Growth

I know that cities and businesses have operated under a "If your not growing your dying" philosophy. It seems to me that, in a county where we recently had a moratorium on water taps because of drought, we need to reconsider this philosophy. I think you could argue that growth, when done improperly, could be viewed as slowly bleeding an area to death. The water issues have only begun in the American Southwest. We need to look further down the road than 15 years. Shouldn't towns and cities be looking at a longer term legacy/ existence? The warning shots have been fired. Let's pay attention and think about sustainability.

Thank You Commissioners

The La Plata County Commissioners have decided to delay issuing a permit to the Wildcat Mine because of a lack of information. The Durango Herald stated on Saturday that "La Plata County planning staff has recommended that unless Wildcat Mining Corp. turns in additional information to the county - specifically, how the project in La Plata Canyon will be accessed - commissioners should deny the permit." It is good to see the Commissioners taking a good solid look at the proposed project. Gold mining is not innocuous. Though the options are better than the old Arsenic days there is the potential for heavy impacts to water, in this case the La Plata River, a major tributary to the San Juan. The mine is situated directly above the river. Good work Commissioners.

Head of EPA

Rumor has it that President Elect Barack Obama is considering Bobbie Kennedy Jr. as the head of the EPA. With what little impact my input has, I think he would be hard pressed to do any better for the position. Bobbie Kennedy Jr. has an immense amount of experience with nearly all aspects of the environmental issues that we will be faced with in the near future. He is actively working to generate energy alternatives to oil, understands the Clean Water Act, and the many components of NEPA. It would be great to see someone so proactive head up the EPA.

Desert Rock

I love it when lawyers from New York make statements like "The only thing a delay does is hurt the Navajo nation. Shame on the New Mexico government for imposing its will on Navajo sovereignty" (Durango Herald, 7/11/08, N.M. tries to stop Desert Rock permit). Mr. Maisano made this statement in response to the fact that NM is suing the EPA for more research to be done before they make a decision on Sithe Global's permit. Good old Frank Maisano, speaking for the people of the Navajo Nation. It is clear that not everyone in the nation is of the same mind as Mr. Maisano, though some certainly are. Mr. Maisano should contain his speaking points to represent his New York based company, Sithe Global Power, and let the sovereign Navajo Nation speak for itself. I would still contend that this is an environmental justice issue. Sithe Global plans to construct a power plant, using technology that is proven to have detrimental effects on the people and environment that exist within 100 miles, on the Navajo Nation and send the power well beyond the borders of the Navajo Nation. Early studies show that the mercury found in Vallecito Reservoir is very likely coming from the existing power plants in Northwestern New Mexico. Shame on you Mr. Maisano and Sithe Global for imposing your pollutants on the people and environment of the sovereign Navajo Nation and the rest of the Four Corners Region. There is no such thing as clean coal.

Keep Lake Nighthorse Motor Free

As the ALP project nears completion the reality of Lake Nighthorse looms. Animas Riverkeeper is trying to keep motor operated crafts out of the lake. The loss of elk habitat is already a travesty. The presence of motors in the lake will only add insult to injury. Motors pollute the waters, interupt wildlife, and disturb the solace of an area. Make your voice heard. Keep motors out of Lake Nighthorse.

The Katie Lee

Here she is, the Riverkeepers' new boat on her inaugeral run. She made the run during the annual river parade at Animas River Days. We named her the Katie Lee. Look for her patrolling on a water way near you.

Same Old Scare Tactics

Finally the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is proposing changes to the rules that regulate oil and gas drilling in the state of Colorado. The proposed rules would require greater protections for wildlife and water supplies, address air pollution and odors, as well as the disclosure of chemicals used in drilling wells. The industries response? The new rules will cost 10,700 jobs. "Colorado can't afford the new job-killing rules." They are trying to frighten Coloradoans. The industry has been running the state ragged with drilling, reaping record profits, all the while trashing our scenery, polluting our waters, and destroying the air we breathe. All to build an industry based on a finite resource that will happily evacuate the state once that resource is gone. What is the industry complaining about the most? Wildlife closures that could last up to 90 days. They worry about a potential 90 day stall in development and say that is what is going to shut down drilling. As if 90 days matters one iota. It's not even a blip on the radar. It is Colorado's natural setting and environment that are the real future of Colorado. We can't afford not to regulate oil and gas. Support the COGCC's new rule changes. They protect our future.

River Days a Success

Ahhhhhh! River Days 2008 is over. I am both happy and sad. The event was great, though we can certainly make some improvements. Everything kicked off with the parade, madness on the river. Check out the video in the Durango Herald for a view of what went on http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1452197370/bclid1540999472/bctid1612727817 On Saturday a great crowd showed up for the slalom. There was music in the park for free. Where was everyone for that? Free music. On Sunday we had the down river race, rodeo and a very successful clean-up. All good times. Now we move on to planning 2009.

Aaron

Blind Eye

Our nations ability to turn a blind eye to impending crisis continues to astonish me. Why is that we continue to ignore the warning shots that Mother Nature fires over our bow? On a national scale, the idea of increasing drilling on American soils is repeatedly proposed as a solution to our dependence on foreign oil. People cannot continue to ignore the fact that oil, everywhere in the world, is a finite resource. During the recent congressional questioning a BP executive was quoted as saying that "there is over 40 years" of oil still available. 40 years!? And that's coming from industry. That's like a ski area measuring their own snow accumulation. 40 years may seem like a long time if you are 10 years old, but those of us who have matured beyond playing with Tonka Trucks need to see this for what it is, a time to get serious about alternative energy sources.

On a local level La Plata County has ended its moratorium on water taps associated with Lake Durango because the "drought is over". OK, but we are living in the Southwest. How long do you think it will be until the next drought? If we are to continue to exist on this planet our vision of lifespan has to extend beyond the short term. The idea that we can "fix" whatever problems come our way using our advanced technology only exposes us to a greater probability of catastrophe. Let's acknowledge the warning signs and develop strategies to avoid dramatic catastrophic changes.

Aaron

River Parade/ Party at the Summit

Animas River Days is upon us. This coming weekend the fun flows into town. The whole thing kicks off with the river parade on Friday night. Anyone familiar with river parade knows that this event has gotten huge. Lots of boats and lots of fun. Here's a shot of the riverkeeper busting through Smelter during last years parade. I'll just say that the boat was really soft. Anyone wanting to be a part of the parade 2008 should be at the 32nd put-in with boats ready to go at 6:00pm. 4 Corners River Sports is putting on a BBQ at the take-out below the store and then there is a free party at the Summit. Let the good times flow.

Yesterdays Float

I got on the river yesterday. A town run on the Animas from 32nd to the new Dalabeta Park. It felt great. My last trip to the river was the trip we took to the Dolores. On this trip I paddled my C-1. It was good to be back in the little boat and I was amazed that I remembered my roll. I made sure to get in plenty of practice. The stretch below 4 Corners is really nice.

I do have to say, despite how much I love being on that river, I couldn't help but notice all of the Russian olive along the banks. You can see the many carcases of the trees we killed during our campaign 2 years ago but there are still more out there. Many of them on private property. Even off of the river there are many trees that were used for landscaping. There is lots of work to be done removing this invasive from the river corridor. Fortunately there is little evidence of Tamarisk through town.

The river is running great. Get out and play.

Aaron

River Protection Workgroup

Being a riverkeeper involves attending meetings. I went to an interesting meeting on Tuesday for the River Protection Workgroup (RPW). This is a group of diverse interests currently talking about the Hermosa Creek, a tributary to the Animas, and its watershed. The idea is that the group will discuss ways to protect Hermosa Creek and propose them to the decision makers. This includes the possibility of Wild & Scenic designation. In the state of Colorado only 1 river has been designated as Wild & Scenic. Compare that to 48 in Oregon. There are a couple of sticking points for such a designation in Colorado, the biggest being water rights laws. Wild & Scenic designations impose a certain in-stream flow. The reason for involving such a diverse group at the table is that it takes an act of congress to make the designation. Our state representatives like to confirm that the community is behind the designation before they put they take a proposed river to congress. This is a chance for interested folks to present their ideas, concerns, and vision of river health and protection. You can get more information here http://www.waterinfo.org/taxonomy/term/1030.

Animas River Days in News

Hello All,

Victor Locke of KSUT did a great piece on Dolores River Days and Animas River Days. You can hear your riverkeeper and Heidi Schaiberger talking about the event at http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/ksut/.jukebox?action=podcasts. Come on out on June 20, 21, and 22 and join the fun. For more details go to www.animasriverkeeper.org.

Aaron

Dolores River Trip

Two weeks ago members of the Animas Riverkeeper board and some friends traveled to the Dolores River for a fantastic one day push from the pump station to Slick Rock. The river was running around 2,000 cfs. We had a paddle boat, an oar rig, and a kayak on the trip, though after a paddle was lost the kayak toured most of the river from the back of the oar rig. All in all the trip was uneventful, and included good friends, great water, and a beautiful scenery. It was nice to see water in the river and it was a strong reminder of what a gem the Dolores River is. We ran into some friends on the river who were taking advantage of the consistent flows to do a 5 day trip. Now that's living.

Animas River Days

Hello All,

Animas River Days is on for 2008. It will be held on June 20, 21, and 22. We have a jam packed schedule this year. There will be music, boat races, Fly-Fishing demos, a Pancake Breakfast, a River Clean-Up, and of course the river parade on Friday night. This year the event will be more kid friendly with a kid activity tent and arts and crafts vendors. Also, 4 Corners is hosting a movie night at the Abbey Theatre on Saturday evening. Bring the family for a boat load of fun. Check out the Animas RIVERKEEPER website for details.

Aaron