Showing posts with label Dam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dam. Show all posts
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!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Some old news, again, from the Casper Star
GREEN RIVER -- The Green River Basin in western Wyoming is one of the few areas left in Wyoming that has water to develop and land needed to build dams and reservoirs.
Water officials believe more storage is needed, particularly for irrigators in the basin and for towns and communities including Pinedale, Big Piney and Boulder that are growing due to the natural gas boom.
The state has been searching for decades, however, for just the right spot to build a dam across the Upper Green River.
One site often mentioned sits between the Warren and Kendall bridges in Sublette County north of Pinedale, about 60 miles south of Jackson, according to Wyoming Water Development Commission officials.
The WWDC presented a report to the Legislature's Select Water Committee in September that looked at the pros and cons of building what is known as the Kendall dam.
The commission will decide whether to hold a public hearing on that report when the WWDC meets during a workshop in Casper on Wednesday. The meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department regional office.
WWDC Director Mike Purcell stressed on Monday that no decision on the construction of any dam has been made. He said the decision on whether to hold the public hearing will be made at the commission's discretion.
Purcell said there have been two reservoir sites identified upstream of Warren Bridge where the river crosses U.S. Highway 191 and below the Green River Lakes. He said the state evaluated the sites during initial studies back in the 1970s.
"We have some commissioners who are interested in those sites," Purcell said.
"So the purpose of our workshop discussion is to find out how much interest there is among the commission and if there is (sufficient interest), then we should schedule some public hearings in the area to see what other people think," he said. "We are looking throughout the basin to see if we can develop a portfolio of reservoir projects that we are comfortable with and think that could be constructed."
Past reports have shown that damming the river could provide irrigation water for about 71,000 acres and provide much-needed water during times of drought.
But the most recent WWDC report said it would take lots of time, money and a hard-to-get federal construction permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete the Kendall dam and reservoir project. "It explains the hurdles that would have to be overcome to pursue the project," Purcell said.
Cost projections have run as high as $250 million to $400 million for the project. "Let's just say (these projects) are expensive," Purcell said.
One site of several
In 2005, commission members and members of the Legislature's Select Water Committee toured the Upper Green River Basin as part of the hunt for possible dam sites. The state has identified three lower basin sites -- Sand Hill, McNish Wash and Church reservoir -- that have the most potential for a dam and reservoir.
But the agency is also considering several other sites higher up -- such as the Kendall and Warren bridges sites -- in the basin in the foothills of the western slope of the Wind River Mountains.
"We are basically in the process of evaluating the feasibility of some smaller reservoirs on the tributaries of the Green River. This particular project would be on the main stem of the Green River, however," he said. "We're in the process of developing a plan that's acceptable to the commission and the public ... and this would be one component of that."
Wyoming has rights to water in the Green River, but has not exercised them.
The state generates about 18 million acre feet of surface water each year. An acre foot is the amount of water needed to cover one acre of land one foot deep, or about 325,851 gallons.
Under various interstate river compacts and court decrees, Wyoming is entitled to consume about 4 million of those acre feet. Right now, the state uses about 2.8 million, leaving some 1.2 million acre feet of water available in areas such as the Upper Green River Basin.
Southwest Wyoming bureau reporter Jeff Gearino can be reached at 307-875-5359 or at gearino@tribcsp.com.
Water officials believe more storage is needed, particularly for irrigators in the basin and for towns and communities including Pinedale, Big Piney and Boulder that are growing due to the natural gas boom.
The state has been searching for decades, however, for just the right spot to build a dam across the Upper Green River.
One site often mentioned sits between the Warren and Kendall bridges in Sublette County north of Pinedale, about 60 miles south of Jackson, according to Wyoming Water Development Commission officials.
The WWDC presented a report to the Legislature's Select Water Committee in September that looked at the pros and cons of building what is known as the Kendall dam.
The commission will decide whether to hold a public hearing on that report when the WWDC meets during a workshop in Casper on Wednesday. The meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department regional office.
WWDC Director Mike Purcell stressed on Monday that no decision on the construction of any dam has been made. He said the decision on whether to hold the public hearing will be made at the commission's discretion.
Purcell said there have been two reservoir sites identified upstream of Warren Bridge where the river crosses U.S. Highway 191 and below the Green River Lakes. He said the state evaluated the sites during initial studies back in the 1970s.
"We have some commissioners who are interested in those sites," Purcell said.
"So the purpose of our workshop discussion is to find out how much interest there is among the commission and if there is (sufficient interest), then we should schedule some public hearings in the area to see what other people think," he said. "We are looking throughout the basin to see if we can develop a portfolio of reservoir projects that we are comfortable with and think that could be constructed."
Past reports have shown that damming the river could provide irrigation water for about 71,000 acres and provide much-needed water during times of drought.
But the most recent WWDC report said it would take lots of time, money and a hard-to-get federal construction permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete the Kendall dam and reservoir project. "It explains the hurdles that would have to be overcome to pursue the project," Purcell said.
Cost projections have run as high as $250 million to $400 million for the project. "Let's just say (these projects) are expensive," Purcell said.
One site of several
In 2005, commission members and members of the Legislature's Select Water Committee toured the Upper Green River Basin as part of the hunt for possible dam sites. The state has identified three lower basin sites -- Sand Hill, McNish Wash and Church reservoir -- that have the most potential for a dam and reservoir.
But the agency is also considering several other sites higher up -- such as the Kendall and Warren bridges sites -- in the basin in the foothills of the western slope of the Wind River Mountains.
"We are basically in the process of evaluating the feasibility of some smaller reservoirs on the tributaries of the Green River. This particular project would be on the main stem of the Green River, however," he said. "We're in the process of developing a plan that's acceptable to the commission and the public ... and this would be one component of that."
Wyoming has rights to water in the Green River, but has not exercised them.
The state generates about 18 million acre feet of surface water each year. An acre foot is the amount of water needed to cover one acre of land one foot deep, or about 325,851 gallons.
Under various interstate river compacts and court decrees, Wyoming is entitled to consume about 4 million of those acre feet. Right now, the state uses about 2.8 million, leaving some 1.2 million acre feet of water available in areas such as the Upper Green River Basin.
Southwest Wyoming bureau reporter Jeff Gearino can be reached at 307-875-5359 or at gearino@tribcsp.com.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Green River... Older News Post, But Good Info
From Jackson Hole News:
Board mulls hearing on Upper Green dam
Water commission not convinced reservoir idea would fly, but may consider public views
Noah Brenner
December 26, 2007
The Wyoming Water Development Commission will meet Jan. 8 in Casper
to consider whether to hold a public hearing on a plan to build a dam
across the Upper Green River.
The idea of damming the Green River between Warren Bridge, where it
crosses Highway 191, and Green River lakes on the edge of the Bridger
Wilderness has been studied over the last 50 years.
The dam would be in Sublette County about 60 miles south of Jackson.
In September, the commission released a study that found a mainstem
dam on the Upper Green River would be prohibitively expensive, would
hurt instream flow and wetlands and would likely never receive a
federal construction permit.
That report was presented to the Wyoming Legislature's Select Water
Committee at a workshop meeting in August, and now the Water
Development Commission will decide whether to present the study to
the public at a formal meeting.
Wyoming Water Development Commission Director Mike Purcell said the
possibility of a public meeting does not mean the state is
considering moving ahead with a dam project.
"It is very premature to assume one darn thing is going to happen,"
Purcell said.
With the conclusions drawn in the state report, the idea would seem
to be dead, but Purcell said Dan Budd, a water development
commissioner who represents Sublette County, continues to push the
idea.
"I suggested that before we invest one more dime we ought to see what
the public thinks about it," Purcell said.
In theory, it only takes one "fatal flaw" to kill a reclamation
project. The two reservoir sites considered in the report have
numerous fatal flaws, according to analysis by water development
commission staff.
Condensed to 18 pages, the report details the costs and benefits of
two sites, the Upper and Lower Kendall Reservoir sites between
Kendall Bridge and Warren Bridge on the Green. Both dams would
require miles of canals and tunnels to bring the water to ranchers.
"It is doubtful, however, that the number of benefits or
beneficiaries would be sufficient to justify the expense for
constructing the project," the report states.
Besides the imbalance in the cost-benefit analysis, the report notes
that the state holds an instream flow permit on almost 10 miles of
the river to protect the fishery, most of which would be inundated by
the dam.
Since the middle of last century, the state of Wyoming has been
studying the feasibility of constructing a dam to impound the Green
River somewhere between Warren Bridge and Kendall Bridge or even
higher upstream at Green River Lakes. Repeatedly analysts and
consultants have told the state that the project is not permit-able
because there are no justifiable water shortages in the immediate
area and it could be environmentally damaging.
The area is prized for its recreation, wildlife and scenery, and is
popular with Teton County residents and anglers who find the river
less crowded than some public lands in Jackson Hole.
Wyoming has rights to water in the Green River but has not exercised
those rights fully. Some officials are wary of allowing the water to
flow out of state unused, even though the Colorado River Compact
protects Wyoming's ownership.
The reach of the river in question is eligible for protection under
the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and the Pinedale Field Office of the
federal Bureau of Land Management and Bridger-Teton National Forest
have managed it for wild and scenic values. But the Pinedale Resource
Management Plan, which governs land use throughout the Pinedale Field
Office, is being revised.
The Upper Green River Joint Powers Board, with the help of the water
development commission continues to look at dam sites along the
Wyoming Range front that are "off-channel," meaning they would not
impound streams that flow year-round or on smaller tributaries.
The commission meets at 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 8 at the Wyoming Game and
Fish offices in Casper. The building is at 3030 Energy Lane, and the
meeting will be in Suite 100.
Board mulls hearing on Upper Green dam
Water commission not convinced reservoir idea would fly, but may consider public views
Noah Brenner
December 26, 2007
The Wyoming Water Development Commission will meet Jan. 8 in Casper
to consider whether to hold a public hearing on a plan to build a dam
across the Upper Green River.
The idea of damming the Green River between Warren Bridge, where it
crosses Highway 191, and Green River lakes on the edge of the Bridger
Wilderness has been studied over the last 50 years.
The dam would be in Sublette County about 60 miles south of Jackson.
In September, the commission released a study that found a mainstem
dam on the Upper Green River would be prohibitively expensive, would
hurt instream flow and wetlands and would likely never receive a
federal construction permit.
That report was presented to the Wyoming Legislature's Select Water
Committee at a workshop meeting in August, and now the Water
Development Commission will decide whether to present the study to
the public at a formal meeting.
Wyoming Water Development Commission Director Mike Purcell said the
possibility of a public meeting does not mean the state is
considering moving ahead with a dam project.
"It is very premature to assume one darn thing is going to happen,"
Purcell said.
With the conclusions drawn in the state report, the idea would seem
to be dead, but Purcell said Dan Budd, a water development
commissioner who represents Sublette County, continues to push the
idea.
"I suggested that before we invest one more dime we ought to see what
the public thinks about it," Purcell said.
In theory, it only takes one "fatal flaw" to kill a reclamation
project. The two reservoir sites considered in the report have
numerous fatal flaws, according to analysis by water development
commission staff.
Condensed to 18 pages, the report details the costs and benefits of
two sites, the Upper and Lower Kendall Reservoir sites between
Kendall Bridge and Warren Bridge on the Green. Both dams would
require miles of canals and tunnels to bring the water to ranchers.
"It is doubtful, however, that the number of benefits or
beneficiaries would be sufficient to justify the expense for
constructing the project," the report states.
Besides the imbalance in the cost-benefit analysis, the report notes
that the state holds an instream flow permit on almost 10 miles of
the river to protect the fishery, most of which would be inundated by
the dam.
Since the middle of last century, the state of Wyoming has been
studying the feasibility of constructing a dam to impound the Green
River somewhere between Warren Bridge and Kendall Bridge or even
higher upstream at Green River Lakes. Repeatedly analysts and
consultants have told the state that the project is not permit-able
because there are no justifiable water shortages in the immediate
area and it could be environmentally damaging.
The area is prized for its recreation, wildlife and scenery, and is
popular with Teton County residents and anglers who find the river
less crowded than some public lands in Jackson Hole.
Wyoming has rights to water in the Green River but has not exercised
those rights fully. Some officials are wary of allowing the water to
flow out of state unused, even though the Colorado River Compact
protects Wyoming's ownership.
The reach of the river in question is eligible for protection under
the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and the Pinedale Field Office of the
federal Bureau of Land Management and Bridger-Teton National Forest
have managed it for wild and scenic values. But the Pinedale Resource
Management Plan, which governs land use throughout the Pinedale Field
Office, is being revised.
The Upper Green River Joint Powers Board, with the help of the water
development commission continues to look at dam sites along the
Wyoming Range front that are "off-channel," meaning they would not
impound streams that flow year-round or on smaller tributaries.
The commission meets at 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 8 at the Wyoming Game and
Fish offices in Casper. The building is at 3030 Energy Lane, and the
meeting will be in Suite 100.
So It Begins... All Over Again....
(Media-Newswire.com) - Oct. 24, 2008 -- A major conference early next month, sponsored by the Stroock Forum at the University of Wyoming, will focus on managing water in the Upper Green River in Pinedale.
The 2008 Stroock Forum, "Water Management on the Upper Green River," will be at the Rendezvous Pointe Senior Center, located at 425 E. Magnolia in Pinedale, from 1-5 p.m. Friday Nov. 14, and from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15. The event is free and open to the public.
To register for the conference, visit the Web site at www.uwyo.edu/STROOCKFORUM/ or call the office of the Stroock Professor at ( 307 ) 766-2571.
The conference will feature experts discussing topics ranging from climate change to groundwater quality to thirsty downstream states, and how these topics affect the Upper Green River basin and the people who live there.
The UW conference is sponsored by UW's Stroock Forum on Wyoming Lands and People, founded by Tom Stroock of Casper. He is a former Wyoming legislative leader and former ambassador to Guatemala under President George Herbert Walker Bush.
Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal will give an introductory talk on the enduring significance of watershed management issues in the basin. The public will have an opportunity to discuss management options with each other and with the conference's experts.
Wyoming's state climatologist, state geologist and state engineer will be among the speakers addressing issues such as climate change, energy development, water rights and water values.
Steve Gray, the state climatologist, will discuss climate change and its potential impacts on water management. Ron Surdam, state geologist, will discuss the continued pressures of energy development area residents can expect and then the quantity and quality of groundwater in the area. KJ Reddy, UW School of Energy Resources associate director for academics, will present specific problems of energy development and groundwater.
He will be followed by a discussion of changes in the glaciers feeding the surface water supply of the Green River, featuring Charles Love, Western Wyoming Community College geology professor.
Mike Purcell, Wyoming Water Development Commission ( WWDC ) director, closes the first day session presenting issues that surround new water storage.
Wyoming State Engineer Pat Tyrrell opens the Saturday session talking about Colorado River challenges that affect the Green River Basin. An economist who has studied the values of water as it is now managed on the Upper Green River, Ernie Niemi of ECONorthwest in Oregon, will then discuss his research work and the issues raised by those findings.
Two panels will close the event. One panel will discuss the needs and pressures experienced by a variety of Green River users, and the other on-ground water management initiatives and its potential.
Another Pinedale event, scheduled in coordination with the conference, will let residents review and give their opinions on studies the WWDC has done on a variety of water storage possibilities in the Green River Basin.
The WWDC will host an open house at 5 p.m., also at Rendezvous Pointe, Friday, Nov. 14, for the public to learn about studies the commission has funded regarding potential dam and storage sites in the Green River Basin.
The water development studies reviewed at the agency open house will include a look at not only a proposal for a dam on the main stem of the Green River near the Warren Bridge ( which drew considerable public attention last winter ), but also a number of other proposals for smaller storage facilities located along tributaries.
The WWDC will host similar open houses with introductory talks at other locations in the Green River Basin earlier in the week. Meetings are scheduled at Western Wyoming College in Rock Springs at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12; and at Kemmerer's public library, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13.
I will write a little bit more about this later on, it was just too important to delay any longer.
The 2008 Stroock Forum, "Water Management on the Upper Green River," will be at the Rendezvous Pointe Senior Center, located at 425 E. Magnolia in Pinedale, from 1-5 p.m. Friday Nov. 14, and from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15. The event is free and open to the public.
To register for the conference, visit the Web site at www.uwyo.edu/STROOCKFORUM/ or call the office of the Stroock Professor at ( 307 ) 766-2571.
The conference will feature experts discussing topics ranging from climate change to groundwater quality to thirsty downstream states, and how these topics affect the Upper Green River basin and the people who live there.
The UW conference is sponsored by UW's Stroock Forum on Wyoming Lands and People, founded by Tom Stroock of Casper. He is a former Wyoming legislative leader and former ambassador to Guatemala under President George Herbert Walker Bush.
Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal will give an introductory talk on the enduring significance of watershed management issues in the basin. The public will have an opportunity to discuss management options with each other and with the conference's experts.
Wyoming's state climatologist, state geologist and state engineer will be among the speakers addressing issues such as climate change, energy development, water rights and water values.
Steve Gray, the state climatologist, will discuss climate change and its potential impacts on water management. Ron Surdam, state geologist, will discuss the continued pressures of energy development area residents can expect and then the quantity and quality of groundwater in the area. KJ Reddy, UW School of Energy Resources associate director for academics, will present specific problems of energy development and groundwater.
He will be followed by a discussion of changes in the glaciers feeding the surface water supply of the Green River, featuring Charles Love, Western Wyoming Community College geology professor.
Mike Purcell, Wyoming Water Development Commission ( WWDC ) director, closes the first day session presenting issues that surround new water storage.
Wyoming State Engineer Pat Tyrrell opens the Saturday session talking about Colorado River challenges that affect the Green River Basin. An economist who has studied the values of water as it is now managed on the Upper Green River, Ernie Niemi of ECONorthwest in Oregon, will then discuss his research work and the issues raised by those findings.
Two panels will close the event. One panel will discuss the needs and pressures experienced by a variety of Green River users, and the other on-ground water management initiatives and its potential.
Another Pinedale event, scheduled in coordination with the conference, will let residents review and give their opinions on studies the WWDC has done on a variety of water storage possibilities in the Green River Basin.
The WWDC will host an open house at 5 p.m., also at Rendezvous Pointe, Friday, Nov. 14, for the public to learn about studies the commission has funded regarding potential dam and storage sites in the Green River Basin.
The water development studies reviewed at the agency open house will include a look at not only a proposal for a dam on the main stem of the Green River near the Warren Bridge ( which drew considerable public attention last winter ), but also a number of other proposals for smaller storage facilities located along tributaries.
The WWDC will host similar open houses with introductory talks at other locations in the Green River Basin earlier in the week. Meetings are scheduled at Western Wyoming College in Rock Springs at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12; and at Kemmerer's public library, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13.
I will write a little bit more about this later on, it was just too important to delay any longer.
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