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California’s water answer may be hiding in plain sight: The Pacific Ocean
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GregWalcher.com, Approved, Commentary, National

California’s water answer may be hiding in plain sight: The Pacific Ocean

By Greg Walcher | Commentary, GregWalcher.com The Wall Street Journal headline said “San Diego Now Has So Much Water That It’s Selling It.” The article said San Diego generates enough water to rescue Arizona, though that’s jumping the gun just a bit. No such deal has actually been finalized yet, but the fact that the conversation is underway marks a new era in Colorado River negotiations. And not a minute too soon. The latest optimism is not based on any change in the historically low flow of the Colorado River. It’s based on the realization – at long last – that California does not need Colorado River water. That realization has finally come not only to Upper Basin states like Colorado (which has been making this point for decades) but to all of the seven states in the Colorado Rive...
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Nebraska threatens to condemn land in Colorado for a canal to carry away South Platte River water
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Nebraska threatens to condemn land in Colorado for a canal to carry away South Platte River water

By Parker Yamasaki | The Colorado Sun Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser sent a letter to county commissioners in northeastern Colorado earlier this week pledging to defend their rights if Nebraska tries to condemn land for the proposed Perkins County Canal Project. Six landowners in Sedgwick County, where the South Platte River flows out of the state, received notices of condemnation from the state of Nebraska on Jan. 17, offering $1.4 million for about 650 acres of land, according to Nebraska Public Media.  The landowners were given 90 days to sell or face eminent domain. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Colorado has spent $389M to fund its far-reaching water plans in the past two years
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Colorado has spent $389M to fund its far-reaching water plans in the past two years

By Jerd Smith | The Colorado Sun The state has spent $389 million in the past two years on programs designed to help Colorado stave off future projected water shortages even as it continues to grow. During the last two years, from July of 2022 through July of 2024, the Colorado Water Conservation Board has funded $232.7 million in loans and awarded $156.3 million in grants, and completed about 20% of the projects and activities the Colorado Water Plan has identified are needed to ensure the state has enough water in decades to come. The news came Tuesday as part of a water plan status update presented to the Colorado Water Conservation Board. The board is responsible for putting the plan into action and channeling loans and grants to dozens of major programs, including d...
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Kansas looks on as farms retire thousands of acres in water-short Northeastern Colorado
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Kansas looks on as farms retire thousands of acres in water-short Northeastern Colorado

By Jerd Smith | The Colorado Sun Farm communities on the Eastern Plains, under the gun to deliver water to Kansas and Nebraska, are poised to permanently retire 17,000 acres of land, with the help of $30 million in state and federal funding. From Wray, to Yuma to Burlington, growers are being paid to permanently shut off irrigation wells linked to the Republican River to ensure the vital waterway can deliver enough water to neighbors to the east, as required under the Republican River Compact of 1943. As of this month, ranchers had already retired 10,000 acres under the program, and the rest will be set aside in coming months. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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In Fountain, residents could see substantial water bill increase annually for five years
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Approved, gazette.com, Local

In Fountain, residents could see substantial water bill increase annually for five years

By Savannah Eller | The Gazette Fountain residents might see major increases to their water bills in the coming five years, in an effort by the city to stabilize its utilities finances. “Our expenses have gone up significantly in the past few years" said Fountain utilities director Dan Blankenship. The plan outlined in a study session in early December would increase water rates by 9% in 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028. In 2029, rates would go up by 6%. If approved by the Fountain city council, the rate hike could go into affect as soon as March of 2025.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
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CDPHE temporarily suspends water testing at state lab after second chemist found manipulating data
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Approved, KRDO.COM, State

CDPHE temporarily suspends water testing at state lab after second chemist found manipulating data

By Sadie Buggle | KRDO-TV ABC 13 The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) announced it will be temporarily suspending water testing at the State Laboratory after an investigation revealed a second chemist manipulated water quality control data. This new case was discovered while the agency was investigating another chemist's work in the state water lab, which CDPHE said was found to have been intentionally manipulated. According to our Denver news partners, the investigation led to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revoking a testing certification for the lab. Both instances of data manipulation contributed to lapses in testing for certain metals in water, CDPHE said. READ THE FULL STORY AT KRDO-TV ABC 13
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It’s lower basin states versus the upper basin in fight over Colorado River water
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

It’s lower basin states versus the upper basin in fight over Colorado River water

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice As he prepares to begin his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives, on priority for U.S. Rep.-elect Jeff Hurd will undoubtedly be protection of water in Western Colorado, via the Colorado River. During a Dec. 5 conference in Las Vegas, Nev., representatives of the seven states that utilize water from the Colorado River Basin were so at odds over what states and how much water use needs to be cut that they couldn’t even be on stage at the same time.  Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico make up the Upper Basin. California, Arizona and Nevada represent the Lower Basin. The current rules for sharing water expire in 2026, and each group has submitted a separate proposal for new guidelines thereafte...
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23 Colorado cities must replace at least 20,000 lead pipes that could taint drinking water, survey finds
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

23 Colorado cities must replace at least 20,000 lead pipes that could taint drinking water, survey finds

By Jerd Smith | The Colorado Sun A new statewide survey shows that 23 Colorado cities have aging lead water delivery pipes, roughly 20,000 of them, that could potentially taint drinking water.  Under federal rules, those cities must identify all contaminated pipes and replace them by 2037, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. But the initial survey, completed in October, also found that 170,000 additional water lines still need to be examined. Cities that have untested water delivery pipes are notifying customers of the risk and have November of next year to finish the identification process, according to Seth Clayton, executive director of Pueblo Water. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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In race to push a landmark water bill through Congress, Colorado is one state in the way
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Approved, National, The Colorado Sun

In race to push a landmark water bill through Congress, Colorado is one state in the way

By Shannon Mullane | The Colorado Sun Tribal nations, Arizona and over 30 other stakeholders have just days to get a historic water rights settlement through Congress, and they’ll have to get past pushback from Upper Basin states, including Colorado, to do it. The Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act would secure safe, reliable water for thousands of Navajo, Hopi and San Juan Southern Paiute tribal members in northeastern Arizona. It would give the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe a reservation. It would resolve water rights disputes, and potentially set up new funding streams for tribes. If successful, it would conclude about 60 years of work, advocates say. But some Congressional representatives have balked at the price tag: $5 billion. State officials...
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Did Middle Park sell $1 billion of water for 10 bucks?
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Approved, Local, The Colorado Sun

Did Middle Park sell $1 billion of water for 10 bucks?

By Michael Booth | The Colorado Sun Since Dwight Eisenhower was president, tiny Middle Park Water Conservancy District has hoarded a precious gem: 20,000 acre-feet of water rights on Troublesome Creek, near Kremmling, and the authority to build a dam for it.  In October, Middle Park gave its treasure to a private rancher. For $10.   The Middle Park district, which primarily serves ranchers and hay growers in Grand and Summit counties, has only a few hundred thousand dollars of revenue each year, and no ability to raise potentially tens of millions of dollars for environmental permitting and hundreds of millions for construction, the district’s attorney said.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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