Will the Colorado River Get Fracked?

Hello Friends of the Colorado River!

Will The Colorado River Get Fracked?  Two months ago, when cancer-causing benzene from fracked gas was detected in Parachute Creek just four miles upstream of the Colorado River, the news media in Colorado started reporting about the threat to drinking water supplies for 35 million people.  Fracking is escalating wildly across the Colorado River basin in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, and heading towards Southern California. Fracking uses vast amounts of water and involves serious concerns about health and environmental risks associated with the cancer-causing fracking chemicals as well as the disposal of billions of gallons of toxic wastewater.  In this exclusive blog post on Ecowatch, Save The Colorado provides a survey of the threat of fracking across the Colorado River basin.  Please click through here and read “Will The Colorado River Get Fracked?”  This river is the lifeline of the Southwest U.S. — protecting its water supplies and watershed are of paramount importance as the spread of fracking overtakes the landscape.

Colorado River Environmental Leaders Summit!  Last week, representatives from over a dozen environmental groups met in Salt Lake City to discuss future planning to protect and restore the Colorado River.  The Summit was convened by the Glen Canyon Institute with a pre-summit event the night before with the Utah Rivers Council.  Save The Colorado provided an update to Summiteers about our work over the past year and our proposed work for 2013.  Also attending the Summit were The Nature Conservancy, Living Rivers, Conservation Colorado, National Parks Conservation Association, Western Resource Advocates, Grand Canyon Trust, EcoFlight, American Rivers, National Geographic, Natural Resource Defense Council, Earthjustice, and Protect The Flows. 2012 was a big year of success because of efforts to stop the Flaming Gorge Pipeline, restore flows to the Colorado River Delta, and address the Colorado River Basin Study.  More future success is coming!

Can Los Angeles Help Save The Colorado River?  Cities in the Los Angeles area are moving forward with alternative water supply opportunities to help decrease their reliance on the Colorado River.  Focusing on water recycling, water efficiency, better groundwater management, and stormwater recycling these cities are planning to dramatically ramp up alternative sources which could save 40 billion gallons of water per year.  In addition to better protecting the Colorado River, these alternative water supply systems could create green jobs, reduce greenhouse emissions, and protect coastal water quality from hazardous stormwater runoff.  What this alternative water supply planning shows is that all cities — but especially those relying on the Colorado River — can make easy and important strides toward protecting rivers without relying on massive new dams and diversions.  Let’s face it — if Los Angeles can do it, can’t any city do it?!  Check out this great blog from the Natural Resources Defense Council on the topic.

Thank you for your support!