Today, a significant water line bursts on average every two minutes somewhere in the country, according to a New York Times analysis of Environmental Protection Agency data.

It seems to happen to every legislator at least once in his or her time at the Capitol. A bill you are certain is noncontroversial becomes far more complicated and contentious than you expected. That is the case with a bill I am sponsoring, House Bill 1051, which establishes an annual reporting requirement for water providers.

Simply bringing water from the Colorado River to the Arkansas River basin in Colorado does not improve protection against drought. The surprising finding was shared last week at the Arkansas Basin Roundtable by climate researchers from Western Water Assessment, a hybrid agency that combines Nation Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and University of Colorado resources.

Southwest Colorado rivers converged at the Lewis-Arriola Community Center Thursday, where roughly 50 individuals gathered for the Southwest Colorado Watershed Workshop.

As a result of decent storm activity during the third weekend of February, snowpacks in the Upper Colorado River Basin improved slightly from 72 percent of average last month to 79 percent of average on March 1. This is the second lowest March 1 snowpack percentage the basin has seen going all the way back to 1992. Only March 1, 2002, with 68 percent of average snowpacks, was lower.

Alexandra Davis of Nederland has been appointed director of the Colorado Interbasin Compact Committee by Gov. Bill Ritter. Davis is the Department of Natural Resources’ assistant director for water.

The ski industry is getting more sobering news from the science community. A new report from the National Wildlife Federation says global warming is part of the reason for the unusual winter weather in the West. Climate scientist and report author Amanda Staudt says powder enthusiasts should be especially concerned.

Rep. Ellen Roberts advanced her bill to slap fines on people who illegally use water. Roberts, R-Durango, is carrying Senate Bill 27 on behalf of Attorney General John Suthers. The bill puts a $500 per day fine on people who illegally divert surface water. It matches the fine that is already in place for people illegally using groundwater.