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Raymond Rose tests the waters of Priest Creek, a tributary of the Dolores River and one of the proposed Outstanding Waters streams./ Photo by Duncan Rose
Outstanding Waters More than 20 streams in Southwest Colorado proposed for protections by Jonathan Romeo
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t a time when water in the Southwest is becoming increasingly scarce, more than 20 streams in the region are being proposed for protective safeguards in an attempt to preserve the waterways for years to come. For the past two decades, a prolonged drought driven by climate change has snowpack levels in the Southwest on a continual downward trend. Obviously, that’s not good – less snow means less runoff for rivers and streams, and less water available for use.
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As a result, a few years ago, a coalition of environmental groups started a process to locate and identify streams in the high country of Southwest Colorado that would qualify as Outstanding Waters (OW). The designation protects defined reaches of rivers, streams and lakes that have exceptional water quality. The thinking, environmental groups say, is saving these pristine high-alpine streams in the face of climate change and worsening drought will ensure the longterm protection of tributaries that are vital for the region’s most important rivers, such as the Animas, Dolores, Gunnison,
San Juan and San Miguel – which all feed into the Colorado River. “Right now, this water is perfect, and we’d like to keep it that way,” Marcel Gaztambide, the Animas Riverkeeper for San Juan Citizens Alliance, said. “(OW) doesn’t stop future development, but it does establish water quality baselines that can influence decisions on management in these watersheds.” Really special rivers The Outstanding Waters designation was established as part of the Clean Water Act of 1972. For streams to qualify, they must meet a set of criteria based on water
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quality and national resource values. And, the streams also must serve as critical habitat for aquatic life and have a component of recreational value, such as fishing or river running. Once designated, the water quality in those streams must be maintained and protected from any future development or use. The Clean Water Act, however, left it up to states to create a process and specific criteria for streams to qualify as OW. In Colorado, that job falls to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “We protect every stream in Colorado, but this is the highest level of
