Opinion: Restoring protections to wetlands, waterways is vital to the livelihood of Grand County
In one of the biggest rollbacks of the Clean Water Act since its inception five decades ago, the U.S. Supreme Court last year abolished protections for tens of thousands of acres of wetlands in Colorado. And unless the state legislature passes a measure to create a permitting plan and restore the protections that existed before the Supreme Court’s decision, Grand County’s waterways are at risk. In every area of the state, Colorado’s wetlands lacking a permanent surface flow – along with intermittent streams that run seasonally and ephemeral streams that only flow in response to rain or snow – are in jeopardy. In essence, the ruling means wetlands that were previously protected can now be filled, paved over and destroyed with impunity.
-Written by Kirk Klanke, Colorado Headwaters Chapter of Trout Unlimited.