Latest news with #DenverWater
CBS News
11-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
Denver voted best tap water in the U.S. and Canada but conference judges award Virginia community
Denver voted best tap water in U.S. but Virginia county wins over judges Denver voted best tap water in U.S. but Virginia county wins over judges Denver voted best tap water in U.S. but Virginia county wins over judges Attendees of a tap water conference voted Denver has the best tap water in the U.S. and Canada, but judges from the organization disagreed. The American Water Works Association just awarded Henrico, Virginia, the accolade at the annual AWWA Annual Conference and Exposition in Denver. The region near Richmond faced off against cities and communities across the country, including Denver, but ultimately beat Denver, along with other communities' tap water. Three judges tasted samples from 26 water utilities across the U.S. and Canada. Denver scored a first-place spot in the "People's Choice" category -- voted on by all conference attendees -- but failed to place in the top three among the judges in the "Best of the Best" category. "People's Choice": Denver Appleton, Minnesota Bloomington, Minnesota Taylor Wilson, left, of Denver Water, accepts the "People's Choice" award on behalf of the city for best tap water in the U.S. and Canada at the American Water Works Association's 2025 conference in Denver on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. CBS While perhaps a product of the attendees having had a lot of Denver's water throughout the four-day conference, Denver and Colorado rarely rank particularly high in lists of best-tasting or cleanest tap water. U.S. News and World Report recently ranked Colorado as 33rd for drinking water quality among U.S. states and Colorado failed to rank in the top 10 for large metro areas in the U.S. in a recent J.D. Power U.S. Water Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study. Denver did, however, rank 9th in its 2025 study in the "West-Large" regional category and in its "West-Midsize" regional category, Colorado Springs Utilities ranked 6th and Aurora Water ranked 10th. American Water Works Association judges taste tap water from utilities around the U.S. and Canada at the organization's 2025 conference in Denver on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. CBS The "Best of the Best" winners at the AWWA conference were: Henrico, Virginia Taylorsville Bennion Improvement District, Utah Ames, Iowa The conference wraps up on Wednesday and includes a number of competitions, including a "meter challenge," pipe tapping competition, and more. The finals for each of those competitions are on Wednesday.
E&E News
05-06-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Interior needs to step up in Colorado River talks, critics say
BOULDER, Colorado — Negotiations over a new operating plan for the Colorado River are being hobbled by the federal government's failure to take a more aggressive role in the discussions, said current and former state and federal officials Thursday. The critiques came from a cadre of former water managers who took part in previous deals on the waterway under both Democratic and Republican administrations, speaking during the annual 45th Annual Colorado Law Conference on Natural Resources at the University of Colorado. 'The current process kind of feels like the conclave,' said Jim Lochhead, the former CEO of Denver Water and former executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, referring to the process of electing a new Catholic pope. 'We're waiting for the black smoke or the white smoke to come out of the seven-state negotiating meeting.' Advertisement Reflecting on negotiations to strike an earlier agreement over the waterway in 2007, Lochhead said: 'It was clear the states were not the decision-makers.'
CBS News
31-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Judge allows for completion of Denver Water's controversial Gross Dam construction
The massive enlargement of the Gross Dam in Colorado is back on. A federal judge has pulled back her previous injunction, stating in her decision, "Petitioners have not shown that they would be irreparably harmed if the Gross Dam construction were to be completed." Gross Reservoir CBS It means the completion of the dam is back on, after objections to a prior move by the judge filed by Denver Water, which operates the reservoir and sought the expansion in a process that dates back to 2002. Denver Water has said it needs additional capacity in its northern water system as it faces concerns about climate change and fires that could contaminate supplies. In a ruling out late Thursday, Federal District Court Judge Christine Arguello stated, "A permanent injunction prohibiting further construction of the Gross Dam is not merited due to safety concerns." The petitioners have been a consortium of environmental groups and neighbors of the project in southern Boulder County who filed a lawsuit in 2018 against Denver Water and the Army Corps of Engineers which approved the project, as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Their primary objections were to drawing water from the headwaters of the Colorado River on other side of the Continental Divide through the Moffat Water Tunnel, clearing the trees as part of the project to enlarge the reservoir, and effects on wildlife, including elk habitat. Arguello put the completion of the dam, which will be raised by 131 feet to accommodate enlarging capacity of the reservoir by nearly threefold, on hold back in April, then allowed some work to continue. In October Arguello had found the Army Corps of Engineers violated The National Environmental Policy Act as well as the Clean Water Act when it approved permits for the reservoir expansion. And she backed many of the opponents claims. The water to fill the expanded reservoir capacity would be moved from the headwaters of the Colorado River on the opposite side of the Continental Divide via the Moffat Tunnel. Denver Water has maintained that will only draw during periods when the tributaries are flowing well. In Thursday's ruling, Arguello found another kind of potential environmental injury -- in stoppage of the project. "There is a risk of environmental injury and loss of human life if dam construction is halted for another two years while Denver Water redesigns the structure of the dam and gets that re-design approved," she wrote. Gross Reservoir CBS In a statement, Denver Water wrote that it looks forward to finishing the project it called critical. "This added storage is of enormous importance to the 1.5 million people we serve, as well to our West Slope partners who support the environmental benefits to streams and fish habitat associated with the expansion. Denver Water will continue to work through the appellate court to resolve remaining issues and ensure this long-awaited project reaches completion." Those remaining issues also came out in the judge's order Thursday. It's not clear sailing yet for the reservoir expansion. The judge said the Army Corps of Engineers has to re-write environmental permits before the expanded reservoir can be filled to its new capacity.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Experts deploy 'Trojan' strategy to save rare species from extinction: 'We're excited'
A rare trout species native to Colorado is making a comeback with a surprising strategy called "Trojan trout." According to Denver Water, efforts to restore the green lineage cutthroat trout — a rare subspecies of Colorado River cutthroat — are showing signs of success. These fish have been in decline since the mid-1800s because of human activities like mining and logging. Invasive brook trout were also outcompeting native cutthroats. At one point, there were fewer than 40 of them counted in streams. But a collaborative project between the water company, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and the U.S. Forest Service has more than tripled those numbers. Recent counts show more than 1,400 cutthroats in the creeks, thanks to years of electrofishing (a method that stuns and removes the invasive fish) and dam upgrades designed to block brook trout from swimming upstream. A new method being tried for the first time in Colorado is also helping — introducing "Trojan trout," or fish that only produce male offspring. Over time, biologists say this technique could naturally eliminate brook trout without harming other species. Restoring native fish like the cutthroat trout helps protect the balance of entire ecosystems. Unlike the invasive brook trout, the native green lineage cutthroat trout evolved with and has an important role in the local ecosystem. Losing them could throw the food chain out of balance, impacting other species, water quality, and local communities — all because nature is a web of interconnectivity. The project also shows how human-made problems can be solved through collaborative, innovative efforts. In Colorado, conservationists will continue to restore the native cutthroats with electrofishing, releasing "Trojan trout," and monitoring the population. On a broader scale, governments, conservation groups, and the public are working together to restore threatened species like bison, seabirds near Madagascar, and Australia's Gilbert's potoroo, a marsupial that was thought to be extinct. Individuals can help by educating themselves about critical climate issues, supporting clean water policies, and following Leave No Trace principles when enjoying the great outdoors. "We're excited to be able to help out with this effort to protect the cutthroat trout," said Jason Marks, an environmental planner at Denver Water. "This project is a great example of how multiple agencies can work together and we're all looking forward to more projects down the road." Should the government be able to control how we heat our homes? Definitely Only if it saves money I'm not sure No way Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
CBS News
10-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Denver Water to seek emergency appeal of judge's ruling on Gross Reservoir expansion in Colorado
Denver Water says it is seeking an emergency appeal to the 10th Circuit in Denver after a judge paused work on the half-billion dollar expansion of Gross Reservoir in southwest Boulder County. That work has now resumed under a temporary stay of two weeks and Denver Water says it is bringing workers back but worries about losing employees. "Our main concern is to bring our workforce back, be on the ready. Be ready to take care of the dam safety issues we have by quickly raising this dam," said Denver Water's program manager of the Gross Reservoir expansion project, Jeff Martin. Denver Water has been working on enlarging the dam since 2022 to nearly triple the reservoir's capacity. Crews were about to start the Spring construction season when Federal District Court Judge Christine Arguello issued a permanent injunction prohibiting the enlargement of the reservoir in her October decision on a lawsuit filed by some neighbors of the project and several environmental groups. "We're looking at every way to make sure that we can keep pushing the completion of Gross Reservoir expansion forward and make sure that we can supply a reliable water supply for Denver," said Martin about remedies that could include requesting help from the Trump Administration. Planning for the reservoir expansion began in 2002. Martin said they had met all requirements of permitting at local, state, and federal levels before starting construction, meeting requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. "All of the environmental impacts were analyzed in the NEPA process," said Martin. However, in October, Judge Arguello found that the Army Corps of Engineers violated NEPA and the Clean Water Act when permits for reservoir expansion were approved. And she backed many of the opponents' claims. "Among other things, the permitting process requires the applicant to consider the least environmentally damaging practical alternative," said neighbor Scott Engle, a member of an opposition organization that calls itself The Environmental Group. "There were other alternatives available that would cost the ratepayer a lot less money," said Engle. Opponents favored a pipeline from Denver Water's southern water system and opposed drawing water from the headwaters of the Colorado River on the opposite side of the Continental Divide. The water is to be moved via the Moffat Tunnel to the Gross Reservoir, but Denver Water has maintained that it will only draw during periods when the tributaries are flowing well. On Wednesday, Martin told journalists who visited the Gross Dam after an invite from Denver Water that the project will help Denver Water create a better supply and reserve in its Northern system. The project, he said, was to prevent shortages. "We want to be able to solve the issue and weather a drought. We want to be able to weather the next catastrophic event. The next climate uncertainty. We want to make sure we have water for a growing Denver area." But, opponents have noted that per capita water use has been falling and believe Denver Water should opt for more conservation. The two-week stay meant some workers were on the job Wednesday. However, the pouring of additional concrete has not happened yet with the project's future in question. "Right now, the best way we can take care of our workforce is by giving them a job," said Martin. "We're getting absolute ready so we can place concrete and start raising the dam," he said about hopes for a successful appeal.
