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Clear Water Act turns 42

Its effectiveness has been under fire

NATHROP – Today marks the 42nd “birthday” of the Clean Water Act. Before the legislation was put in place, only one-third of the country’s waters were deemed safe for fishing and swimming. Now, that number has doubled, but supporters say in the last decade its effectiveness in protecting small streams and wetlands has been jeopardized by Supreme Court decisions.

In March, the Environmental Protection Agency released a proposal that the agency says would close the gap in protection, and Bill Dvorak, owner of Dvorak Expeditions in Nathrop, says that’s the best present we could give the landmark law.

“It goes back to the way it was originally legislated, so that it protects all those tributaries,” Dvorak says. “It’s super important to not only tourism but also agriculture.”

Opponents of the additional rules say they would have a negative impact on agriculture, but Dvorak emphasizes the provisions actually exempt agriculture and would protect farmers.

According to the Outdoor Industry Association, outdoor recreation generates more than $13 billion in consumer spending in Colorado every year and supports 125,000 jobs. Dvorak says water is a big part of what keeps the state’s economy moving.

“If you look at the two biggest industries in Colorado, which are tourism and agriculture, they’re both totally dependent on clean, pure water,” Dvorak says.

More than 700,000 people have submitted comments supporting the rule. Comments are being accepted through Nov. 14.



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