230 old mines have contaminated 1,645 miles of rivers and streams in Colorado. Te spill has prompted tribes, local


governments and environmentalists to demand a refined role for the federal government’s oversight of mines. A 74- page petition submitted Aug. 25 to the Department of the Interior and Depart- ment of Agriculture outlines proposed changes to federal regulations to help prevent future spill disasters. “Te Hualapai Tribe supports the petition to make long overdue changes to the mining regulations,” according to a statement by Hualapai Nation Chair Sherry Counts. “Indian tribes have al- ways viewed themselves as stewards with an obligation to take care of the earth that has provided for them. Te Animas disaster only accentuates the urgency for federal agencies and the mining industry


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which the urban sector can improve, according to Colorado River Research Group paper. “We suspect that the modest savings


projection – just like previous munici- pal and industrial demand estimates in the Basin – is heavily influenced by the risk-aversive nature of water providers who understand it’s much safer for them to over-estimate (than under-estimate) demand,” the paper said. “It also, in part, reflects a senti- ment that the municipal and industrial sector is already pulling its weight, and that further savings should also come from agriculture. Regardless, there’s no shortage of options for maintaining and building upon past progress, and a goal of meeting all future munici- pal and industrial demands through conservation, while impractical in some areas, seems like a reasonable regional objective.” Hasencamp said “the consequences of having too much water pale in compari- son to those of having too little water, so


Water monitoring on the Animas River near Durango, CO on Aug. 14, 2015.


to do a much better job of protecting our precious land, air, and water.”


Te petition seeks to limit the lifetime of a mine permit, impose enforceable reclamation deadlines and groundwater monitoring requirements on mines, require regular monitoring and inspec-


tions and limit the number of years that a mine can remain inactive. An Interior spokeswoman said the


department “is aware of the petition.” • – Gary Pitzer


it makes sense to be conservative when planning for the future.” Achieving net reductions in agricul- tural consumption so that some water can go to the urban use and the environ- ment is the next step, according to “Te Case for Conservation.” “Tis is a very different challenge, in that it raises some difficult legal and administrative issues about ownership and control of ‘saved’ water, as well as troubling political, economic and social concerns about potential impacts to agriculture and rural communities,” the paper said. “Te hesitancy of the agricultural sector to talk about water transfers is appreciated, but like it or not, the vastly higher economic values of water in municipal and industrial versus agricultural uses, combined with the increasingly fragile regional water bud- get, ensure that – absent any deliberate intervention – some water will almost certainly move from farms to cities; to suggest otherwise is unrealistic and counter-productive.” Te Family Farm Alliance acknowl- edged that some water “will inevitably


move from agricultural use” to meet the imbalance. “Tis is regrettable, since numerous studies and forecasts suggest that we will need to double our food and fiber output in the next 40 years to keep up with global hunger,” its paper said. “Ag- riculture is also a strong foundation for many rural communities in the Western U.S. and is vital to the economic, social and environmental health of those com- munities. Our members share a desire to keep water in its place of use in the rural West, to the maximum extent practi- cable to ensure long-term agricultural sustainability.” Cullom said there are opportunities


to be creative and expand storage in Lake Mead through methods such as fal- lowing and urban conservation though getting through the details takes work. “Because it’s the Colorado River,


it’s always complex,” he said. “Fortu- nately in the pilot system conservation agreement we are testing some of those issues right now and making significant progress in developing new conservation programs.” •


Summer 2015 • River Report • Colorado River Project • 11


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