Effects of the SWANCC and Rapanos Supreme Court Rulings on Colorado
- Aileo Weinmann
- Feb 17, 2010
This report provides an overview of the waters at risk in Colorado and documents cases in Colorado where important waterways have lost basic federal pollution protections or been placed at risk because of the confused state of the law. Included among these waters are wetlands that feed tributaries of the South Platte River, Hidden Lake and its associated wetlands, the playa wetlands in northeastern Colorado, and other waters under siege from development.
It is almost certain that these waters would have been protected prior to the 2001 and 2006 Supreme Court decisions that weakened the Clean Water Act.
“There are examples of threatened waters and wetlands all over the state,” said Jim Murphy of the National Wildlife Federation.
Colorado Waters and Wetlands
Compiled by the National Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited, and Trout Unlimited, the reports identifies case studies where the loss of Clean Water Act protections has put local waters in Colorado at risk for pollution, unrestricted drainage, and destruction.
