Diversions, letter to the editor

So, the Front Range is scaremongering again. Let us suck the water out of  the high country rivers or you will drown in a flood… like Sodom and Gomorrah… oh wait that was brimstone and fire…  it's so difficult to keep track of disastertopia. 

Sure diversions are something we've done a lot so why not just keep doing what we have been doing all along. 

I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

"Dewatering" will not protect you from floods. In fact it will likely increase the severity and devastation. Here's the way it works- you diminish stream flow which deprives the stream banks of water. 

Riparian power point- "Why are they important?"

The riparian areas on the stream bank die of thirst. You're left with rocky stream banks and the water runs more swiftly and cuts deeper and deeper until you have a rocky channel or a desert wash. 

 This is a vicious circle- the stream gets rockier and deeper the banks disappear the "micro burst" events become tidal waves. The way to stop this isn't dams or "dewatering" it's rehabilitation of the stream bed and it's banks. Think of each riparian area along the river as a sponge. 

Think of each bend in the river as it's own little "S" curve slowing  the flow and creating one  emergency overflow pond after another.  

You want to really create some flood protection? Stop shooting beavers, 

put the water into the soil, let it flow to the sea,  (Delta Dawn thank you Peter McBride) support the natural systems which work just fine as long as we don't' try and "improve" them and tell the Front Range to vote *yes* on those rain barrels so that the rain they're wasting down the storm drain can feed their precious front lawns.

I wish that the City of Aspen and Pitkin County  would start  implementing Bill Zeedyk  (yes that link will get you to the book) and Van Clothier's induced meandering restoration methods. It would be in Ski-Co's best interest as well- after all what are we without all that "man made"  snow?

1976

Hydro Plant and Climate Change, letter to the editor, 2013

I'm posting some old letters to the editor. This is so I can remember what I wrote, and to keep myself honest.  I'm posting them in the order I wrote them so this goes back a couple of years.

The more things change….

This is from the Spring of 2013

For everyone interested in the hydro plant please read the latest report from NASA "New study projects warming-driven changes in global rainfall". 

The short version is longer periods of drought, less rain and moisture coming in a large event instead of a series of moderate events.

That means flash flooding in steams which cut deeper and allow little or no  water to soak into the banks of a stream.

That translates into a loss of riparian areas. Restoration of stream beds which have cut below the banks is an extremely costly process.

The Colorado has been named America's most endangered River. 

"The Law is an Ass." said Mr. Bumble. The awful truth is- you leave the water in the stream and someone else snatches it. Which one of our run-off Mayorial candidates has the stones to fight Denver and Colorado Water Law?

As long as we are hamstrung by Colorado Water Law we cannot allow rain gardens and rain harvesting where there is a municipal water plant. Think how much water could be left in the headwaters of the Colorado if the Front Range required rain harvesting. Think how much we could leave in Castle Creek and Maroon if we lead the way.