Drought
New Documentary Released--The American Southwest: Are We Running Dry?
A new documentary, The American Southwest: Are We Running Dry?, has just been released. It will soon air on PBS stations across the county. For more information and/or to obtain a copy, visit the Running Dry website.
February 20, 2010--Around the Mountains: Shrinking ice provides less buffer to drought (Summit Daily News)
Professors have been out to the towns on both sides of the Continental Divide in Canada recently to talk about the shrinking of glaciers. It is, they say, a serious challenge, as the hydrological cycle that local communities have come to depend upon will be changing. But ice in both places has been shrinking—with much more rescission likely.
February 19, 2010--Colorado ag forum speaker promises improved visibility for agriculture (Fence Post)
The level of importance of agriculture will be raised under the Obama Administration, a member of that administration told a crowd of nearly 250 on Thursday at the 19th annual Governor's Forum on Agriculture.
February 11, 2010--Judge: CA pumping limits needed to protect smelt (Denver Post)
A federal judge turned down California farmers' emergency request Wednesday to suspend water pumping restrictions in the state's delta in a ruling aimed at keeping a threatened fish species from being ground up in the pumps. The decision by U.S.
February 10, 2010--Drought prompts ag department to declare disaster status for Montezuma, Dolores counties (Cortez Journal)
Montezuma and Dolores agricultural producers are receiving help from the federal government after a year of drought-like conditions hampered growing efforts in the region. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Feb.
February 5, 2010--Central Valley water pump wars continue on capitol hill (New York Times)
Partisan bickering continues over water pumping restrictions in California's Central Valley, as Republicans attacked a Democratic bill meant to shore up area farmers. The agriculture-heavy area has seen unemployment skyrocket to 40 percent in some parts as a three-year drought has forced farmers to fallow their fields.
February 4, 2010--Spring runoff expected to be below average (Aspen Daily News)
This winter’s below average snowfall, as one might expect, indicates there could be a low runoff this spring. “The outlook for runoff in the Upper Colorado, North Platte, Yampa, White and South Platte rivers continues to call for well below average flows,” said Allen Green, state conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a department of the U.S.
January 27, 2010--U.S. speeds up water deliveries to San Joaquin Valley farmers (Los Angeles Times)
Federal managers said Tuesday they are speeding up delivery of irrigation water to farmers on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley because recent storms have boosted the state's water supply. "Essentially we're saying we're confident enough right now that we can provide this as an assured water supply . . .
January 25, 2010--National science panel convenes on Calif. delta (Denver Post)
An expert in California's delta told a panel of the National Academies of Sciences on Sunday that their decisions about the largest estuary on the West Coast could alter how Californians use water.
January 21, 2010--2000s warmest decade on record (Durango Herald)
The 2000-09 decade was the warmest on record, easily surpassing the previous hottest decade - the 1990s - researchers said Tuesday in a report providing fresh evidence the planet may be warming at a potentially disastrous rate.
