Development sparks debate during river district seminar

GRAND JUNCTION — It practically goes without saying that water’s a hot topic in Colorado. However, energy development has recently been added to the mix, prompting some water officials to question the quality and quantity of the state’s future water supply.

Friday, people from across the state gathered for the Colorado River District’s Annual Water Seminar in Grand Junction, ready to dissect certain aspects of the oil and shale industry, and how it ties into water.

Colorado River District President Bill Trampe said a crossroads has been reached in the world of water, and that population growth, energy development, recreation and the environment all play a role in the uncertainty of future supply.

“Anyone who knows anything about water knows that the Colorado River has a limited supply,” Trampe said. “Many people think with the changing climate that maybe we have a diminishing supply. So when you start talking about all of these issues together, it’s a very uncertain future.”

Higher gas prices after hurricanes Rita and Katrina has driven the energy industry, prompting more resources to be tapped into, Brian Macke said. Macke is the director of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

Steve Gunderson, who is the director of the Water Quality Control Division at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said that water near drilling sites is susceptible to containing high levels of salinity.

Gunderson said high-salinity water is perfectly fine for livestock, and in fact is often sought out by ranchers. However, the same water that is good for cattle can wreak havoc on crops. So somewhere along the line, Gunderson said, a balance must be struck to ensure there is enough water for both agricultural uses.

“We don’t have enough resources, but having said that, we have been making progress,” Gunderson said, adding that Garfield County in particular has seen an increase of energy development staff in the last two to three years.

Gunderson said he was not sure if oil and gas activities across the state have significantly harmed the quality of the Colorado River.

“We’ll have to see how the trends occur. If we see changes, we’ll get a handle on that,” he said.

Increasing oil shale development sides may seem like a controversial issue to some, but to others, like Jeff Devere, it’s an absolute necessity. Devere is the assistant town manager of Rangely, with specific duties in community and economic development, information technology, GIS and risk management.

He said when he heard people were surprised by the idea of drilling sites popping up around the state, he was surprised himself, because energy development has been ongoing in Rangely for decades.

“Power is a tremendous thing, and very much necessary,” Devere said. “It should be no surprise that they’re going to go out and find natural gas — society needs it desperately.”

What needs to happen in terms of energy development and water is better balance and  open communication, according to Dr. John Redifer, executive director of the Natural Resource and Land Policy Institute at Mesa State College.

“We need to have an honest dialogue about what those risks and problems are and find solutions,” Redifer said, referring to the controversy between oil shale development and water quality.

Brian Hall, a senior economics major at Colorado College and a former researcher with the State of the Rockies Project, said that through proper enforcement, energy development could pose a subtle threat to water. By conducting studies in oil development areas in Wyoming, Hall was able to conclude that with development comes smaller unemployment rates, higher housing values and lower instances of crime.

Contact Marissa Brunner via e-mail at marissab@montrosepress.com