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