Tuesday, November 11, 2008
What I am Working On
Now, you tell me, does this place need defending? Shall we see this area damned? Will we stand idly by while this area is destroyed? This is my sanctuary, this is my church. This is more important than irrigation, this is more important than some damn project to store water. The desert has just enough water. Just too many people. And this, this is not really the desert. Only the foothills going into the desert. This place needs help!
Monday, November 10, 2008
A little bit of rambling.
This is an excerpt from the journal I keep when I go into the woods.Deep In The Backcountry AgainAn unknown ridge, except to the sheep, the bear, birds, bugs and me. Climber's won't come here, too loose. Hikers won't come here, too much climbing. Hunters, HA!, too far away from where a horse can take them. The waterfall is half a mile, straight across, maybe three by hiking. I have always been told I have billy goat legs, this is a good thing. From where I sit, it is a good thousand foot drop, to my right, only a couple feet away. Best not to siesta here. I am recharged, refreshed, renewed. It must be how a Catholic feels, after Confession. I would not know of that. All I know is the deep connectedness I feel up here. I am alone, but totally surrounded. The chirp of grasshoppers on wing verify this, and remind me.I do not know where I am, in terms of a map. But, I know I am looking DOWN into Sunlight Peak's massive bowl. The sound of the waterfall is quite inviting. Funny, even with all it's rage, all it's volume, it still peters to nothing by the time it hits the road. I can see the road if I look behind me. I choose not to. There is too much looking behind in life, and far too many roads. In this place, there is no road. Thank God for wilderness, or there would be a tram to the top of this place by now. What drives me out here? I could build my little cabin up here, and you would never see me again. Is that bad? Why do people seem so terrified of running away? Don't they realize there is so much more out there, and beyond what they can see from the road?It feels good to get away. I am free to sing aloud, talk to myself, contemplate the deepest thoughts I have, and the only complaint heard is the whistle from the wind. She is not too cynical today, though, she seems to be agreeing with me. She, along with some clouds she blows in, have made, MADE, the place I sit. I feel like they have carved out this nook in the rock just for me, just waiting until I came along.I want to push up further. My view of a high mountain is blocked by a goblin of gneiss. I could climb up the once I am leaning on, but with the long fall to the right, this shitty bonded rock is not quite convincing me to caress her. If a man in the mountain falls, and no one is around, does he still make a sound?So many ridgelines up here to explore. I, for one, have always been more fond of following the ridgelines, rather than go up the bottoms of the canyons. I like to be able to see off into the distance, rather than just in front of me. I will look back only so I know how to get down. Right now, where I sit, that is a good thing. I am completely cliffed out, and taking the wrong way back, we may be able to test our falling theory. Walking and climbing the gneiss, or kitty litter, is an art form. For every step up, you lose two down. Maybe that is why people don't like hiking in the Absarokees. The bedrock is another fun concept, and challenge. Usually found right where you don't want to fall, raw cliff will be covered by an inch or less of tiny, tiny ball bearings. You don't sink enough to get traction, and the ball bearings cause even the best boots to skitter. Sticks from the ground are helpful. Move quickly, and take deliberate steps, hoping you find deeper scree before you get cliffed out and cannot go back. If the kitty litter is bad, the cliffs themselves are worse. Low angle, slabby nightmares, where every hold breaks off. Climb fast friends, and pray you don't crumble a hold, while you are using it!
Coalbed Methane, and what goes with it......
From the Billings Gazette. At least the state is stepping in and saying ENOUGH!
Fidelity violating permit with water tests
By CLAIR JOHNSON Of The Gazette StaffA state department has started enforcement action against a coalbed methane producer for repeatedly failing toxicity tests on water it discharges into the Tongue River.Fidelity Exploration and Production Co. violated the toxicity provision in its discharge permit 132 times in a 2 1/2-year period, from April 2006 through August 2008. The company also failed to submit an adequate compliance plan, said John Arrigo, administrator of Montana Department of Environmental Quality's Enforcement Division.Fidelity produces methane from coal beds in the Decker area of the Powder River Basin. Ground water pumped to the surface through the drilling for natural gas is discharged untreated into the Tongue at 15 sites covered by the permit. Fidelity is a subsidiary of MDU Resources Group Inc. and is based in Denver.Although tests are finding toxicity in the discharge water, that doesn't mean the Tongue River is being harmed, Arrigo said.
"We're don't have any dead fish," Arrigo said. "If we saw dead fish or saw effects on the receiving water, we would act more aggressively. But we don't see that."Rather, DEQ is seeing dead fleas - ceriodaphnia dubia fleas to be exact. The fleas are used in laboratory tests as an indicator of toxicity.Fidelity is required to test for toxics by taking samples of its discharge water and putting in organisms to see if they survive. In addition to the fleas, similar tests also are conducted on fathead minnows.Fidelity's tests using minnows have all passed. The tests using the fleas are failing, Arrigo said.While the toxicity failures have been consistent, pinpointing the cause has been difficult and expensive.Both DEQ and Fidelity officials said they are working to find a solution."It's complicated," Arrigo said. One test costs about $500 and Fidelity has done hundreds of them, he added.The problem has been that Fidelity hasn't been able to identify what is causing the toxicity. Despite a variety of tests on different discharges at different times, the results are inconsistent, Arrigo said.Joe Icenogle, a spokesperson for Fidelity, said the violations represent "a permit concern" and do not threaten or degrade the Tongue's water quality. "One of the things Fidelity, DEQ and everybody shares down there is the health of the Tongue River," he said.Fidelity has performed similar toxicity tests with fleas on Tongue River water samples taken six inches from its discharge points. "They've survived every time," Icenogle said.The tests require using nonnative fleas, Icenogle said. In some tests, the fleas are not surviving in undiluted discharge water, he said. Fleas start surviving when the coalbed discharge water is diluted 25 percent, he said."Our discharge into the Tongue River never makes up 75 percent of the total flow," he said. "It's less than 1 to 2 percent of the total flow of the river."Prior to April 2006, Fidelity passed its toxicity tests using another nonnative flea species, Icenogle said. DEQ then changed to a different flea species.Fidelity used to test once a year under a previous permit, Icenogle said. The company went to quarterly with the current permit. Because of the violations, the company has to test monthly.The company has hired water specialists, fisheries biologists and other consultants. There is a possibility that total dissolved solids may be the problem, Icenogle said, while researchers have pretty much eliminated methane in the water as the cause.There is a permit limit for total dissolved solids, and Fidelity is not exceeding it, Arrigo said.In the meantime, Fidelity is experimenting with running its discharge water through a holding tank before it enters the Tongue. The results have been variable, Icenogle said.Fidelity also submitted a compliance plan, but DEQ said it did not adequately describe how toxicity would be controlled. Failure to submit an adequate plan is a permit violation.Arrigo said in his enforcement letter Fidelity may have to develop a plan that addresses the overall quality of the wastewater, such as treating selected discharges. Also, some control options may require a permit modification.Icenogle said it was premature to say whether Fidelity would treat the discharge water. "We're working with them to reach a solution," he said of DEQ.DEQ has met with company officials and plans to meet again. DEQ is proposing the agency and Fidelity enter into a negotiated administrative order to resolve the violations. Penalties would be assessed but waived if Fidelity submits an adequate compliance plan and implements it in a timely manner, Arrigo said.The penalties would be used as leverage to require Fidelity to submit a more definite control plan in a tighter schedule, Arrigo said. "We want them to submit a better compliance plan. We're not interested in fining them a lot of money. We want them to do more faster. If they blow us off and say no, we have a variety of enforcement options."Contact Clair Johnson at cjohnson@billingsgazette.com or 657-1282.
Published on Monday, November 10, 2008.Last modified on 11/10/2008 at 4:42 pm
Fidelity violating permit with water tests
By CLAIR JOHNSON Of The Gazette StaffA state department has started enforcement action against a coalbed methane producer for repeatedly failing toxicity tests on water it discharges into the Tongue River.Fidelity Exploration and Production Co. violated the toxicity provision in its discharge permit 132 times in a 2 1/2-year period, from April 2006 through August 2008. The company also failed to submit an adequate compliance plan, said John Arrigo, administrator of Montana Department of Environmental Quality's Enforcement Division.Fidelity produces methane from coal beds in the Decker area of the Powder River Basin. Ground water pumped to the surface through the drilling for natural gas is discharged untreated into the Tongue at 15 sites covered by the permit. Fidelity is a subsidiary of MDU Resources Group Inc. and is based in Denver.Although tests are finding toxicity in the discharge water, that doesn't mean the Tongue River is being harmed, Arrigo said.
"We're don't have any dead fish," Arrigo said. "If we saw dead fish or saw effects on the receiving water, we would act more aggressively. But we don't see that."Rather, DEQ is seeing dead fleas - ceriodaphnia dubia fleas to be exact. The fleas are used in laboratory tests as an indicator of toxicity.Fidelity is required to test for toxics by taking samples of its discharge water and putting in organisms to see if they survive. In addition to the fleas, similar tests also are conducted on fathead minnows.Fidelity's tests using minnows have all passed. The tests using the fleas are failing, Arrigo said.While the toxicity failures have been consistent, pinpointing the cause has been difficult and expensive.Both DEQ and Fidelity officials said they are working to find a solution."It's complicated," Arrigo said. One test costs about $500 and Fidelity has done hundreds of them, he added.The problem has been that Fidelity hasn't been able to identify what is causing the toxicity. Despite a variety of tests on different discharges at different times, the results are inconsistent, Arrigo said.Joe Icenogle, a spokesperson for Fidelity, said the violations represent "a permit concern" and do not threaten or degrade the Tongue's water quality. "One of the things Fidelity, DEQ and everybody shares down there is the health of the Tongue River," he said.Fidelity has performed similar toxicity tests with fleas on Tongue River water samples taken six inches from its discharge points. "They've survived every time," Icenogle said.The tests require using nonnative fleas, Icenogle said. In some tests, the fleas are not surviving in undiluted discharge water, he said. Fleas start surviving when the coalbed discharge water is diluted 25 percent, he said."Our discharge into the Tongue River never makes up 75 percent of the total flow," he said. "It's less than 1 to 2 percent of the total flow of the river."Prior to April 2006, Fidelity passed its toxicity tests using another nonnative flea species, Icenogle said. DEQ then changed to a different flea species.Fidelity used to test once a year under a previous permit, Icenogle said. The company went to quarterly with the current permit. Because of the violations, the company has to test monthly.The company has hired water specialists, fisheries biologists and other consultants. There is a possibility that total dissolved solids may be the problem, Icenogle said, while researchers have pretty much eliminated methane in the water as the cause.There is a permit limit for total dissolved solids, and Fidelity is not exceeding it, Arrigo said.In the meantime, Fidelity is experimenting with running its discharge water through a holding tank before it enters the Tongue. The results have been variable, Icenogle said.Fidelity also submitted a compliance plan, but DEQ said it did not adequately describe how toxicity would be controlled. Failure to submit an adequate plan is a permit violation.Arrigo said in his enforcement letter Fidelity may have to develop a plan that addresses the overall quality of the wastewater, such as treating selected discharges. Also, some control options may require a permit modification.Icenogle said it was premature to say whether Fidelity would treat the discharge water. "We're working with them to reach a solution," he said of DEQ.DEQ has met with company officials and plans to meet again. DEQ is proposing the agency and Fidelity enter into a negotiated administrative order to resolve the violations. Penalties would be assessed but waived if Fidelity submits an adequate compliance plan and implements it in a timely manner, Arrigo said.The penalties would be used as leverage to require Fidelity to submit a more definite control plan in a tighter schedule, Arrigo said. "We want them to submit a better compliance plan. We're not interested in fining them a lot of money. We want them to do more faster. If they blow us off and say no, we have a variety of enforcement options."Contact Clair Johnson at cjohnson@billingsgazette.com or 657-1282.
Published on Monday, November 10, 2008.Last modified on 11/10/2008 at 4:42 pm
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Wolf Meeting Thoughts
First off, if you ever have a chance to go to a wolf meeting, do so, just for the amazing uneducated dialogue that takes place. I could have watched FOX news and been more educated.
This meeting was simply on the proposed changes for the Wyoming Wolf Management plan, since it was shot down by Judge Molloy in Montana earlier this year. Basically there were four main issues in the judges ruling to overturn Wyoming's management plan. They included: Genetic Connectivity, Minimum Population Commitment, The Trophy Game Management Area, and Depredation Control. This new Emergency Plan is supposed to be a way to address these issues a little bit better, and wishfully thinking, allow Wyoming to regain control of it's gray wolf population.
Bill Rudd basically walked through the word changes, and described them as simply a firmer commitment to maintaining the number of packs, in case something catastrophic happens withing the Parks. They also threw in a new little blurb about the genetic connectivity issue:
To the extent practicable, the Commission is committed to managing the gray wolves in Wyoming so that genetic diversity and connectivity issues do not threaten the gray wolf population. This will be accomplished by encouraging the incorporation of effective migrants into the gray wolf population. Conservation measures will include, but are not limited to, working with other states to promote natural dispersal into and within the WTGMA (Wolf Trophy Game Management Area) and, if necessary, by relocation and translocation. You know, I passed many a college biology test by simply being able to bullshit through what I thought the professor wanted to hear. This is a fine example of that. There is no plan here, no groundbreaking revelations, just a desperate attempt to blow smoke up the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's collective skirt.
There is also some new wording on Lethal Take Permits. Chapter 21, Section 3(a) Chapter 21, Section 3(a) defines "chronic wolf depredation" as "a geographic area limited to a specific parcel of private land or a specific grazing allotment described on the permit within the Wolf Trophy Game Management Area where gray wolves have repeatedly (twice or more within a two month period immediately preceding the date on which the owner applies for a lethal take permit) harassed, injured, maimed or killed livestock or domesticated animals." Wolves taken under the authority of a lethal take permit shall be reported to the Department representative specified on the permit within 23 hours. Lethal take permits shall expire on December 31 of the year issued. However, lethal take permits shall be immediately suspended or cancelled if the Department determines further lethal control may result in the number of wolves in the WTGMA decreasing below 15 breeding pairs or 150 wolves, or below 7 breeding pairs outside the national parks and parkway. In addition, lethal take permits shall be immediately suspended or cancelled if the Department determines further lethal control may result in the re listing of gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act. In either of these circumstances, non-lethal control actions shall be initiated to mitigate continued harassment, injury, maiming or killing of livestock or domesticated animals. Whew! My fingers hurt after that, and what exactly does all that say? Basically if you are Joe Shmoe rancher, and you have evidence of wolves killing animals, you can apply for this permit that will allow you to shoot them on sight. After you kill your two wolves, you can reapply for another permit. Now, there is also a state law, pertaining to all predators, that allows for Joe Schmoe rancher to blast an animal in the act, or even thinking of the act "as a reasonable person would suspect" of hurting their livestock. Add on top of all that, the control measures that the Feds and State will be doing, and it is open season.
Predator status is still a go, one of the main hang ups with a lot of people, myself included. Outside of the WTGMA, people would still be allowed to blast any wolf they saw, for any reason, unless the number of packs falls below 15, where the Feds would step back in and take control. With the changes to the law, you would no longer be required to turn over a pelt and skull, only report your name and address, the date of the kill, the sex of the wolf, and a location. And, this makes me laugh quite hard. The Department may also seek the person's cooperation in obtaining any additional information relevant to wolf management, as warranted. If someone is out shooting wolves for pleasure, what do you think his response is going to be on management? This is not rocket science people!
A fairly large issue was brought up, concerning the word "predator". That, as already stated, is a major hang up with the judge in Montana. So why not remove that word? I have my own theories on that, but the way it has been pushed through is simple. The state has to have this plan into the USFWS by November 28th. The Wyoming Commission does not meet until November 17th and 18th, and the State Legislature does not meet until February 14th. The word predator is in law, and can only be repealed by Legislature. Now, a Representative from the Wyoming Government was there, and he said, something to the effect of "Well you people have already been liberal with your Plan under the law, why don't you just remove it and call it good." No one wants to remove that particular word, it is what has held Wyoming up this whole time. If that word were removed, this would go through.
So, what does this mean, long and short? It means victory for people who would like to keep wolf management in the hands of the Federal Government. Wyoming has had it's chance to change the laws, remove predator status, and be cooperative, and they have blown it. They have made their bed, now it is time for them to sleep in it. As for what it means for Wyoming? I doubt we will be re-gaining control in a timely manner. The wording in this emergency plan does not address the issues of litigation proposed by Molloy, and, in fact, adds to the issues in certain places.
Public comments are due in the office of the Wyoming Game and Fish by November 10th. Your comment must be in their hands on this date.
The address to write to is:
Wolf Plan Comments
Attn: Bea Pepper
Wyoming Game and Fish Department
5400 Bishop Blvd
Cheyenne, WY 82006
The next planned meeting in Cody is December 16th.
This meeting was simply on the proposed changes for the Wyoming Wolf Management plan, since it was shot down by Judge Molloy in Montana earlier this year. Basically there were four main issues in the judges ruling to overturn Wyoming's management plan. They included: Genetic Connectivity, Minimum Population Commitment, The Trophy Game Management Area, and Depredation Control. This new Emergency Plan is supposed to be a way to address these issues a little bit better, and wishfully thinking, allow Wyoming to regain control of it's gray wolf population.
Bill Rudd basically walked through the word changes, and described them as simply a firmer commitment to maintaining the number of packs, in case something catastrophic happens withing the Parks. They also threw in a new little blurb about the genetic connectivity issue:
To the extent practicable, the Commission is committed to managing the gray wolves in Wyoming so that genetic diversity and connectivity issues do not threaten the gray wolf population. This will be accomplished by encouraging the incorporation of effective migrants into the gray wolf population. Conservation measures will include, but are not limited to, working with other states to promote natural dispersal into and within the WTGMA (Wolf Trophy Game Management Area) and, if necessary, by relocation and translocation. You know, I passed many a college biology test by simply being able to bullshit through what I thought the professor wanted to hear. This is a fine example of that. There is no plan here, no groundbreaking revelations, just a desperate attempt to blow smoke up the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's collective skirt.
There is also some new wording on Lethal Take Permits. Chapter 21, Section 3(a) Chapter 21, Section 3(a) defines "chronic wolf depredation" as "a geographic area limited to a specific parcel of private land or a specific grazing allotment described on the permit within the Wolf Trophy Game Management Area where gray wolves have repeatedly (twice or more within a two month period immediately preceding the date on which the owner applies for a lethal take permit) harassed, injured, maimed or killed livestock or domesticated animals." Wolves taken under the authority of a lethal take permit shall be reported to the Department representative specified on the permit within 23 hours. Lethal take permits shall expire on December 31 of the year issued. However, lethal take permits shall be immediately suspended or cancelled if the Department determines further lethal control may result in the number of wolves in the WTGMA decreasing below 15 breeding pairs or 150 wolves, or below 7 breeding pairs outside the national parks and parkway. In addition, lethal take permits shall be immediately suspended or cancelled if the Department determines further lethal control may result in the re listing of gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act. In either of these circumstances, non-lethal control actions shall be initiated to mitigate continued harassment, injury, maiming or killing of livestock or domesticated animals. Whew! My fingers hurt after that, and what exactly does all that say? Basically if you are Joe Shmoe rancher, and you have evidence of wolves killing animals, you can apply for this permit that will allow you to shoot them on sight. After you kill your two wolves, you can reapply for another permit. Now, there is also a state law, pertaining to all predators, that allows for Joe Schmoe rancher to blast an animal in the act, or even thinking of the act "as a reasonable person would suspect" of hurting their livestock. Add on top of all that, the control measures that the Feds and State will be doing, and it is open season.
Predator status is still a go, one of the main hang ups with a lot of people, myself included. Outside of the WTGMA, people would still be allowed to blast any wolf they saw, for any reason, unless the number of packs falls below 15, where the Feds would step back in and take control. With the changes to the law, you would no longer be required to turn over a pelt and skull, only report your name and address, the date of the kill, the sex of the wolf, and a location. And, this makes me laugh quite hard. The Department may also seek the person's cooperation in obtaining any additional information relevant to wolf management, as warranted. If someone is out shooting wolves for pleasure, what do you think his response is going to be on management? This is not rocket science people!
A fairly large issue was brought up, concerning the word "predator". That, as already stated, is a major hang up with the judge in Montana. So why not remove that word? I have my own theories on that, but the way it has been pushed through is simple. The state has to have this plan into the USFWS by November 28th. The Wyoming Commission does not meet until November 17th and 18th, and the State Legislature does not meet until February 14th. The word predator is in law, and can only be repealed by Legislature. Now, a Representative from the Wyoming Government was there, and he said, something to the effect of "Well you people have already been liberal with your Plan under the law, why don't you just remove it and call it good." No one wants to remove that particular word, it is what has held Wyoming up this whole time. If that word were removed, this would go through.
So, what does this mean, long and short? It means victory for people who would like to keep wolf management in the hands of the Federal Government. Wyoming has had it's chance to change the laws, remove predator status, and be cooperative, and they have blown it. They have made their bed, now it is time for them to sleep in it. As for what it means for Wyoming? I doubt we will be re-gaining control in a timely manner. The wording in this emergency plan does not address the issues of litigation proposed by Molloy, and, in fact, adds to the issues in certain places.
Public comments are due in the office of the Wyoming Game and Fish by November 10th. Your comment must be in their hands on this date.
The address to write to is:
Wolf Plan Comments
Attn: Bea Pepper
Wyoming Game and Fish Department
5400 Bishop Blvd
Cheyenne, WY 82006
The next planned meeting in Cody is December 16th.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Wolf Comment Meeting Tomorrow!
If you don't show up and comment, you have absolutely no right to bitch. Here is OUR time to let all of our voices be heard.
The Game and Fish Department has released a draft revised version of the gray wolf management plan for public comment.The draft revised plan addresses many of the issues brought up in recent court decisions regarding removal of the Northern Rocky Mountain population of wolves from the federal Threatened and Endangered Species List.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reopened the public comment period on its proposal to delist the wolves.
That public comment period ends Nov. 28.Wyoming's revised plan will be submitted to the USFWS during this comment period as part of Wyoming's comments on the federal delisting proposal.Revisions to Wyoming's wolf plan are consistent with emergency rule changes to G&F regulations.Those emergency rules were signed by Wyoming Game and Fish Commission president Jerry Galles and Gov. Dave Freudenthal Oct. 27 and are in effect for 120 days.G&F is initiating a formal rulemaking process to make those rules permanent.“First of all, these rules do not become effective unless and until the wolf is delisted in Wyoming,” Freudenthal said. “This is an attempt to operate within the current statute and to be responsive to the signals that we are receiving from USFWS and the judge in Montana.”G&F will hold two public meetings to discuss the revised plan and accept public comments.�Cody, 7 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Holiday Inn.�Lander, 7 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Lander Community Center.The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission will review public comments and take action on the revised plan at the commission's next meeting Nov. 17-18 in Jackson.Written public comments on the revised plan will be accepted at the Cody and Lander meetings, by mail or by fax and must be received by 5 p.m. Nov. 10.“We realize this is a tight time frame for public review,” said G&F director Steve Ferrell. “Our goal is to have a revised plan approved by the Game and Fish Commission at their next meeting. This will allow the USFWS to consider a revised Wyoming plan as they move forward with another delisting proposal.”Draft revisions to the plan include language to clarify Wyoming's commitment to maintain at least 15 breeding pairs of wolves and 150 individual wolves in the established Trophy Game Management Area. The draft also addresses actions the commission will take if numbers within Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks and the Rockefeller Parkway drop below eight breeding pairs.Other revisions in the draft include shortening some reporting requirements for those who kill wolves, either through licensed hunting or through livestock depredation actions, further defining “damage to private property” and “chronic wolf depredation,” further restricting the Game and Fish Commission's ability to change the boundaries of the Trophy Game Management Area and restricting lethal take permits to no more than two wolves.The Game and Fish Commission last revised its wolf management plan in November 2007. That plan was subsequently accepted by the USFWS.Wolves were removed from the federal Threatened and Endangered Species List in March 2008, and were subsequently relisted in September 2008, after a federal judge in Montana granted a preliminary injunction against the delisting decision and the USFWS requested a remand of their delisting rule.“We see revising Wyoming's plan to address the judge's concerns as a necessary step toward getting wolves permanently delisted,” Ferrell said. “It's clear that wolves are recovered in the Northern Rocky Mountains and doing well. We have more than five times the number of wolves called for in the original delisting proposal. It's time for them to be delisted and for the states to assume management.”
The Game and Fish Department has released a draft revised version of the gray wolf management plan for public comment.The draft revised plan addresses many of the issues brought up in recent court decisions regarding removal of the Northern Rocky Mountain population of wolves from the federal Threatened and Endangered Species List.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reopened the public comment period on its proposal to delist the wolves.
That public comment period ends Nov. 28.Wyoming's revised plan will be submitted to the USFWS during this comment period as part of Wyoming's comments on the federal delisting proposal.Revisions to Wyoming's wolf plan are consistent with emergency rule changes to G&F regulations.Those emergency rules were signed by Wyoming Game and Fish Commission president Jerry Galles and Gov. Dave Freudenthal Oct. 27 and are in effect for 120 days.G&F is initiating a formal rulemaking process to make those rules permanent.“First of all, these rules do not become effective unless and until the wolf is delisted in Wyoming,” Freudenthal said. “This is an attempt to operate within the current statute and to be responsive to the signals that we are receiving from USFWS and the judge in Montana.”G&F will hold two public meetings to discuss the revised plan and accept public comments.�Cody, 7 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Holiday Inn.�Lander, 7 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Lander Community Center.The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission will review public comments and take action on the revised plan at the commission's next meeting Nov. 17-18 in Jackson.Written public comments on the revised plan will be accepted at the Cody and Lander meetings, by mail or by fax and must be received by 5 p.m. Nov. 10.“We realize this is a tight time frame for public review,” said G&F director Steve Ferrell. “Our goal is to have a revised plan approved by the Game and Fish Commission at their next meeting. This will allow the USFWS to consider a revised Wyoming plan as they move forward with another delisting proposal.”Draft revisions to the plan include language to clarify Wyoming's commitment to maintain at least 15 breeding pairs of wolves and 150 individual wolves in the established Trophy Game Management Area. The draft also addresses actions the commission will take if numbers within Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks and the Rockefeller Parkway drop below eight breeding pairs.Other revisions in the draft include shortening some reporting requirements for those who kill wolves, either through licensed hunting or through livestock depredation actions, further defining “damage to private property” and “chronic wolf depredation,” further restricting the Game and Fish Commission's ability to change the boundaries of the Trophy Game Management Area and restricting lethal take permits to no more than two wolves.The Game and Fish Commission last revised its wolf management plan in November 2007. That plan was subsequently accepted by the USFWS.Wolves were removed from the federal Threatened and Endangered Species List in March 2008, and were subsequently relisted in September 2008, after a federal judge in Montana granted a preliminary injunction against the delisting decision and the USFWS requested a remand of their delisting rule.“We see revising Wyoming's plan to address the judge's concerns as a necessary step toward getting wolves permanently delisted,” Ferrell said. “It's clear that wolves are recovered in the Northern Rocky Mountains and doing well. We have more than five times the number of wolves called for in the original delisting proposal. It's time for them to be delisted and for the states to assume management.”
Yellowstone Winter Use Plan
A new winter use plan for Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks would provide for limited, guided snowmobile and snowcoach travel, including over Sylvan Pass, this winter.The two parks are seeking public comment through Nov. 17 on the proposal, which was released Monday and replaces a previous plan that was rejected by a federal judge in Washington, D.C., in September.The 2008-09 winter season is scheduled to open Dec. 15.
“Neither snowmobiles nor snowcoaches can be allowed in the parks this winter without (adopting) a new plan and new regulation,” Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash said Monday.The preferred alternative would allow up to 318 commercially guided, Best Available Technology (BAT) snowmobiles, and up to 78 snowcoaches per day in Yellowstone.The preferred alternative would also provide for motorized oversnow travel over Sylvan Pass and Yellowstone's East Entrance road, as agreed to this summer by the Sylvan Pass Study Group.Daily snowmobile limits in the new plan are slightly above last winter's average of 294 snowmobiles per day, but well below the 720 per day allowed the past four winters, and lower than the 540 snowmobiles a day that would have been allowed this winter under the plan rejected by the judge.The daily snowcoach limit is the same as allowed during the past four years.“I'm happy the Park Service and Department of the Interior are taking action to keep the park open for this coming winter season,” state Rep. Colin Simpson of Cody said Monday. He serves on the study group that worked to keep the east gate open in winter. The initial NPS decision was to close it for safety and financial reasons.“Regardless of the numbers they're using, something needs to be done to keep (the parks) open,” Simpson added. “They have used a number that was upheld in the 2004 EA, and I'm sure since it's survived judicial scrutiny once, it could do so again.”He added that he is pleased the agencies “are honoring the agreement on Sylvan Pass, which is the right thing to do.”In Grand Teton and the Rockefeller Parkway, grooming and motorized oversnow travel on the Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail between Moran Junction and Flagg Ranch would be discontinued.However, those interested in through travel on the CDST could transport their snowmobiles on trailers between these locations, Nash said.A total of 25 snowmobiles per day would be allowed to travel on the Grassy Lake Road, with no BAT or guiding requirement.In addition, 25 unguided BAT snowmobiles per day also would be allowed on Jackson Lake for ice fishing.The plan would be in effect for up to three winters in Yellowstone.“Park managers believe an approach including both snowmobile and snowcoach access reduces impacts of both to acceptable levels,” Nash said. “This environmental assessment addresses the impact concerns raised by the recent ruling of the U.S. District Court.”The Winter Use Plan's Environmental Assessment (EA) and an electronic form to submit comments can be found at http://parkplanning.nps.gov.Written comments, due by Nov. 17, may be submitted through this Web site.Nash said a proposed rule to implement the preferred alternative in the new plan will be published within a few days in the Federal Register, and also will be open for a 15-day public comment period.Once comments are analyzed, the Park Service will make a decision on the proposed plan, Nash said.If the preferred alternative is selected, the Regional Director of the Intermountain Region of the Park Service will sign a Finding Of No Significant Impact (FONSI) containing details of his decision.A final rule would have to be published in the Federal Register to implement the FONSI and provide for motorized oversnow travel in the parks this winter.The Park Service expects to have a decision on winter use prior by the Dec. 15 start of the winter season.Document requests also may be made by sending an e-mail to yell_winter_use@nps.gov or calling (307) 344-2019.(Carole Cloudwalker can be reached at carole@codyenterprise.com.)
“Neither snowmobiles nor snowcoaches can be allowed in the parks this winter without (adopting) a new plan and new regulation,” Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash said Monday.The preferred alternative would allow up to 318 commercially guided, Best Available Technology (BAT) snowmobiles, and up to 78 snowcoaches per day in Yellowstone.The preferred alternative would also provide for motorized oversnow travel over Sylvan Pass and Yellowstone's East Entrance road, as agreed to this summer by the Sylvan Pass Study Group.Daily snowmobile limits in the new plan are slightly above last winter's average of 294 snowmobiles per day, but well below the 720 per day allowed the past four winters, and lower than the 540 snowmobiles a day that would have been allowed this winter under the plan rejected by the judge.The daily snowcoach limit is the same as allowed during the past four years.“I'm happy the Park Service and Department of the Interior are taking action to keep the park open for this coming winter season,” state Rep. Colin Simpson of Cody said Monday. He serves on the study group that worked to keep the east gate open in winter. The initial NPS decision was to close it for safety and financial reasons.“Regardless of the numbers they're using, something needs to be done to keep (the parks) open,” Simpson added. “They have used a number that was upheld in the 2004 EA, and I'm sure since it's survived judicial scrutiny once, it could do so again.”He added that he is pleased the agencies “are honoring the agreement on Sylvan Pass, which is the right thing to do.”In Grand Teton and the Rockefeller Parkway, grooming and motorized oversnow travel on the Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail between Moran Junction and Flagg Ranch would be discontinued.However, those interested in through travel on the CDST could transport their snowmobiles on trailers between these locations, Nash said.A total of 25 snowmobiles per day would be allowed to travel on the Grassy Lake Road, with no BAT or guiding requirement.In addition, 25 unguided BAT snowmobiles per day also would be allowed on Jackson Lake for ice fishing.The plan would be in effect for up to three winters in Yellowstone.“Park managers believe an approach including both snowmobile and snowcoach access reduces impacts of both to acceptable levels,” Nash said. “This environmental assessment addresses the impact concerns raised by the recent ruling of the U.S. District Court.”The Winter Use Plan's Environmental Assessment (EA) and an electronic form to submit comments can be found at http://parkplanning.nps.gov.Written comments, due by Nov. 17, may be submitted through this Web site.Nash said a proposed rule to implement the preferred alternative in the new plan will be published within a few days in the Federal Register, and also will be open for a 15-day public comment period.Once comments are analyzed, the Park Service will make a decision on the proposed plan, Nash said.If the preferred alternative is selected, the Regional Director of the Intermountain Region of the Park Service will sign a Finding Of No Significant Impact (FONSI) containing details of his decision.A final rule would have to be published in the Federal Register to implement the FONSI and provide for motorized oversnow travel in the parks this winter.The Park Service expects to have a decision on winter use prior by the Dec. 15 start of the winter season.Document requests also may be made by sending an e-mail to yell_winter_use@nps.gov or calling (307) 344-2019.(Carole Cloudwalker can be reached at carole@codyenterprise.com.)
Monday, November 3, 2008
A Note From Katie Lee
Bless her, she made my day. Gives me a little bit more hope, that I am not alone.
Yet some more petroleum producer news
Care of the Casper Star Tribune
By JEFF GEARINO
Southwest Wyoming bureau
Monday, November 3, 2008 2:05 AM MST
ROCK SPRINGS -- Another fight over oil and gas leasing on Little Mountain and in the Red Desert's Jack Morrow Hills area is brewing in southwest Wyoming.
Hunting and fishing conservationists said this week the groups will submit formal protests for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's planned Dec. 2 competitive oil and gas lease sale.
The areas up for lease include some parcels on Little Mountain in southern Sweetwater County and in the Jack Morrow Hills in northern part of the county.
Conservationists said the auction of oil and gas leases will threaten the two areas, which are rich in wildlife, including prime sage grouse habitat, cultural and recreational resources.
Officials with the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance and the Wyoming Wildlife Federation said the leasing of several parcels within the two areas should be put on hold.
"We think this 11th-hour fire sale of our public lands should be put on hold, because the industry already has many times more lease acreage than it can possible drill," said Biodiversity wildlife biologist Erik Molvar.
Several conservation groups formally protested an earlier BLM lease sale Aug. 5, which included some parcels on Little Mountain. But the protests were denied, the sale proceeded and the parcels were leased.
For more than a decade, the Jack Morrow Hills north of Rock Springs have been a key battleground in the oil and gas industry boom enveloping southwest Wyoming -- primarily in the Pinedale Anticline and Jonah oil and gas fields in northern Sweetwater and Sublette counties.
Little Mountain was thrust into the energy fray in December when the Oklahoma-based Devon Energy Co. announced plans to conduct a two-well exploratory drilling project near the mountain.
A popular county recreation area, Little Mountain lies about 40 miles south of Rock Springs, near the Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
The mountain is home to several premier hunting areas for elk and deer, as well as sage grouse, Colorado River cutthroat trout and other wildlife.
A loose coalition of conservationists, faith-based organizations, blue-collar workers and hunters panned the project at the time amidst fears the small wildcat project could lead to full-scale development on the mountain.
Gov. Dave Freudenthal also decried the drilling project and a follow-up proposal by Devon to conduct three-dimensional seismic surveys as part of the project.
Devon officials said during a recent tour of the company's two exploratory well sites that geology and technology will go a long way toward reducing the company's footprint on the mountain.
Company officials said with proper planning and the necessary resources, drilling can be conducted in an environmentally sensitive manner and without significant harm to wildlife.
They noted the area's geology would make any commercial development by Devon a "unique play" that would not require nearly as many wells and well pads as the more intense development to the north in the Jonah Field.
Jack Morrow Hills
The 620,000-acre Jack Morrow Hills have been at the center of the national energy debate in western Wyoming for more than a decade. The area contains stark, unique scenery and spectacular formations such as the Boar's Tusk, Steamboat Mountain, the Killpecker Sand Dunes and the Honeycombs.
The area also has vast resources of natural gas, oil and coal. The hills contain an estimated 315 billion cubic feet of natural gas.
Bruce Pendery, Public Lands Director for the Wyoming Outdoor Council, said in a release it's been more than 10 years since a lease was sold in the Jack Morrow Hills area. He noted during that time, oil and gas development in Wyoming hasn't slowed.
"The Jack Morrow Hills and Little Mountain are too valuable for their wildlife, historical and recreation resources to be opened to development now, when the evidence shows we can have oil and gas without sacrificing areas like these," Pendery said.
He said the two leases in the hills include some prime sage grouse habitat sites that are included in the governor's recently adopted sage grouse conservation strategy.
The deadline for protests is 4 p.m., Nov. 17, according to the BLM's lease sale notice. Once the protests are received, the agency will make a decision to either withdraw the parcels or to proceed with offering the parcels at the sale.
Contact southwest Wyoming bureau reporter Jeff Gearino at (307) 875-5359 or gearino@tribcsp.com
By JEFF GEARINO
Southwest Wyoming bureau
Monday, November 3, 2008 2:05 AM MST
ROCK SPRINGS -- Another fight over oil and gas leasing on Little Mountain and in the Red Desert's Jack Morrow Hills area is brewing in southwest Wyoming.
Hunting and fishing conservationists said this week the groups will submit formal protests for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's planned Dec. 2 competitive oil and gas lease sale.
The areas up for lease include some parcels on Little Mountain in southern Sweetwater County and in the Jack Morrow Hills in northern part of the county.
Conservationists said the auction of oil and gas leases will threaten the two areas, which are rich in wildlife, including prime sage grouse habitat, cultural and recreational resources.
Officials with the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance and the Wyoming Wildlife Federation said the leasing of several parcels within the two areas should be put on hold.
"We think this 11th-hour fire sale of our public lands should be put on hold, because the industry already has many times more lease acreage than it can possible drill," said Biodiversity wildlife biologist Erik Molvar.
Several conservation groups formally protested an earlier BLM lease sale Aug. 5, which included some parcels on Little Mountain. But the protests were denied, the sale proceeded and the parcels were leased.
For more than a decade, the Jack Morrow Hills north of Rock Springs have been a key battleground in the oil and gas industry boom enveloping southwest Wyoming -- primarily in the Pinedale Anticline and Jonah oil and gas fields in northern Sweetwater and Sublette counties.
Little Mountain was thrust into the energy fray in December when the Oklahoma-based Devon Energy Co. announced plans to conduct a two-well exploratory drilling project near the mountain.
A popular county recreation area, Little Mountain lies about 40 miles south of Rock Springs, near the Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
The mountain is home to several premier hunting areas for elk and deer, as well as sage grouse, Colorado River cutthroat trout and other wildlife.
A loose coalition of conservationists, faith-based organizations, blue-collar workers and hunters panned the project at the time amidst fears the small wildcat project could lead to full-scale development on the mountain.
Gov. Dave Freudenthal also decried the drilling project and a follow-up proposal by Devon to conduct three-dimensional seismic surveys as part of the project.
Devon officials said during a recent tour of the company's two exploratory well sites that geology and technology will go a long way toward reducing the company's footprint on the mountain.
Company officials said with proper planning and the necessary resources, drilling can be conducted in an environmentally sensitive manner and without significant harm to wildlife.
They noted the area's geology would make any commercial development by Devon a "unique play" that would not require nearly as many wells and well pads as the more intense development to the north in the Jonah Field.
Jack Morrow Hills
The 620,000-acre Jack Morrow Hills have been at the center of the national energy debate in western Wyoming for more than a decade. The area contains stark, unique scenery and spectacular formations such as the Boar's Tusk, Steamboat Mountain, the Killpecker Sand Dunes and the Honeycombs.
The area also has vast resources of natural gas, oil and coal. The hills contain an estimated 315 billion cubic feet of natural gas.
Bruce Pendery, Public Lands Director for the Wyoming Outdoor Council, said in a release it's been more than 10 years since a lease was sold in the Jack Morrow Hills area. He noted during that time, oil and gas development in Wyoming hasn't slowed.
"The Jack Morrow Hills and Little Mountain are too valuable for their wildlife, historical and recreation resources to be opened to development now, when the evidence shows we can have oil and gas without sacrificing areas like these," Pendery said.
He said the two leases in the hills include some prime sage grouse habitat sites that are included in the governor's recently adopted sage grouse conservation strategy.
The deadline for protests is 4 p.m., Nov. 17, according to the BLM's lease sale notice. Once the protests are received, the agency will make a decision to either withdraw the parcels or to proceed with offering the parcels at the sale.
Contact southwest Wyoming bureau reporter Jeff Gearino at (307) 875-5359 or gearino@tribcsp.com
Sunday, November 2, 2008
News from the Wyoming Water Development Commission
Here it is. Right from the horse's mouth. This is from their Fall 2008 newsletter. The link is http://wwdc.state.wy.us/newsletter/newsletter.html From there, it is the top link in the table, feel free to look at the Adobe version. Nice, nice stuff, with pretty pictures. Assholes.
Upper Green River Basin Storage
Beginning around 1930 and over the decades since, the federal government and the State of Wyoming have financed studies that identified potential dam and reservoir sites in the upper Green River basin. Interest in constructing new reservoirs was and currently is fueled by water shortages that occur in the area.
Currently, the Wyoming Water Development Office’s (WWDO) Dam and Reservoir Program is focusing on storage opportunities in the Green River tributaries west of the mainstem from Warren Bridge to Big Piney, Wyoming. Several Level II studies in this area have been approved since 2005 as part of the Planning Omnibus Water Bill. This focus has evolved from river basin planning that pointed to the need for supplemental irrigation water in the subbasins. These potential reservoirs would also likely have secondary benefits such as environmental and recreational values. A large part of the studies has been aimed at hydrologic analysis, quantifying shortages and identifying potential on-channel and off-channel storage sites. Understanding the basin hydrology is critical for identifying water storage opportunities, and is dependent upon stream flow and diversion measurements, record keeping, and understanding consumptive use for various beneficial uses. Hydrologic models are utilized to simplify the complex interplay between demand, water availability and the environment. However, models are only as good as the quantity and quality of data input and one problem with current efforts is the limited data available. This requires additional data collection and modeling to evaluate potential reservoir sites. Both the State Engineer’s Office (SEO) and the WWDO are undertaking efforts to gather more data. The SEO is working to gain a better understanding of actual consumptive use in the Green River basin and the WWDO will establish stream gage locations in subbasins that appear to have the potential for storage projects.
Additionally, with reservoir projects, comes extensive alternatives analysis and screening criteria, which will be required during any permitting process. Economic analyses are also being conducted to determine the benefits to the state and the project sponsor, as well as the sponsor’s ability to pay. Historically, cost and ability to pay have proven to be a major project detractor.
Due to elevation and climate, crops grown in the Green River basin are limited to forage crops and the revenue is not sufficient to cover a sponsor’s debt and operation and maintenance obligations for a dam and reservoir project. In response, the Wyoming Water Development Commission (WWDC) has provided specific criteria for the Dam and Reservoir Program to aid in making storage projects more affordable to sponsors. The complete Wyoming Water Development Program operating criteria is located on WWDC’s website in PDF format at http://wwdc.state.wy.us/opcrit/final_opcrit.pdf. Furthermore, open houses for the Upper Green River Basin Storage Projects will be held this fall in several locations as outlined in the special points of interest section on this page. The open houses will provide the opportunity, for those interested, to learn more about the new operating criteria and potential projects that have been identified in the basin.
Weather Modification Pilot Program Readies for Season
Program managers, scientists and field technicians conducting the 5-year Weather Modification Pilot Program for the Medicine Bow/Sierra Madre and Wind River Ranges are busy preparing for this year’s operations which commence on November 15, 2008. The winter cloud seeding program, which was approved by the 2005 Wyoming Legislature, aims to increase snowpack and runoff within Wyoming’s Green River, Platte River and Wind River basins and utilizes the latest technology for operations and independent evaluation procedures.
Responsibility for deployment, operations and maintenance of the program rests with Weather Modification, Incorporated (WMI), Fargo, ND, while evaluation of the program is the responsibility of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, CO. The coming operational season builds on a successful 2007-08 campaign which included 26 ground-based seeding events in the Medicine Bow/Sierra Madre Ranges for a total of 258 generator hours seeded (note: 4 generators running simultaneously for 4 hours equals 16 total generator hours), and 26 seeding events in the Wind River Range for a total of 786 generator hours seeded.
NCAR has developed a strict experimental design for the Medicine Bow/Sierra Madre Ranges target area. This design was peer reviewed by experts across the country, with significant input being provided by faculty at the University of Wyoming (UW) Department of Atmospheric Science. Included in the randomized crossover design are 16 ground-based generators (8 per mountain range), a network of high resolution precipitation gages (target and controls), 2 radiometers (devices for identification of liquid water above the peaks), weather balloons, numerous weather stations, and snow chemistry sampling around seeding events as conducted by the Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV.
While operations in the Wind River Range are not randomized, similar seeding criteria must be met before forecasters can call a case, which are not subject to the 4-hour limit. The program for this target area includes 10 ground-based generators, weather stations, a radiometer, snow chemistry sampling, and relies heavily on already deployed climatological monitoring devices for physical evaluation.
Finally, it should be noted that the unique opportunity presented by the state’s weather modification pilot program has spurred “piggy-back” research as conducted by the UW Department. of Atmospheric Science who are utilizing their King Air aircraft, Wyoming Cloud Radar, and lidar to detect the signature of glaciogenic cloud seeding above the Snowy Range in southeastern Wyoming. It is anticipated that these flights will resume February, 2009
News from Water Resources Data System
The Water Resources Data System (WRDS) is pleased to announce that the Wyoming Water Development Office (WWDO) website (http://wwdc.state.wy.us/) and State Water Plan Website (http:// waterplan.state.wy.us/) have undergone major updates.
Upgrades to these extensive websites include improved ease of use, better navigation, and new features. From the WWDO website users can easily navigate through the different planning programs and access information regarding specific projects. Users can also obtain information on WWDO consultants and project application information. Furthermore, access to different agency publications has been streamlined.
State Water Plan website users can now navigate though river basin plans and Basin Advisory Group (BAG) information with greater ease. Previously, the index pages for these were combined, causing some user confusion. Now, river basin plans are separate from BAG agendas, meeting records and reference material. Additionally, the new state water plan site incorporates river basin plans with Wyoming water facts and historical planning documents, along with GIS web mapping products. A new water search engine, and frequently used online planning products, such as the Statewide Framework Water Plan and the Platte Water Atlas, are also included.
In the coming months, WRDS will also be releasing a new version of the State Climate Office website. This revamped website will host links to Wyoming climate, weather, climate change, drought information, data portals, and Wyoming climate news and events. The site will also feature precipitation data from CoCoRahs (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network) as well as climate monitoring maps, graphs and downloadable data compiled by the State Climate Office. The State Climate Office is updating related GIS web mapping tools that allow users to search and view maps and data related to wells, streamflow, precipitation, public water systems, and irrigated lands.
For more information about these products, please contact Steve Gray, WRDS Director (sgray8@uwyo.edu) or Chris Nicholson, WRDS Outreach and Technology Coordinator (cnichol5@uwyo.edu).
What’s Up in the State Engineer’s Office...
Going High Tech for ET
Anyone involved in water resources management understands the importance of accurate evapotranspiration (ET) estimates over large landscapes. ET is one of the most important parameters for conducting water balance studies. In addition, as competition for water continues to increase across water users, the need for high quality ET estimates from irrigated lands increases. Yet, the quantification of ET is typically very imprecise. There are methods to acquire precise ET measurements, but they involve expensive equipment and significant know-how to turn complex data sets into meaningful ET related numbers.
As part of the State Engineer’s Office (SEO) Colorado River Compact Administration Program, there is an ongoing cooperative effort to develop high quality ET estimates in the Green River basin. In addition to the SEO, project cooperators include Dr. Fred Ogden (UW – Civil Engineering), Eli Rodemaker and Dr. Ken Driese (Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center, WyGISC), Dr. Steve Gray (State Climatologist) and Dr. Jan Hendrickx (New Mexico Tech).
The project includes three primary components. First, the WyGISC team and Dr. Hendrickx have been working to calibrate the METRIC™ evapotranspiration model (Allen et al. 2007) to conditions present in the Green River basin of Wyoming. METRIC™ calculates ET using a surface energy balance algorithm applied to satellite imagery containing both short wave and thermal information. METRIC™ is designed to produce high quality and accurate ET maps for regions up to a few hundred kilometers in size.
The second component involves the installation and operation of eddy covariance towers in the basin. Eddy covariance towers utilize a suite of instruments to measure water vapor moving away from the ground surface. Measurements are made at a sampling rate necessary to capture all variations in the data. This effort is being lead by Dr. Ogden. Two towers were installed this past summer. One tower was installed along Duck Creek just west of Pinedale. The site is a sub-irrigated, wet meadow. The second tower was installed north of Cora in a native sagebrush-steppe community. Data collected from the tower sites will be used for two general purposes. The two sites provide information needed to calibrate the METRIC™ evapotranspiration model. Also, the Duck Creek site can be used to develop a highly accurate reference ET data set for use in other applications.
The third and final project component will involve the use of scintillometers. A scintillometer is a type of laser that is shot across an irrigated field just above the height of vegetation to a detector plate. The receiving detector allows measurement of the transfer of heat between vegetation and the air above (called the sensible heat flux), from which ET can be calculated. The scintillometer portion of the project will be lead by Dr. Hendrickx.
The ET measurement project will last from three to five years. The desired results will be very useful and easily applied tools which can be used to provide precise ET estimates from specific land parcels. Such tools are necessary in day to day water resource management in the Green River basin. If these tools can be built around extremely high quality data sets, the confidence in their application and outputs will be much greater and should allow for better water management decisions.
Funding for this project has been provided by the Wyoming Legislature to the Wyoming State Climate Office and the State Engineer’s Office.
Any questions regarding this program should be directed to Steve Wolff, Colorado River Coordinator, Wyoming State Engineer’s Office, swolff@seo.wyo.gov (307) 777-1942.
WWDO - River Basin Planning
River basin planning is a continuing process and the Water Development Office (WWDO) and cooperating agencies are working on a number of studies and projects to gather additional data concerning the basins. Two new studies are being proposed for funding in 2009. A feasibility study for developing a simulation model and decision support system is proposed for the Green River basin and a groundwater study is being proposed for the Platte River basin. Additionally, a review and evaluation of the 2001 Bear River Basin Plan will be completed by an in-house river basin planning team. Status of other river basin planning studies and projects are as follows:
The Green River Basin Plan Update and Groundwater Study is moving along. The WWDO is expecting a draft final groundwater report in October. The groundwater study is being headed by the Wyoming State Geological Service (WSGS). The WSGS is being supported by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Water Resources Data System, University of Wyoming (WRDS). A final product presentation will be held October 23, 6 p.m., at the Western Wyoming Community College auditorium, in Rock Springs. The WSGS team will discuss the aquifers found within the basin, their properties, estimated recharge rates and recharge areas, and recommendations for furthering groundwater work in the basin. The public is encouraged to attend.
The Wind/Bighorn River Basin Plan Update was funded by the 2008 Legislature. This update will ensure that data from the 2003 plan is still current, and will advance the development of several planning tools for the basin’s surface and groundwater resource management. Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH) was hired in May to complete the surface water portion of the update. The groundwater investigations for the update are being completed by the WSGS, the USGS, and WRDS. Project progress will be reported later this year or early in 2009 at a Basin Advisory Group meeting, so stay tuned to the water plan website for meeting dates and times.
Please visit the state water plan website (http:// waterplan.state.wy.us/)
Calendar of Water Events
October 14-17, 2008 - Western States Water Council , Oklahoma City, OK
October 17-18, 2008 - Bear River Commission meeting, Salt Lake City, UT
October 22-23, 2008 - Upper Missouri Water Association meeting, Spearfish, SD
October 23, 2008 - Green River Basin BAG meeting, Rock Springs, WY
October 27-31, 2008 - Interstate Council on Water Policy annual meeting, Sacramento, CA
November 3-7, 2008 - SEO Board of Control meeting, Cheyenne, WY
November 4, 2008 - SEO Water Forum, Cheyenne, WY
November 6-7, 2008 - WWDC meeting, Casper, WY
November 12-14, 2008 - Green River Basin Open Houses, Rock Springs, Kemmerer, Pinedale, WY
December 1-2, 2008 - Missouri River Association of States and Tribes meeting, Rapid City, SD
December 2, 2008 - SEO Water Forum, Cheyenne, WY
December 3-4, 2008 - Yellowstone River Compact Commission meeting, Chico Hot Springs, MT
December 15-17, 2008 - Colorado River Water Users Association meeting , Los Vegas, NV
December 16, 2008 - WWDC meeting, Cheyenne, WY
Upper Green River Basin Storage
Beginning around 1930 and over the decades since, the federal government and the State of Wyoming have financed studies that identified potential dam and reservoir sites in the upper Green River basin. Interest in constructing new reservoirs was and currently is fueled by water shortages that occur in the area.
Currently, the Wyoming Water Development Office’s (WWDO) Dam and Reservoir Program is focusing on storage opportunities in the Green River tributaries west of the mainstem from Warren Bridge to Big Piney, Wyoming. Several Level II studies in this area have been approved since 2005 as part of the Planning Omnibus Water Bill. This focus has evolved from river basin planning that pointed to the need for supplemental irrigation water in the subbasins. These potential reservoirs would also likely have secondary benefits such as environmental and recreational values. A large part of the studies has been aimed at hydrologic analysis, quantifying shortages and identifying potential on-channel and off-channel storage sites. Understanding the basin hydrology is critical for identifying water storage opportunities, and is dependent upon stream flow and diversion measurements, record keeping, and understanding consumptive use for various beneficial uses. Hydrologic models are utilized to simplify the complex interplay between demand, water availability and the environment. However, models are only as good as the quantity and quality of data input and one problem with current efforts is the limited data available. This requires additional data collection and modeling to evaluate potential reservoir sites. Both the State Engineer’s Office (SEO) and the WWDO are undertaking efforts to gather more data. The SEO is working to gain a better understanding of actual consumptive use in the Green River basin and the WWDO will establish stream gage locations in subbasins that appear to have the potential for storage projects.
Additionally, with reservoir projects, comes extensive alternatives analysis and screening criteria, which will be required during any permitting process. Economic analyses are also being conducted to determine the benefits to the state and the project sponsor, as well as the sponsor’s ability to pay. Historically, cost and ability to pay have proven to be a major project detractor.
Due to elevation and climate, crops grown in the Green River basin are limited to forage crops and the revenue is not sufficient to cover a sponsor’s debt and operation and maintenance obligations for a dam and reservoir project. In response, the Wyoming Water Development Commission (WWDC) has provided specific criteria for the Dam and Reservoir Program to aid in making storage projects more affordable to sponsors. The complete Wyoming Water Development Program operating criteria is located on WWDC’s website in PDF format at http://wwdc.state.wy.us/opcrit/final_opcrit.pdf. Furthermore, open houses for the Upper Green River Basin Storage Projects will be held this fall in several locations as outlined in the special points of interest section on this page. The open houses will provide the opportunity, for those interested, to learn more about the new operating criteria and potential projects that have been identified in the basin.
Weather Modification Pilot Program Readies for Season
Program managers, scientists and field technicians conducting the 5-year Weather Modification Pilot Program for the Medicine Bow/Sierra Madre and Wind River Ranges are busy preparing for this year’s operations which commence on November 15, 2008. The winter cloud seeding program, which was approved by the 2005 Wyoming Legislature, aims to increase snowpack and runoff within Wyoming’s Green River, Platte River and Wind River basins and utilizes the latest technology for operations and independent evaluation procedures.
Responsibility for deployment, operations and maintenance of the program rests with Weather Modification, Incorporated (WMI), Fargo, ND, while evaluation of the program is the responsibility of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, CO. The coming operational season builds on a successful 2007-08 campaign which included 26 ground-based seeding events in the Medicine Bow/Sierra Madre Ranges for a total of 258 generator hours seeded (note: 4 generators running simultaneously for 4 hours equals 16 total generator hours), and 26 seeding events in the Wind River Range for a total of 786 generator hours seeded.
NCAR has developed a strict experimental design for the Medicine Bow/Sierra Madre Ranges target area. This design was peer reviewed by experts across the country, with significant input being provided by faculty at the University of Wyoming (UW) Department of Atmospheric Science. Included in the randomized crossover design are 16 ground-based generators (8 per mountain range), a network of high resolution precipitation gages (target and controls), 2 radiometers (devices for identification of liquid water above the peaks), weather balloons, numerous weather stations, and snow chemistry sampling around seeding events as conducted by the Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV.
While operations in the Wind River Range are not randomized, similar seeding criteria must be met before forecasters can call a case, which are not subject to the 4-hour limit. The program for this target area includes 10 ground-based generators, weather stations, a radiometer, snow chemistry sampling, and relies heavily on already deployed climatological monitoring devices for physical evaluation.
Finally, it should be noted that the unique opportunity presented by the state’s weather modification pilot program has spurred “piggy-back” research as conducted by the UW Department. of Atmospheric Science who are utilizing their King Air aircraft, Wyoming Cloud Radar, and lidar to detect the signature of glaciogenic cloud seeding above the Snowy Range in southeastern Wyoming. It is anticipated that these flights will resume February, 2009
News from Water Resources Data System
The Water Resources Data System (WRDS) is pleased to announce that the Wyoming Water Development Office (WWDO) website (http://wwdc.state.wy.us/) and State Water Plan Website (http:// waterplan.state.wy.us/) have undergone major updates.
Upgrades to these extensive websites include improved ease of use, better navigation, and new features. From the WWDO website users can easily navigate through the different planning programs and access information regarding specific projects. Users can also obtain information on WWDO consultants and project application information. Furthermore, access to different agency publications has been streamlined.
State Water Plan website users can now navigate though river basin plans and Basin Advisory Group (BAG) information with greater ease. Previously, the index pages for these were combined, causing some user confusion. Now, river basin plans are separate from BAG agendas, meeting records and reference material. Additionally, the new state water plan site incorporates river basin plans with Wyoming water facts and historical planning documents, along with GIS web mapping products. A new water search engine, and frequently used online planning products, such as the Statewide Framework Water Plan and the Platte Water Atlas, are also included.
In the coming months, WRDS will also be releasing a new version of the State Climate Office website. This revamped website will host links to Wyoming climate, weather, climate change, drought information, data portals, and Wyoming climate news and events. The site will also feature precipitation data from CoCoRahs (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network) as well as climate monitoring maps, graphs and downloadable data compiled by the State Climate Office. The State Climate Office is updating related GIS web mapping tools that allow users to search and view maps and data related to wells, streamflow, precipitation, public water systems, and irrigated lands.
For more information about these products, please contact Steve Gray, WRDS Director (sgray8@uwyo.edu) or Chris Nicholson, WRDS Outreach and Technology Coordinator (cnichol5@uwyo.edu).
What’s Up in the State Engineer’s Office...
Going High Tech for ET
Anyone involved in water resources management understands the importance of accurate evapotranspiration (ET) estimates over large landscapes. ET is one of the most important parameters for conducting water balance studies. In addition, as competition for water continues to increase across water users, the need for high quality ET estimates from irrigated lands increases. Yet, the quantification of ET is typically very imprecise. There are methods to acquire precise ET measurements, but they involve expensive equipment and significant know-how to turn complex data sets into meaningful ET related numbers.
As part of the State Engineer’s Office (SEO) Colorado River Compact Administration Program, there is an ongoing cooperative effort to develop high quality ET estimates in the Green River basin. In addition to the SEO, project cooperators include Dr. Fred Ogden (UW – Civil Engineering), Eli Rodemaker and Dr. Ken Driese (Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center, WyGISC), Dr. Steve Gray (State Climatologist) and Dr. Jan Hendrickx (New Mexico Tech).
The project includes three primary components. First, the WyGISC team and Dr. Hendrickx have been working to calibrate the METRIC™ evapotranspiration model (Allen et al. 2007) to conditions present in the Green River basin of Wyoming. METRIC™ calculates ET using a surface energy balance algorithm applied to satellite imagery containing both short wave and thermal information. METRIC™ is designed to produce high quality and accurate ET maps for regions up to a few hundred kilometers in size.
The second component involves the installation and operation of eddy covariance towers in the basin. Eddy covariance towers utilize a suite of instruments to measure water vapor moving away from the ground surface. Measurements are made at a sampling rate necessary to capture all variations in the data. This effort is being lead by Dr. Ogden. Two towers were installed this past summer. One tower was installed along Duck Creek just west of Pinedale. The site is a sub-irrigated, wet meadow. The second tower was installed north of Cora in a native sagebrush-steppe community. Data collected from the tower sites will be used for two general purposes. The two sites provide information needed to calibrate the METRIC™ evapotranspiration model. Also, the Duck Creek site can be used to develop a highly accurate reference ET data set for use in other applications.
The third and final project component will involve the use of scintillometers. A scintillometer is a type of laser that is shot across an irrigated field just above the height of vegetation to a detector plate. The receiving detector allows measurement of the transfer of heat between vegetation and the air above (called the sensible heat flux), from which ET can be calculated. The scintillometer portion of the project will be lead by Dr. Hendrickx.
The ET measurement project will last from three to five years. The desired results will be very useful and easily applied tools which can be used to provide precise ET estimates from specific land parcels. Such tools are necessary in day to day water resource management in the Green River basin. If these tools can be built around extremely high quality data sets, the confidence in their application and outputs will be much greater and should allow for better water management decisions.
Funding for this project has been provided by the Wyoming Legislature to the Wyoming State Climate Office and the State Engineer’s Office.
Any questions regarding this program should be directed to Steve Wolff, Colorado River Coordinator, Wyoming State Engineer’s Office, swolff@seo.wyo.gov (307) 777-1942.
WWDO - River Basin Planning
River basin planning is a continuing process and the Water Development Office (WWDO) and cooperating agencies are working on a number of studies and projects to gather additional data concerning the basins. Two new studies are being proposed for funding in 2009. A feasibility study for developing a simulation model and decision support system is proposed for the Green River basin and a groundwater study is being proposed for the Platte River basin. Additionally, a review and evaluation of the 2001 Bear River Basin Plan will be completed by an in-house river basin planning team. Status of other river basin planning studies and projects are as follows:
The Green River Basin Plan Update and Groundwater Study is moving along. The WWDO is expecting a draft final groundwater report in October. The groundwater study is being headed by the Wyoming State Geological Service (WSGS). The WSGS is being supported by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Water Resources Data System, University of Wyoming (WRDS). A final product presentation will be held October 23, 6 p.m., at the Western Wyoming Community College auditorium, in Rock Springs. The WSGS team will discuss the aquifers found within the basin, their properties, estimated recharge rates and recharge areas, and recommendations for furthering groundwater work in the basin. The public is encouraged to attend.
The Wind/Bighorn River Basin Plan Update was funded by the 2008 Legislature. This update will ensure that data from the 2003 plan is still current, and will advance the development of several planning tools for the basin’s surface and groundwater resource management. Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH) was hired in May to complete the surface water portion of the update. The groundwater investigations for the update are being completed by the WSGS, the USGS, and WRDS. Project progress will be reported later this year or early in 2009 at a Basin Advisory Group meeting, so stay tuned to the water plan website for meeting dates and times.
Please visit the state water plan website (http:// waterplan.state.wy.us/)
Calendar of Water Events
October 14-17, 2008 - Western States Water Council , Oklahoma City, OK
October 17-18, 2008 - Bear River Commission meeting, Salt Lake City, UT
October 22-23, 2008 - Upper Missouri Water Association meeting, Spearfish, SD
October 23, 2008 - Green River Basin BAG meeting, Rock Springs, WY
October 27-31, 2008 - Interstate Council on Water Policy annual meeting, Sacramento, CA
November 3-7, 2008 - SEO Board of Control meeting, Cheyenne, WY
November 4, 2008 - SEO Water Forum, Cheyenne, WY
November 6-7, 2008 - WWDC meeting, Casper, WY
November 12-14, 2008 - Green River Basin Open Houses, Rock Springs, Kemmerer, Pinedale, WY
December 1-2, 2008 - Missouri River Association of States and Tribes meeting, Rapid City, SD
December 2, 2008 - SEO Water Forum, Cheyenne, WY
December 3-4, 2008 - Yellowstone River Compact Commission meeting, Chico Hot Springs, MT
December 15-17, 2008 - Colorado River Water Users Association meeting , Los Vegas, NV
December 16, 2008 - WWDC meeting, Cheyenne, WY
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