Utah produces some of the most environmentally damaging crude oil around. Called “waxy crude”, it’s hard to get out of the ground, to process into useful petroleum products and especially difficult and dangerous to ship.
The current proposal for moving this goopy petroleum to refineries includes via train through Grand County along the Colorado River. As many as ten trains as much as two miles long would move the crude through Grand County each day.
If you’ve been in the western U.S. in the last 20 years or so, you won’t be surprised that American Rivers named the Colorado the most endangered river in the country.
Our Trout Unlimited Chapter’s relationship with Denver Water and other diverters has evolved considerably over time. Not that long ago, we fought bitterly in court with diverters. Ultimately, we came to recognize that the diverters had both the well-established legal right to the water as well as the political clout and deep pockets to doom virtually all litigation on our part. We acknowledged that legal battles with the diverters were doomed to failure.
We realized that the strategy that would yield the best real-world outcome to protect our rivers was to communicate and (when appropriate) cooperate with the diverters. Our strategy of working with the diverters, while continuing to apply pressure on them to do the right things has resulted in many, many successes. Read Kirk’s letter for more insights.
TU needs your help to protect our trout fisheries and larger environment. Read the letter and contact your legislators!
Where The River Ends
Those who live in the west and care about water and our environment know the Colorado River is entirely used up before it reaches the sea. For a wonderful new series on the river's demise from Colorado Public Radio's Luke Runyon, click here.
