Supreme Court Rolls Back Clean Water Act Protections

On May 25th, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling sharply curtailing Clean Water Act protections for wetlands that are vital to healthy and functioning watersheds. While not directly addressed, the decision also appears to put streams that don’t have year-round flow at risk of losing Clean Water Act protection as well.

Ruling in Sackett v. EPA, the court limited Clean Water Act protection for wetlands to those with a “continuous surface connection” to other “Waters of the United States,” which will remove federal protections for the majority of the nation’s wetlands. Earlier rulings had protected any wetlands with a “significant nexus” to Waters of the U.S., and for decades the Clean Water Act has covered wetlands that are “adjacent” to those waters. In the case in question, the court found that a landowner did not need a federal Clean Water Act permit to fill in a wetland lacking a “continuous surface connection” to a water body flowing into Idaho’s popular Priest Lake that provides important cutthroat trout habitat.  

“We are disappointed with the Supreme Court’s ruling. The court has severely eroded a 50-year national commitment to clean water, and misses the obvious point that wetlands are often connected to streams through subsurface flows,” said Chris Wood, president and CEO of Trout Unlimited. “The ruling is a victory for muddy thinking, and directly compromises the stated purpose of the Clean Water Act—to make our rivers and streams more fishable, swimmable, and drinkable.”

The ruling is the latest in a decades-long debate over which streams, rivers, and wetlands should be protected by the Clean Water Act. In 2015, Trout Unlimited and our partners backed the Clean Water Rule, which was grounded in science and would have confirmed protections for small “ephemeral” and “intermittent” streams, headwaters, and wetlands.  That rule was blocked by the courts, repealed by the Trump EPA, and briefly replaced with the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, which offered weaker protections for small streams. In findings published in a peer-reviewed journal, TU showed that half of all waters in the contiguous United States would have been unprotected under the weaker Navigable Waters Protection Rule.  The loss of protection is especially worrisome in more arid western states, like Colorado, where many streams do not maintain flow year-round.

The EPA finalized a new rule in March, which reinstated Clean Water Act coverage for millions of miles of streams and millions of acres of wetlands. 

Rather than clarifying matters, the Supreme Court ruling in Sackett will lead to more confusion and litigation in the coming years over the Clean Water Act, the revised Waters of the U.S. rule, and protections for wetlands and streams. 

While the issues litigated in Sackett did not directly address the question of stream protection, the Supreme Court’s majority opinion proposed a test for what waters are covered under the Clean Water Act that could leave non-perennial streams unprotected. These ephemeral and intermittent streams have a major effect on the connected downstream perennial waters on which fish and people rely.

“Protecting water quality starts at the source, in our headwater and seasonal streams and the wetlands that sustain them,” said CTU Executive Director David Nickum. “It is just common sense that allowing degradation upstream will lead to problems downstream.”

Here in Colorado, the main concern in the aftermath of Sackett is not with traditional point-source discharges but with dredge and fill activities historically regulated under Clean Water Act Section 404. Colorado law has a more expansive definition of waters of the State that are restricted from having pollutants discharged without a permit; through its point-source pollutant permitting system, the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment works to keep water quality at levels that can support uses from drinking water supplies to sustaining aquatic life. Unfortunately, Colorado does not have a similar state permitting program for dredge and fill activities and instead has relied on federal permitting to protect water quality and watersheds. Post-Sackett leaves a major regulatory gap in handling projects that formerly would have operated under federal 404 permits.

With many waters of Colorado potentially losing their federal protection, the State must step forward to ensure that these “gap waters” are protected and that an appropriate state permitting program can backfill for the lost federal protections.  Colorado TU looks forward to working with the Administration and with the General Assembly to advance a Colorado solution that can ensure the continued health of our watersheds even in the face of the Supreme Court’s Clean Water Act rollback.

South Platte and Clear Creek Win Big Thanks to Conservation Coalition

By Reid Baker

Hopeless. Irreversibly damaged. A river beyond repair.

These were the concepts and phrases uttered by organizations on one side of the room hoping to uphold the status quo ruling of 2020. These companies are monoliths of industry. Household names with deep pockets and much to gain. One, a company with Super Bowl ads.

On the other side, Trout Unlimited sat with a coalition of grassroots organizations, all largely volunteer supported, fighting for what they believed was anything but a lost cause: the future of the South Platte River and Clear Creek. Two streams that unite a multitude of communities and support a wealth of public recreational opportunities in the Colorado Front Range.

This hearing, held last month, was in front of the Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC), the governing body in charge of review and designation of water quality Antidegradation Classifications. Two years earlier, the WQCC downgraded stretches of the South Platte River and Clear Creek to Use Protected from their previous designation of Reviewable. These somewhat cryptic monikers carry big implications for any river.

When downgraded from Reviewable to Use Protected, companies with discharge permits could release more waste and contaminants into the drainage, and new polluters could more easily apply for permits to do the same. Permitted companies in this section include Suncor Energy, Metro Water Recover and Molson Coors. The latter two were vocal proponents of Use Protection at this September 2022 review meeting. 

And in what could only be described as a powerful turn thought only to exist in cinematic underdog stories, the WQCC ultimately ruled in favor of the grassroots coalition by re-instituting the classification of reviewable. This status restores the requirement that industrial polluters adhere to specific guidelines aimed at protecting these two streams, both which have dramatically improved over the last several decades.

This major win for Trout Unlimited did not come without dedication, cooperation and leveraging a wide range of resources from multiple interested groups.

Colorado Trout Unlimited (CTU) and Denver Trout Unlimited (DTU) only became aware of the 2020 ruling after the standards were already rolled back to Use Protected, a sign that advocates for lowering protection standards worked quickly and quietly, hoping to avoid public scrutiny and detailed review.

If allowed to be maintained, this standard would be upheld until at least the next review period of 2025, and the river would undergo years of flimsy safeguards, undoing decades of improvement through tireless work and support from a variety of conservation groups. Furthermore, once designated Use Protected, the onus of returning protections would have to overcome years’ worth of precedent that only further allowed degradation. Simply put, a vicious circle and self-fulfilling prophecy.

DTU has spent decades committed to the South Platte River through its metro Denver stretches. The chapter has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to put back into the river through improvement projects and cleanups. They also espouse a commitment to increasing the quality and quantity of water as it flows through the city. Use Protected designation would be a major, and possibly irreversible, setback in their central mission.

Each fall, DTU hosts their annual fundraising fishing tournament, Carp Slam, which just completed its 16th year. In this event, competitors from the metro, state and even around the US come to Denver to compete in the pro-am tournament to catch fish, mainly Common Carp, in the South Platte River and raise money to be invested into this unique urban resource.

But TU alone would likely not have been enough to press for resolution, and the organization needed additional allies for the cause. TU was fortunate enough to partner with Conservation Colorado, GreenLatinos and Western Resource Advocates to form a strong alliance of like-minded and passionate supporters. DTU and CTU worked hand and hand with these organizations to show the improvement these streams continue to undergo, along with their importance to the communities around the metro area. But even together, the campaign had much work to convince the WQCC the ruling of Use Protected warranted being overturned.  

Proponents of the Use Protected status relied on a lynchpin rule that argued if one of 12 critical water quality parameters was deemed irreversible, then Use Protection status was warranted. The only standard of the 12 parameters the river could possibly exceed, however, was in relation to E Coli levels. If the group could prove that E Coli levels were sustained and permanent, the designation of Use Protected could be upheld.

The coalition of conservation groups knew that the E Coli argument was what opponents would lean heaviest on. Under the guidance of Trout Unlimited counsel Mely Whiting, TU hired PhD Katie Schneider from Schneider Water Consulting, LLC in Golden, CO, to conduct an independent water quality assessment of the South Platte River through the challenged sections. DTU utilized funds raised in the 2021 Carp Slam to pay for this analysis.

Dr. Schneider’s study ultimately determined that while E Coli certainly was at high levels, it did not maintain a level beyond repair, and could be alleviated through appropriate conservation measures. Of the 12 total critical water parameters, only E Coli was at a problematic level, while the 11 others were to degree that supported a river system worth protecting.

Through the clarity of accredited science, Clear Creek and the South Platte River were not in fact hopeless or beyond repair.

Armed with this study combined with the growing coalition of advocacy groups including several downstream municipalities, American Whitewater, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the EPA, parties convened on September 12, 2022 to re-assess the 2020 Use Protection ruling.  At the end of the day, Molson Coors and Metro Water Recovery could not prove against the findings, and within 24 hours the WQCC unanimously voted to restore the rivers to Reviewable status.  

“We couldn’t be happier with today’s decision,” DTU President, Sam Agnew, said after the ruling. “It was an incredible coalition that made this possible. We proved that this river that flows right through downtown Denver is far from a lost cause so long as there are folks who are willing to stand up for it.”

“Trout Unlimited truly thanks the Commission for listening,” said Mely Whiting, Legal Counsel for Trout Unlimited’s Colorado Water Project. “This is a victory for the communities that live by and recreate in these urban streams, and whose members came out to ask that their home rivers be protected.”

It can be easy today to adopt a cynical view at times. That the system is too challenging to overcome, especially when it is backed by big money. Compared to publicly traded companies with in-house legal teams and plenty to lose, what chance does a handful of volunteers within a conservation nonprofit stand? Especially when already behind the 8-ball of an urban river with mixed public perception.

But sometimes David does beat Goliath. Sometimes the underdog does win after all. This isn’t just the plot of a feel-good TV drama. And while we should celebrate this win in the moment, what is more important to remember is that we all maintain this optimism and build a network of allies as TU members and chapters. There will be future battles on this and other issues. The next ruling on these standards is in 2025. We will have to pick up this torch at least once more. So until that time, stay positive, and remember what can be accomplished when we come together with our communities and stand behind our home waters.

TU supports bills to modernize and improve oil and gas leasing

Image courtesy of Trout Unlimited/Josh Duplechian

Repost from TU.org:

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Trout Unlimited today voiced support for legislation that would help modernize the federal oil and gas leasing system and facilitate responsible energy development on public land.

The Competitive Onshore Mineral Policy via Eliminating Taxpayer-Enabled Speculation Act (COMPETES Act), introduced by U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and co-sponsored by U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), would require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to end the practice of non-competitive leasing.

In the leasing process, lands are offered to oil and gas companies, which bid on them during competitive auctions. Public lands that do not receive bids—often areas with no marketable oil/gas—are offered later at rock-bottom prices, needlessly encumbering public lands. Many of these lands provide important fish and wildlife habitat and are places where public land users hunt, fish, float and hike.

“Here in Colorado where the practice has become commonplace, non-competitive leasing has direct impacts on outdoor recreation and our quality of life,” said Scott Willoughby, Colorado field coordinator for Trout Unlimited. “Agencies like the Bureau of Land Management are already stretched beyond capacity, and increasing that workload for essentially no return needlessly diverts staff resources away from other priorities, like fish and wildlife conservation, outdoor recreation, and managing oil and gas development where it can be done responsibly. We want to thank Senator Hickenlooper for his work on this important legislation and express our support for ending this outdated practice.”

“Non-competitive leasing encourages speculation on public lands at taxpayers’ expense.” Senator Hickenlooper said in a press release. “Westerners lose out when large swaths of land are set aside for speculation instead of conservation or recreation.”

Non-competitive leasing has occurred throughout Colorado, including in North Park adjacent to the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, upstream of the famed Gold Medal stretch of the North Platte River. (Learn more about Gold Medal fishing waters at Colorado Gold). Elsewhere throughout the West, non-competitive leasing creates similar conflicts with fish and wildlife, spurring controversy as the public weighs the risk of speculative oil and gas exploration against the values of healthy habitat and outdoor recreation.

“Of the 2.5 million acres offered for lease since 2017 in Nevada, less than 10 percent of the acreage offered has been sold at competitive auction, ” said Pam Harrington, Nevada field coordinator for Trout Unlimited’s Angler Conservation Program. “Anonymous entities nominate thousands of acres, and the agencies must act on these frivolous proposals. Overwhelmed, both the agencies and interested public try to provide productive input, but in the end, the sales are offered and largely nobody bids. A month later, parcels are purchased non-competitively at $1.50 an acre, which creates unnecessary paperwork and ties up our public lands from its multitude of other uses.”

The COMPETES Act would help turn the BLM and Forest Service’s attention away from needless paperwork and lease reviews and toward critical fish, wildlife and recreation needs.

In addition to introducing the COMPETES Act, Senator Hickenlooper has co-sponsored other legislation to modernize public lands energy development, including the Oil and Gas Bonding Reform and Orphaned Well Remediation Act (S.2177) introduced by U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), and the bipartisan Fair Returns for Public Lands Act (S. 624), sponsored by U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Jacky Rosen.

“With the introduction of the COMPETES Act and his co-sponsorship of S.624 and S.2177, Senator Hickenlooper is promoting a comprehensive package to modernize oil and gas leasing and promote responsible stewardship of our public lands,” said David Nickum, executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. “We fully support his efforts and we look forward to helping advance these proposals through Congress and into law.”

Trout Unlimited is asking its members to tell Congress how important this issue is to anglers and public land users. Learn more at TU.org.

###

Trout Unlimited is the nation’s oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization dedicated to caring for and recovering America’s rivers and streams so our children can experience the joy of wild and native trout and salmon. Across the country, TU brings to bear local, regional, and national grassroots organizing, durable partnerships, science-backed policy muscle, and legal firepower on behalf of trout and salmon fisheries, healthy waters and vibrant communities.

A Big Win for Small Streams

In a decision that restores critical Clean Water Act protections for small headwater streams and wetlands across the country, a federal judge has vacated the 2020 “Navigable Waters Protection Rule” developed by the previous administration. That rule had stripped Clean Water Act protection from ephemeral streams, which are critical tributaries to larger streams.

Responding to a case brought by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Tohono O'odham Nation, Quinault Indian Nation, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. U.S. District Judge Rosemary Márquez found that the 2020 rule illegally and unscientifically put these waters at risk of destruction.

“This is a big win for common sense, science, and clean water,” said Chris Wood, president and CEO of Trout Unlimited. “It is especially fitting that six Tribal nations, the representatives of peoples who have relied on clean water for millennia in North America, were the plaintiffs who won this landmark victory.”

Over the past two years, Trout Unlimited scientists have documented how drafters of the rule failed to assess its potentially devastating impacts on “ephemeral” streams, which are critical tributaries to larger streams.

Streams that do not flow year-round, but instead flow seasonally as “intermittent” streams, or in direct response to precipitation events as “ephemeral” streams, are the backbone of every watershed and had largely been protected for decades under the Clean Water Act. The 2020 rule categorically removed Clean Water Act protections for all ephemeral streams, which in Colorado represent greater than 25% of the state’s more than 350,000 miles of streams as mapped by the US Geological Survey.  Those figures are conservative; TU scientists determined that nationally ephemeral streams account for almost 50 percent of stream miles in the lower 48 states when accounting for other ephemeral stream channels not included in USGS maps.

“It seems like basic common sense, but for the Clean Water Act to protect our rivers it needs to prevent pollution and protect watershed health at the source – the many small headwater streams that feed our larger rivers,” said Colorado Trout Unlimited Executive Director David Nickum.

““Pollution and degradation in ephemeral streams will make its way downstream to the rivers that support our fisheries, farmlands, and communities. Thankfully the District Court recognized how the illegal and ill-informed 2020 rule ignored that most basic connection.””

— David Nickum, Colorado Trout Unlimited, Executive Director

The court’s ruling is good news for river conservation, which was already suffering from weakened Clean Water Act protection on the ground. By examining the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Water Act Approved Jurisdictional Determinations (JDs) database, TU determined how many streams and wetlands were no longer receiving Clean Water Act protection.  Of the 14,224 waterbodies evaluated under the 2020 rule between June 22, 2020, and June 9, 2021, TU found that 6,266 wetlands were determined to be no longer covered by the Clean Water Act, along with 3,096 ephemeral stream reaches. Many of these were in watersheds that support trout and salmon.

With large-scale damage to the nation’s waterways now averted by this week’s federal ruling, the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can turn to the critical job of developing a new “Waters of the United States” rule that is scientifically sound and durable.  Both Nickum and Montana TU Executive Director David Brooks recently provided comments on that rulemaking effort at EPA/Corps Town Halls, highlighting the importance of protecting headwaters and ephemeral streams.

A Mixed Verdict on Water Quality Rollback

Confluence Park, Denver South Platte River.

Conservation interests enjoyed a partial victory in the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission’s June hearing, in which TU and others opposed a proposal to significantly rollback existing “antidegradation” regulations that restrict the ability of dischargers to degrade existing water quality. The rollback proposal emerged from an unanticipated 2020 decision under which the Commission ignored its own rules and supported designation of portions of the South Platte downstream of Denver as “use protected” – a designation that allows dischargers to degrade water quality that is currently above the floor set by minimum standards. The 2021 proposal would have modified the antidegradation rules that were ignored in 2020, making it easier to adopt other such decisions to weaken protection on other streams across Colorado. While the current standard has generated confusion and is not as strong as TU and others would wish, the proposed rollback would have dramatically weakened it from the existing rule.

The Commission received petitions signed by thousands of people, hundreds of letters, and heard testimony from dozens of members of the public and the two affected local governments – Adams County and Commerce City - pleading to change their June 2020 decision and opposing the proposed rollback of the underlying water quality standards. 

Following two hours of deliberations, the Commission made a preliminary decision last Friday to eliminate the troublesome current antidegradation provision, but not until 2031, to allow for a stakeholder process that will look more closely into antidegradation and make recommended changes to the Commission.  The decision is a partial win for water quality because it keeps the language of the regulation as is in the interim, rather than replacing it with the original proposal which would have significantly rolled back water quality protections.  However, while choosing to keep the existing language as is, the Commission left the door open for more arbitrary decisions over the next 10 years, like its 2020 decision on the South Platte. 

At the heart of the controversy is the antidegradation rule’s existing language, which allows degradation of water quality if the Commission deems a stream to be “substantially polluted” by human activity, but only if there is a showing that the pollution is irreversible.  Many dischargers advocate the elimination of this requirement as it is a hard test to overcome, simply because pollution caused by human activity tends to be reversible. 

Last Friday’s deliberations revealed confusion among some of the Commissioners as to the reason for last year’s South Platte decision, but audio of their deliberations during the June 2020 hearing reveals a belief that antidegradation protection was meant to apply only to “clear mountain streams” and not to urban areas.  That belief that has no basis in fact or in the Clean Water Act.

TU was relieved that the Commission’s decision keeps intact the existing rule, with its requirement that antidegradation protection applies unless human-made pollution is shown to be irreversible, rather than rolling that policy back yet further and enabling greater pollution on more streams like the Denver South Platte.  However, the Commission’s failure to affirm the current requirement and even discuss revisiting the inconsistent 2020 South Platte decision simply ignores the public’s pleas to better protect the urban waterway.

The Commission’s action leaves the door open for it to, once again, disregard the rule and deprive streams of antidegradation protection for human pollution, even if the damage is reversible, as they did to the South Platte in 2020. TU and other conservationists must remain vigilant and oppose such future site-specific efforts to rollback antidegradation protections. The decision is also troublesome because it creates yet another lengthy stakeholder process that has historically favored well-funded industry voices.  Simply put, conservation groups and environmental justice advocates have far fewer resources to engage in such long-term processes, whereas dischargers’ well-paid lawyers and consultants have ample resources to participate.  In creating yet another process, the Commission turned a deaf ear to the conservation groups’ plea to level the playing field.

While dismayed that the Commission failed to take stronger action to support antidegradation including on the Denver South Platte, TU is deeply grateful to the members and partners who spoke out and whose voices were instrumental in helping prevent the existing rule from being weakened. We will continue to seek opportunities to ensure that urban rivers including the South Platte enjoy the stronger protections they and their communities deserve.

Trout and Water Temperature: When it's time for a break

Colorado is seeing some intense heat and arid conditions, so we wanted to share this graphic we made of when it's time to give trout a break! Water temperatures tell us so much about the conditions of a fishing spot and how the fish will be reacting. Once you reach past 68 degrees F, mortality chances increase, even with proper catch-and-release. A water thermometer is a cheap and easy tool to add to your fishing gear for your next outing.

Looking for a high-rez version to print or share with friends? No problem, we have multiple formats below that you are welcome to download.

• High Resolution PDF (English)

• High Resolution PDF (Español)

• High Resolution JPG (English)

• High Resolution JPG (Español)

• High Resolution JPG (English and Celsius)

• High Resolution JPG (Español and Celsius)

  • Please note that we rounded the conversion of 18.3333°C to 18.3°C

In the News

Read our article in High Country Angler, Drought Threatens Western Colorado Fisheries written by Ken Neubecker, featuring the CTU Trout Water Thermometer here.

Check Colorado’s Fishing Conditions here.

Check CPW’s Voluntary and Mandatory Fishing Closures here.

Feds Put Brakes on Risky Tennessee Pass Railroad Proposal

Along the Arkansas River near Granite. Colorado. 1997. From Wikimedia Commons

The Federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) put a pause on the Midland and Pacific Railway Company’s effort to fast-track approval for leasing the Union Pacific Railroad line over Tennessee Pass through STB’s exemption process. The railroad had requested a streamlined “non-controversial” exemption that would move ahead its lease for the line. The STB rejected that request in order to allow time for a more robust review of the proposal. Trout Unlimited and other conservation groups, along with Chaffee County’s Board of County Commissioners and many local citizens, filed comments with the STB raising concerns and making it clear that the proposal certainly was not “non-controversial.”

The Tennessee Pass line has been dormant for 24 years. During its previous operations, it had a history of safety concerns including derailments. In a joint letter, Colorado TU and the Collegiate Peaks, Eagle Valley, and Southern Colorado Greenbacks chapters raised concern that the operations could put at risk fisheries in both the Eagle and Arkansas Rivers that have improved dramatically over those years – including more than 100 miles of Gold Medal water on the Arkansas. A derailment could release significant volumes of hazardous materials into the river, jeopardizing its high-quality fishery. Given the importance of river-based recreation to communities in both valleys, it could also jeopardize local economies as well.

You can read a copy of TU’s joint comment letter here, and local news coverage on the proposal from the Colorado Sun and Ark Valley Voice.

Today is Colorado Gives Day - Support coldwater conservation!

Gives Day 2020 is here! Give to Colorado TU today and know your support for healthy watersheds and wild trout goes further. Every donation helps us to increase our portion of the Colorado Gives Day Incentive Fund. And every new or increased donation helps us to meet the Freestone Aquatics match. Today is a great day to support the rivers you love and the incredible fishing opportunities our beautiful state offers!

Your Gives Day donation to Colorado TU supports… 

STREAM Girls – a watershed education program that combines STEM-learning with fly fishing and outdoor education on a local watershed

Native trout restoration like the Sand Creek project in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Grassroots advocacy that gets results

Chapter projects that benefit watersheds and communities around the state

Give where you live and fish! Help us make 2021 a great year for healthy rivers and wild trout with your generous donation to Colorado TU TODAY!

Wishing you health and wellness!

--- the Colorado TU team

June Currents

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote next week on the Great American Outdoors Act, providing full dedicated funding to the Land and Water Conservation Fund and providing $9.5 billion over five years to help address deferred maintenance needs on public lands. CTU thanks Senators Bennet and Gardner for their support of this important legislation. We also thank our many members who have reached out to their elected officials in support of public lands; your voices have helped build the political momentum that is propelling this legislation.  If you haven’t yet done so, consider taking a moment to thank our Senators for their efforts on this bill by clicking here. 

Additional stories include:

• CTU Introduces Virtual Happy Hours

• Now Hiring: CTU Youth Coordinator Full-Time

• Keeping it Close to Home: Pike, Bass and Panfish on the fly

• Colorado Water Plan Listening Sessions

• Featured Fly: Matt Callies’ Hare’s Ear Nymph

• Spring 2020 High Country Angler

• Featured Business Partner: Anglers All and more!

The Two Forks Legacy: Video

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the National Environmental Policy Act, and to provide a historical lens on several high-profile water projects currently underway, Water Education Colorado together with Colorado Trout Unlimited and the One World One Water Center of MSU Denver came together last year for a half-day educational event. The event told the story of the EPA’s 1990 veto of one of the largest water projects in Colorado history, and how the Denver metro area has moved forward in the aftermath of the project’s demise. You can watch the entire event below.

Recently, Connecting the Drops produced in partnership between Water Education Colorado and Rocky Mountain Community Radio stations put out a recap of that story on their page which you can listen to and read more about here.