The Water Information Program

Protecting the town’s water supply from the effects of future development—including a proposed molybdenum mine on Mt. Emmons—was the subject of a Crested Butte Town Council work session on Monday, March 17. The Town Council reviewed the first draft of its amended Watershed Protection Ordinance, which will replace the town’s existing ordinance. "This is an attempt to get our watershed ordinance in line with current law," explained Town attorney John Belkin. In general, the ordinance is more stringent than the old version, according to the town’s special counsel attorney, Barbara Green. "It’s going to be more difficult to get a permit now because we have standards with more teeth," she said during the meeting.  In 1978 the Town was among the first to take advantage of a state statute that allows towns to prohibit and mitigate impacts to their water supply within a five-mile area. The Crested Butte’s watershed ordinance was challenged in court in the 1970s, but it was litigated and upheld. Later, the ordinance was amended in 1996 to deal with septic systems. The town has been updating the watershed ordinance for the last year; it adopted a temporary moratorium preventing development within the town’s watershed in August 2007. The ordinance essentially requires a permit for land use change activity within the town’s watershed, with varying degrees of overview depending on the project. The meat of the ordinance is contained in its approval standards to protect the watershed, Green said. She said the Town Council will have to consider what provisions it wants to include.

To view the full article, visit the Crested Butte News. For a copy of the original article contact the WIP at (970) 247-1302 or stop by the office at 841 East Second Avenue in Durango.