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j, . . . projects are expected to produce approximately 161,000 acre-feet of new water annually in the Inland Empire, one of the most rapidly growing regions of the United States. Groups Seeks to Boost Water Protection in Grand Junction: In early August, a grass- roots political action group seeking to give Grand Junction the authority to protect its watershed from gas drilling turned in more than twice the signatures needed to put their measure on the ballot. The proposed ordinance would give Grand Junction the authority to tightly regulate and monitor oil and gas drilling on Grand Mesa, where the city gets its drinking water, adding another layer of protection for the city's water supply following the leasing by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management of about 13,000 acres within the watershed for gas drilling. The leases have been sold but drilling permits have not been issued, pending resolution of protests filed by the city and others, BLM spokeswoman Mel Lloyd said. Among those registering protests are U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar and U.S. Rep. John Salazar. While the BLM says it includes watershed protections with its drilling permits, the Western Colorado Congress and several member organizations who are championing the ballot measure say more is needed. Officials with the BLM say they have listened to objections from Grand Junction and the nearby town of Palisade, and will work with local communities to assure the water's quality. If passed, the ordinance would apply to high-risk activities in the watershed, including use or transport of hazardous materials, timber harvesting, mining, oil and gas drilling, and feedlots. It would give the city power to require additional protections not currently contained in city law or imposed by the Colorado Oil & Gas Commission or the BLM. They include providing a list of practices to reduce risks to water quality, requiring drillers and other "high-risk" users to post a bond to cover 100 percent of potential damages, and hiring third-party monitors to make sure water quality is maintained. BLM spokeswoman Jamie Gardner said the agency normally doesn't speak to potential ordinances, but said there are instances where federal regulations "defer to state law for some purposes", but was unsure whether this proposed ordinance could apply. Phoenix's West Valley Water-Banking Facility to Open: At the end of July, the New River-Agua Fria River Underground Storage Project (NAUSP), Salt River Project's second water-banking facility and its first in Phoenix's West Valley, is ready to receive its first delivery. NAUSP will be the largest recharge project of its kind in Arizona that offers the versatility of storing water from three separate sources in natural underground aquifers for future use. The first water delivered to NAUSP will be highly treated reclaimed water from the City of Glendale. The reclaimed water will be transported via a pipeline to NAUSP from the city's West Area Water Reclamation Facility, which is located near the Glendale Municipal Airport. NAUSP also will receive surface water from the Salt and Verde rivers and the Colorado River via SRP's Grand Canal. NAUSP is located in Glendale, about one-half mile west of the Loop 101 freeway and north of Bethany Home Road. SRP, on behalf of its NAUSP partners, completed the purchase of the land for the recharge project in 2004. The project includes six off-channel basins located on the eastern bank of New River --- which will have an approximate surface area of 120 acres - and one in-channel basin located in the eastern half of the New River bed near its confluence with the Agua Fria River - which will have an approximate surface area of 80 acres. The NAUSP facility in the West Valley will be operated in a manner similar to the operation of the East Valley's Granite Reef Underground Storage Project (GRUSP), which SRP has operated for the last 12 21