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Updates
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| Track the weekly developments of 40 wells during the course of their anticipated fifteen-month long completion. If you'd like to be apprised of these activities via an e-mail reminder, please fill out the submission form below and I'll do my best to send you a notice. |
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Observations Beginning Week of September 24-30, 2007 |
| Week 1 | The rig goes up to drill the first well | Sept 24-30 |
| Week 2 | A landowner meeting has been scheduled, information cards distributed, elk sited, wells sampled | Oct 01-07 |
| Week 3
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Details from landowner - Industry meeting; Oil and Gas Liaison tours area, Odor reporting tips from Environmental Health Manager; Sound abatement measures installed on rig; Article in Post Independent; New updates to site | Oct 08-14
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| Week 4
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Macke leaves post as head of COGCC / Divide Creek Seep backgrounder; New creek observations; Frac meeting scheduled; Common nightmares and rare insights; Elk and other wildlife update; Events in the news... | Oct 15-21
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| Week 5
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One well is in the bag, next well underway; Reporting of new bubbling activity - COGCC official visits site - Sampling is forthcoming; Fracing conversation yields concerns; Observations of pond areas; Site updates: Image Gallery (Divide Creek Then, Divide Creek Now, Summerhawk in Autumn's Colors ) and 'Stand Tall' Resources; Events in the news... | Oct 22-28
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| Response received from DOW on letter
regarding elk; Cordilleran samples the new addition to the old Eicher/Bracken
beaver pond; The fate of an injured buck remains unknown;
Events
in the news... |
Oct 29-Nov 04
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Well progress update; Conference Call: Area operations / Schwartz well ‘shut-in’ / No BTEX /
Fracing plans still uncertain; Veteran’s Day salute;
Events in the news; Spirit
guide… |
Nov 05-11 |
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Well progress update;
Canary Watch; Elk letter forwarded to BLM; Bubbling increases in pond; A new
buck moves into Summerhawk; Lion track spotted... |
Nov 12-18 |
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Increased bubbling in the
pond; Well progress update (or lack thereof); Prayers, politics and the
proliferation of rectalitis; New resources added: Timeline of continuing
2004 gas seep / Documents related to the seep / East Mamm Creek Notice to
Operators (rules drillers must follow when drilling in this special, former
'moratorium' area) / Federal Unit visual aid... |
Nov 19-25
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Well progress update:
replacing the rig on Schwartz; Results of sampling, and our position on the
findings; Buck joins the herd; Eagle messenger... |
Nov 26 - Dec 02 |
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EnCana has finally sent a
plan outlining proposed development of the 40 wells; Beaver hooch swaddled
in an ice blanket over Divide Creek; A letter to Gov. Ritter asking him to
protect the Roan Plateau; Message from Blackcloud.... |
Dec 03-09 |
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The elk have moved down
from the high country; The COGCC sends preliminary pond bubbling report; COGCC rule change process underway;
Funky spill reported by neighbor.... |
Dec 10-16 |
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Fracing on Schwartz; We
submit our comments to the COGCC regarding rules changes; A condensate spill
- a big one.... |
Dec 17-23 |
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Happy Holidays, Merry
Christmas and all that jazz!; A special gift on Christmas Morning; A message
from Coyote.... |
Dec 24-30 |
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Grody flares left and right, dirty snow and big doins as industry folk fall out for a show of force at the Battlement Mesa rules change meeting.... oh yeah... and a tiny
proposal for world peace.... |
Dec 31 - Jan 06 2008
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What really went on at the
rule changes stake-holder meetings in Denver....; Taking Coyote's advice; and so on.... |
Jan 07-13 |
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COGCC rule changes meeting round two,
in which my dog offers his insight; UFO's over Texas? Let a Texan explain....; Rabbit messenger.... |
Jan 14-20 |
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8 inches of snow and time
to plow - again!; Well progress update - 3 down; Hawk keeps me company on a
chilly winter's morning.... |
Jan 21-27 |
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Elk head for lower
elevations; Events in the news.... Lawmakers opposed to the new
rules who they are and how much their political campaigns received from
industry.... |
Jan 28-Feb 03 |
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More deep snows keep elk down in
lower elevations, and shut our little plow down; An unexpected
gift from a stranger; Events in the news.... The fate of Colorado
Wildlife, caught, once again between fractured jurisdiction and competing
interests; Industry whines over proposed need to increase impact fees
- billions in profit are just not enough; Salazars work to wrangle
leverage away from Allard and win major bucks for GarCo in the process.... |
Feb 04-10
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Elk and deer begin moving
back in as warmer temperatures drop snow levels; Schwartz site
gears up to drill; Events in the news.... Wildlife plight comes
into focus as Garfield Creek Wildlife Area (a refuge near us) goes on the
chopping block; Efforts to block drilling in the former nuke site at
Rulison are shot down by COGCC.... |
Feb 11-17 |
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Cow elk watch from the
woods as their calving grounds remain overrun by industry. Industry who had
a choice to reallocate their assets during this vital time, but chose not
to. In fact, did not even bother to respond to my request that they do so.... |
Feb 18-24 |
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EnCana tears the heck out
of the ground on the Schwartz site and pushes dirt around to create a
gigantic berm, all the while, of course, continuing to shut out and stress
the elk waiting to access the area to calve - this is also why "reclamation"
is usually a farce; Letter to editor refuting industry's position against
rule changes; deep snows further bring stress to this mountain's elk herd. |
Feb 25-March 02
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EnCana sets up a man-camp;
Gunky Eye - again....; In the News: Industry and others,
including Garfield County Oil and Gas Liaison weigh in on the rules
process.... |
Mar 03-09 |
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Four rigs line a Rocky
Mountain ridge in the pre-dawn light; Garfield County decides on
allowing the use of man-camps on private property without landowner
consultation or approval - my comments in a letter to them; Dawn breaks on the mountain.... |
Mar 10-16 |
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Elk scarf on new spring
grass; First grade wash-out (that's me) helps draft community forecasting
document; Industry beats its chest, bangs its forearms on the ground and
demands to be invited to a party they've already been invited to; An
extraordinary find.... |
Mar 17-23 |
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Divide Creek presses
against the beaver dam and swells across the valley floor.... |
Mar 24-30 |
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Summerhawk Walkabout! |
Mar 31-April 06
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Be on the Receiving side of a convoy, plus, "A Tale of Two Pad Rats"; Snow storm obliterates the Schwartz site - at least for an hour or so....; County Commissioners Martin and McCown fall in love with idea of man-camps on private property....
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April 07-13 |
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This week we signed a mineral lease with EnCana in exchange for a no-surface use provision and at least some testing of our water well. This is a major coup (and I'm sure EnCana feels likewise from their perspective). While gas can be pursued under our surface, this land is now sovereign, and the life that depends upon the ground, the water and the air is protected as far as we can provide for - for as long as the gas lasts. Blackcloud and the spirits are still singing in the wind.... Discovered several vent holes and three rivulets of blue bio-film on the creek bank; Letter to editor re: GarCo Commissioners Martin and McCown's allowance of use-by-right man camps on private property without landowner permission |
April 14-20
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Negotiations with EnCana
on mineral lease continues; Toured "main" seep site.... |
April 21-27 |
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See the spewing plume from
what has so far been described as a "pipeline event" over Summerhawk - now
with video-vision! (okay, it's YouTube... but yay! Now on YouTube!!) |
April 28-May 04 |
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Photos of mountain ranges
on either side of the Colorado river... and some uglies too. |
May 05-11 |
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Frac tanks in place and
ready to roll; The rumor mill churns on...; Letter to Editor in response to
Garfield County Commissioner's draft rules reaction in which Martin and McCown slam wildlife; Water Workshop in Gunnison, my address to attendees,
and Hopi prophecy; New documentary film resource on industry's
impacts; Go on a fly-over of the gas patch; Lion tracks on canyon rim.... |
May 12-18
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Fox dens on an embankment; Divide Creek breaks for the coast; Industry and others muscle the process and the players on up-coming rule changes; Alice in Wonderland scenario of wildlife from a Mesa County commissioner; Snake messenger; Beaver Dam washes downstream....
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May 19-25
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Focus on brown cloud health
effects and "Gunky Eye"; Snake messenger; Cedar speaks as Earth
spirit predictions unfold; Nature as life and spirit guide....
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May 26-June 01
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Endless fussing over on Schwartz - and finally, a
semi-reliable (maybe) plan for the next fifteen months or so; Funky
emissions (video) coming off the frac tank battery (made a report to COGCC
by phone); Take a gander at the bright pad lights at night (video and
photo); The
political ravings of a newly anointed "grass top"; Sizing up our
Governor - in person; Our official - if not very well sugar-coated -
comments to the COGCC regarding the draft rules; Hopeful discussions with EnCana's landscape architect
with a focus on reclamation and previous failures; Bleak thoughts on the upcoming
presidential election; The loveliness of a
cloud-shrouded mountain and red-blooming cactus; Words of wisdom from Willy.... |
June 02-08 |
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Final comments delivered to
Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission at hearing today; Hearing
happenings and disappointment in someone I considered a one-time champion; A
sneak peek at real reclamation - some four years after the drill; A
tough-topic conversation with Stephen Bershenyi - Democratic candidate for
Garfield County Commissioner; The BLM drops to a new low in leasing out all
55,000 acres of the Roan Plateau; Outlandish views in the news.... |
June 09-15
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Standing up for wildlife as industry slips and slides on a red herring - blog posts from the GJ Sentinel; The much ballyhooed 2-year "Garfield County Health Risk Assessment of Oil and Gas Industry Impacts" is set out for public consumption, but don't count on me being at the party; Follow-up on the pipeline thing from week 32; Another demotion from the court of champions; Additions to the court of champions; In the news: Industry's tendency to baffle, bluff, block and bully; Martin and McCown institute another step backward for Garfield County by voting down severance tax idea; Popcorn and benzene - one thin dime....
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June 16-22
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| Week 40 |
Go for a Walkabout and see
Summerhawk in Summer's Splendor!.... This week has been a lot of good news - bad news, ups and downs.... Discovery of new seep in Divide Creek 06-28-08 see the disgusting ooze seeping into Divide Creek at the site of the beaver hootch; Rig move scheduled for this Thursday and several days following as work sets up to begin on Juniper Group site....; Many blessings for a new friend and the one who holds her down; |
June 23 - 29 |
| Week 41 |
The ancients offer guidance and
insight - even into the rule-making process.
Seep Update: COGCC Inspector and
Environmental Protection Specialist visit site and samples are obtained;
New orange seeps emerge and three new black vents are discovered in nearby
areas; I receive a letter from COGCC stressing the sampling that
has already occurred on our property and the biogenic results. I reply to
that letter stressing the COGCC's habitual failure to embrace the scope of
this and related events as well as acknowledge our observations and
testimony that these events are not "normally" occurring within our
localized environment; In the News - man near Parachute drinks benzene and
several gas companies are issued Notices of Alleged Violation.... A wonderful surprise on our July 3rd walkabout! A not-so-good surprise too.... orange goo still present on Langegger's creek bank near the "mother vent" which is still 'hot' with benzene. But, his springs look good; ignited black seep and examined sample... think I might have an idea what this could be.... Page 2 Added to 2008 Divide Creek Seep - which includes the update just above. (Everything related to the 2008 seep can be found all in one place on the main 2008 Divide Creek Seep page which gives you a link to the second page - or you can go to week 41 - or you can go to the sitemap) Endless Gunky Eye.... A flag to share - Happy 4th of July Everyone! |
June 30 - July 06 |
| Week 42
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Remember how I spoke about not seeing
any elk calves this year? Well, I finally got the
Week 30
still pics of the herd leaving Summerhawk, so you can see for yourself.
Industry says elk LOVE their industrial operations - not so much;
Division of Wildlife Conducts a population count on Summerhawk fishes;
Guess what I found on the banks of Divide Creek? (it's a happy thing);
Spirit warrior and pony in the sky; Stress taking a toll in the form of nightmares - all week....
leads to Citizen Generated Complaint/ Report Form - rip it off and share it
with your favorite official; Fumigation three out of seven days this
week; Seep 2008 Update - more weirdness; In the News....
Canada rats out its own and demonstrates big-time industry PR pimping .... BLM/Roan Plateau lawsuit, Tresi defends her dual responsibilities / Denomy
advocates for severance tax / pimp smack-down.... |
June 07 - July 13 |
| Week 43
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COGCC volley - I ask, 'hey - if you
were so darned sure the bubbling was because of the beaver pond last year -
then what the heck is it now that the beaver pond is GONE?';
County moves in an air monitor despite the offending pine trees on our
property which surely share some of the blame; In the
News: "What The Hell is Wrong With This Industry 101" A story about a nurse who was exposed to industrial chemicals and
suffered temporary organ failure but was prevented from testifying about the
need to disclose chemicals used in this industry - this story and my
commentary reveal much
about what is wrong with the way this industry operates in Colorado
/ BLM smacks down DOW - elk and deer get screwed again / Gramma Tuttle
shouts out / A gas field worker from Parachute says I'm full of the big doo doo when it comes to wildlife.... It's a wily full-moon kind of week.... |
June 14 - July 20 |
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otherwise noted are copyrighted by Lisa Bracken, 2007-2008 (or present). All rights are
reserved. |