government acknowledgments that the spill was even taking place. June 21, The Associated Press
Nestle Bets on Emerging Markets
As consumers in Asia and Latin America become more affluent, Nestlé SA said it expects to generate about 45% of its overall sales from emerging markets by 2020. Nestlé said Tuesday at its investor day that organic growth as well as acquisitions should help it achieve its goals. June 22, The Wall Street Journal
Hydropower schemes surge in decade, Environment Agency figures show
The number of small-scale hydropower schemes to generate energy from rivers in England and Wales has surged in the last decade, figures from the Environment Agency showed today. The number of new licences issued by the government agency for hydropower schemes has increased sixfold since 2000. June 23, The Guardian
Natural hot reservoirs harnessed by scientists to service Pennine eco-village
Warm as bathwater, the first gusher from Britain's new "underground central heating system" showered over a Pennine field today, while scientists and engineers applauded. Tapped a kilometre down, hot reservoirs in granite fissures below Weardale are set to service a new "eco-village" in the valley, and provide the country's first naturally warm spa since the Romans at Bath. The breakthrough has overcome obstacles dogging other geothermal projects with a twin borehole system which recirculates the water, avoiding costly treatment or polluted run-off. June 23, The Guardian
Africa's water most precarious, Iceland best: study
African nations led by Somalia, Mauritania and Sudan have the most precarious water supplies in the world while Iceland has the best, according to a survey on Thursday that aims to alert companies to investment risks. June 23, Reuters
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Many thanks to Loretta Lohman at npscolorado.com for compiling many of the news articles in this report.
NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for research and educational purposes.
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