Click here to read the newsletter. Here’s an excerpt:
A lot of people depend on the Upper South Platte Watershed for drinking water, irrigation, and business. This makes millions of residents (and visitors, too) dependent upon our work of maintaining a clean water supply. In a spirit of collaboration, we’re very excited to be involved in a proactive program Denver Water is spearheading to protect source water within our watershed. Denver’s Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP) program is focusing on the Upper South Platte Watershed in a first phase of planning that will extend to other basins in the future.
The SWAP is designed to keep our shared water resource clean and safe for everyone who depends on it by getting stakeholders involved in planning. By identifying potential pollutant sources and best management practices for protecting our water, the plan will provide a blueprint for implementing effective programs that address contaminants of concern. The process began by discussing prevention of septic system pollution with local experts, and will continue in the coming months with discussions about issues such as wildfires, forest health, agriculture, energy development, mining, land use and development, transportation, and recreation as they relate to water quality. Other water providers, county governments, state and federal agencies, and citizens are participating in this effort.