Published by the Colorado Foundation for Water Education - view free or purchase
"Climate Scientists Brad Udall and Nolan Doesken, along with several other experts, explore the possible impacts of climate change on water supply, recreation, agriculture and environmental health in Colorado."(with thanks to Coyote Gulch)
Opinion by Ron Teck, former state senator representing Mesa County
During my eight years in the state Senate, I became convinced that we should not put spending mandates into the state Constitution. We are faced with this bad idea again this year with Amendment 52....
http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/news/opinion/stories/2008/10/21/102208_4A_Teck_column.html
By Jerd Smith, Rocky Mountain News
In 40 years, will Colorado have a greater need for oil or for water? The state may not be able to have both, a draft of a new study suggests.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/oct/21/future-oil-water-needs-might-not-mix/
Colorado's most endangered species may be the water buffalo.
If Amendment 52 passes Nov. 4, that noble beast will be close to extinction. And thousands of jobs and much of the Western lifestyle that lured so many of us to Colorado in the first place will vanish with it.
Environmental groups have joined ranks with the water buffaloes to fight against drying up Colorado's farms and ranches and the open space and wildlife habitat they provide. Ducks Unlimited, Audubon Colorado, the Colorado Wildlife Federation, Trout Unlimited and other green groups have entered the fray.
Yet, the outcome remains in doubt. There are so many issues on this year's ballot that the water and environmental communities fear Amendment 52 could slip through.
By Douglas CrowlLoveland Connection
Loveland officials say the proposed Chimney Hollow Reservoir could add enough to the city’s water supplies to guarantee coverage during a 100-year-drought at least until 2030.
But detractors wonder at what cost a 90,000-acre-foot reservoir filled with Windy Gap water will have on the already struggling Colorado River.
“We feel that Windy Gap is digging this hole deeper and not helping figure out the problem,” David Nickum, executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited, said before a recent public hearing on the project.
Many people concerned about the proposed reservoir wanted to extend the public comment period for the Windy Gap Firming Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement, so they could review the 600-page document to see if it addresses Western Slope water concerns.
http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081017/LOVELAND01/81016038
9News Colorado Trout Unlimited's Executive Director David Nickum sums up the danger posed by energy development on the Roan: "You have an industry that, unfortunately, is chemical dependent and it's accident prone as we've seen by numerous spills in the area."
If inspections are the best defense, the odds don't seem to favor the environment.
http://www.9news.com/seenon9news/article.aspx?storyid=101835&catid=509
9News.com Accidental spills are just one of the threats that wildlife on top of western Colorado's Roan Plateau might face, now that the federal government has opened the door to drilling there.
One of the species that could wind up living in the shadow of drilling is believed by many to be a state genetic treasure.
Fly fisherman Ken Neubecker describes catching Colorado River Cutthroat trout as "combat fishing."
"They like to stay undercover. It's a short cast. They're only a few feet away," he said.
The trout love to hide out under a line-snaring tangle of overhanging willow.
Neubecker talked to 9NEWS as he stood beside a 15 foot wide, 8 inch deep strip of clear stream, meandering at the base of a ridge. It's a dauntingly steep mile down from the top of the ridge, which like scores of others, forms the undulating top of the Roan Plateau.
http://www.9news.com/seenon9news/article.aspx?storyid=101766&catid=509
By CHRIS WOODKATHE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
In the water itself, Trout Unlimited is assessing what the worst impacts of climate change could be, said Greg Espegren, aquatics specialist.
The group uses a conservation success index to measure the viability of species. It is particularly concerned with the cutthroat trout in the Colorado River basin. The risks include wildfires that degrade streams through erosion and sedimentation, increased water temperatures and winter floods.
http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2008/10/12/news/denver_bureau/doc48f187cc381ab122676862.txt
