WATERSHED INITIATIVES: EFFECTUATING VOLUNTARY CLEANUP

• Jurisdiction: United States

Cleaning up the Public Domain: The Next Frontier
(Mar 1996)
CHAPTER 4B
WATERSHED INITIATIVES: EFFECTUATING VOLUNTARY CLEANUP
William Simon
Animas River Watershed
Durango, Colorado

I. A Watershed Initiative in Action

A. Structure

The Animas River Stakeholders Group is a collaboration of wide ranging public and private interests who have come together with the mission of improving water quality and aquatic habitats in the Animas watershed in southwestern Colorado. The group is committed to an interactive, open forum where all interested parties participate in the design and implementation of a watershed plan. Primary activities include collecting and consolidating river monitoring data, assessing the impact of contaminants on aquatic life, formulating plans for improvement, and implementation of remediation actions.

Federal Entities
Bureau of Reclamation	Bureau of Mines
U.S. Forest Service	U.S. Geological Survey
Bureau of Land Management	Army Corps of Engineers
Environmental Protection Agency	Oak Ridge National Laboratory
River Watch Network, Inc.
Colorado Agencies
Division of Wildlife	Colorado Riverwatch
Division of Minerals and Geology	Colo. Dept. Public Health and Environment
Local Agencies
San Juan Resource, Conservation and Development	Southwestern Water Conservation District
Town of Silverton	City of Durango
Colorado River Alliance	San Juan County
Western Colorado Alliance	San Juan Citizens Alliance
Taxpayers for Animas River	Friends of the Animas River
Private Entities
Numerous Individuals	Echo Bay Mining
Root and Norton Assayers	Sunnyside Gold Corp.
Mining Remedial Recovery Company	Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Howardsville Mill	Silver Wing Co., Inc.
Gold King Mining Co.	Alpine Environmental Services

B. Participants

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C. Watershed History

The Animas watershed is seriously impacted by heavy metal contamination as a result of both extensive historic mining and natural geologic processes. Thousands of patented claims are currently held by nearly 2000 individual owners. Current legal avenues for initiating cleanup activities would be extremely expensive and may be quite ineffective. Few active mine permits exist for this area. The Stakeholder process has targeted inactive mine sites for remediation efforts. Although legal avenues may become necessary, stakeholders are currently attempting to effectuate voluntary cleanups. Because of this less threatening approach many mine companies have become active participants in this program. Due to the broad mix of interests represented and a desire to work toward a common goal, participants have remained flexible and compromising. Although other watershed issues do exist and hopefully will be addressed, primarily focus will likely remain centered on metal contamination issues in the near future.

II. Project Initiation

A. Synoptic Sampling

The Water Quality Control Division (WQCD) of the Colorado Department of Health, accompanied and supported by numerous State, Federal and Local agencies, individuals, and mining companies synoptically sampled water quality in the Upper Animas Basin over a three year period. Through the many field sampling trips a growing sense of partnership among participants developed. Later, data analysis provided additional opportunity for team building which eventually resulted in increased public awareness of the extent of the problem, and the necessity

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