Troubled Waters

The Confluence of Local, State and Federal Environmental Policy at the Headwaters of the Dolores River, from the Height of the Cold War to 2004

Authors

  • Rebecca Levy Fort Lewis College

Keywords:

environmental policy, water, pollution, water resources, water pollution

Abstract

Guaranteeing a sufficient supply of clean water is one of the biggest environmental problems facing the United States.  This problem is dramatically exacerbated in the arid Southwest, where the limited water resources are shrinking, as demand for clean water is increasing.  Compounding the problem is the environmental contamination from historic mining activities.  Often located near headwaters, abandoned hard rock mines and mine waste piles deposit heavy metals into the streams and rivers of many of the western watersheds.  Pollution from historic mining activities further degrades the quality of this limited resource, making the protection of clean water essential to the viability of life in the west.

The town of Rico, Colorado is situated at the headwaters of the Dolores River, a tributary to the Colorado, and is surrounded by abandoned silver, lead, zinc, gold and copper mines.  Rico’s mines have been contaminating the Dolores River for over a century.  Despite its isolated location, the environmental history of the Rico region illustrates how actions undertaken locally are determined by state and federal policy decisions.  These policy decisions are often influenced by national public sentiment and economic trends, rather than empirical science, remedial objectives or local needs.

This study is part of a growing body of environmental history that focuses on the evolution of environmental policy.   By incorporating previously unused official accounts from town records, including board minutes and letters, this study contributes to future research on the history of Rico, and on environmental history in general.

Faculty Mentor: Michael Fry

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Published

2019-01-06

Issue

Section

Natural Sciences