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AquiferStorageEyedForPlatteArticle
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Last modified
1/26/2010 4:17:34 PM
Creation date
10/5/2007 2:04:48 PM
Metadata
Fields
Template:
Water Supply Protection
File Number
8420.500
Description
South Platte River Basin Task Force
State
CO
Basin
South Platte
Date
7/28/2007
Author
Rocky Mountain News
Title
Aquifer Storage Eyed for Platte - Article Submitted for Task Force
Water Supply Pro - Doc Type
News Article/Press Release
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<br />07 10:22a p.1 <br /> <br />ROCKY MOUNTAIN NE\VS SATURDAY 7/28/07 <br /> <br />Aquifer <br /> <br />storage <br />eyed for <br />Platte <br />Underground <br />sites could sub <br />for surface lakes <br /> <br />By Jerd Smitb <br />IlOCI(Y MOtll4TA1N rtrJI'S <br /> <br />Masslve undetp'OUnd res- <br />ervoir sites along the South <br />PWt:te aiver could add <br />rnueh-needed water storage <br />for the heavOy POPulated re- <br />gion, to the beneI'lt 01 <br />1'ast-growtng c:lties and <br />tarma. <br />Storing WB.ter under <br />ground - Instead o( above <br />ground - Is one of several <br />ideas b@tnge:IC:ploredby a spe- <br />c:tal ta.slc force charged with <br />findlng ways to better man- <br />aae the ba.t'tle-ftlly mer. <br />ThOU&h m.any regions <br />dot1"t have rood under- <br />ground storage s1tes, several <br />area.s along the South Platte <br />have the potential ~ easUy <br />store tnflI1rm7 orga!loM atwa- <br />ter, accordlngtoanew ~dy. <br />"We have a pretty irood <br />bucket already," said Gor- <br />don McQmy. a consult1ng <br />engineer who helped con- <br />duct the.study. <br /> <br />McCurrYs comments <br />came Friday durlns: a meet- <br />ing or the South Platte R1.ver <br />Basin Task Force at the <br />sta.t~ Capitol The il'OUp was <br />appointed by Gov. Bill Ritter <br />in June. <br />Subterranean storaie is oC- <br />teD. eheaperand less euviron- <br />mentally d.am.ag1ng than <br />building above-ground NSer- <br />voir.!. and less water is lost to <br />evaporation. McCUrry sald.. <br />But finding- any extra wa-I <br />tel' to store In these reser- <br />voirs b a touilh question the <br />task force must .stUladdre.s4. <br />SInce 2002. when a severe <br />drought. st.rudt. sti1ct new <br />laws, dry weather. and ClJm- <br />petition for water by thIrsty <br />cities have turned th~ rlv~r in- <br />to a war zone. <br />Thousands of lrrtgatlon <br />wells have b~D ordered to <br />stop pUmPW& altQget.her or <br />have had to sharp11llmlt the <br />;vate!' they take rrom the <br />g:uund. Thou:5ands ot ~cres <br />or land bave been dr1ed up <br />and mlIllon:i fJ( clollan; have <br />been spent in water C:OUlt to <br />comply with the new laws. <br />Use of the~e - powerful <br />wells, One! seen as 9. way to <br />drouiht.proo!farms1n the re- <br />gton. can harm other Overws- <br />en: it they pull too much wa- <br />ter from the ground ~e <br />that draws down tilt" aquifer <br />that helps :rupplythe liver. <br />Under some clrcum..stanc- <br />tis. thcuvh. the wells ml~t <br />be U3ed in ways that help the <br />river. for instanee. by pump.. <br />Ing durlnirthe winter to help <br />supply re:.servolrs that typl- <br />ealJy rely on the rtver'~ sur- <br />!.ace flows to rot. <br />AnOther ldea befnf consid- <br />ered. is whether the state e-n. <br />gineer - the top 'Water regu. <br />lator in the state - can be giv- <br />en more nex1bwty to manage <br />t:.he waterway, <br /> <br />Such fiexlb1llty existed Cor <br />decades, but fell apart a1ter <br />the 2002 drought began and <br />low Ilows wipeU out t.he nq. <br />u1d bu4"er zone that helped <br />keep the pe~. <br />Arnie Good. a well user <br />and t.aB:k force member. said <br />suehnex1bD.lty would help <br />make the river's supplies <br />stretch farther. <br />..w~ would Uke the.state en- <br />gineer to have that ldnd 01 <br />~billty,~GQods~. <br />But oth~rs. worrted that <br />the State engine{!r ham't <br />done enough to protect <br />those with surfa~ water <br />righb, said such fle."dbillty <br />could be danierous. espe.. <br />cial.ly In dry years. <br />Tb.e task toree bas umU <br />September to malt! rKom- <br />mi!ndations to aspecial.l~ <br />lative comrnlttee. It's next. <br />meeting is 3cbeduJed tor <br />Aug. 13 at the Capitol. <br />For more !.nformation go <br />to: dnr.stat.e.eo,us. <br /> <br />smitkj(ijiiock'~Mountafn <br />.Vew:s.comor 303-954--5474 <br /> <br />Addtd Nets: R:cchar8e ofColOlCldo.s excessively depletro <br />aquifer ~es has been a statewide planning oversigbt far <br />many years. UnfortuJ1ately, the ex.ln JmW water-a storage <br />needed to slowly recharge Colontdo's Oenvct, South Platte. <br />Arbnsas, Ogallala. and 8M Luis aquifers during long ~ <br />cyt:les has never be~IIk'VelQped. Colorado has been losin" a <br />large portion its Colorado River Compact and nearly all of its <br />Aspinall Pool entitlements to thirsty down river st3I.es ~ <br />lhe J96O's.. 11'1 fact,. Cnlondo is the only Western sl3te that <br />dors not have an integrated statewide planning process to <br />guide Ioca~ state. end tedcral Caopcr.rtiDD far successful waitt <br />developmerlt. CoIoouIo C8D qukldy recover frOOl its water <br />development hiAtus with emergency de\oelopment orits <br />Cent:ra1 Co1orado Project (CCP). CCP is a. pndigm <br />intellectual and scientifIC bn:akthrough furColonuW IIDd omer <br />headwater states. CCP can multiply the retiobility, <br />productivity. aod quality of fine renewahte energy and wmr <br />I"CSOW'<:es tbrwghQUt five Southwestern river basins, including <br />aquif~ teclwge during wet cycles. ccp.s resour<:e <br />multiplic:rs are essential to enhance Colorado's cities, farms, <br />and c:nvircntnel1ls during unpredittab1c drougbb: and climate <br />changes. Dave Miller, W3terPlannef. (719) 4Al-2003. <br />
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