Colorado River Update: We’re in the news fighting a “Water War At Whitney Creek”!

Hi Friends of the Colorado River!

IT’S HOT OUTSIDE, but that doesn’t stop us from fighting to protect and restore the Colorado River! Today, we’re featured in an article in Vail Daily arguing hard against the dam builders and river destroyers.

Titled, “Water War At Whitney, How history and hydrology are colliding on the upper Eagle River“, and written by longtime journalist David Williams, the piece discusses the new Camp Hale National Monument as well as the wrecking ball a massive new dam would have on the tributaries to the Eagle River in Eagle County, Colorado. Our amazing boardmember, John Fielder, who lives nearby, throws some serious shade at the dam builders, and I pile on hard in defense of the fragile fen-and-wetland ecosystem in Colorado’s high country. Finally, Congressman Joe Neguse bats cleanup.

Take a look!

The article quotes John: “Is anything more sublime and fertile and life-giving than a 10,000-or-more-year-old fen wetland? You can’t ‘mitigate’ the loss of ancient wetlands by creating a manmade wet place somewhere else. No more water to the Front Range,” says Colorado photographer and conservationist John Fielder, who adds he’s been just about everywhere within the nearby 123,000-acre Holy Cross Wilderness Area and can’t imagine trying to recreate wetlands somewhere else to mitigate against the inundation of the Homestake Creek fens.

In response to all of the proposed dam projects in the high mountains, Save The Colorado launched a “Defend The Fens” campaign to protect these ancient wetlands. The article quotes me: “Fens are irreplaceable, and destroying fens is unmitigateable,” says Gary Wockner of Fort Collins-based Save The Colorado. “We will do everything we can to protect these ancient wetlands against the onslaught of new dam projects in Colorado’s high country.”

And for added measure, Congressman Joe Neguse weighs in: “We’ve aggressively opposed those [transmountain] diversions,” Neguse said, adding he specifically opposes the Whitney Creek proposal by Aurora and Colorado Springs.

That’s a pretty good 1-2-3 punch — John, Gary, and Joe!

If there’s a river-destroying dam proposed anywhere in the Colorado River basin, we are fighting it, and it’s your support that keeps us working hard.

You can donate online by clicking here!

Thank you for your support!