The Water Information Program

Spring has arrived, and the town of Parachute will turn on its irrigation water April 15. But some area residents fear the water is unsafe to use since learning about four separate spills from two oil companies’ storage pits. The spills occurred from November to February. More than a million gallons of wastewater has poured into an area known as “Garden Gulch” north of Parachute, according to Western Colorado Congress. The spill has been frozen in a huge waterfall that is now starting to melt as the temperatures rise. The fluids are flowing directly into West Parachute Creek — a source of irrigation water for many landowners and the entire town of Parachute. Livestock are currently drinking from the creek, said Liz Chandler, a large animal veterinarian from nearby New Castle. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is investigating the spills, but landowners say little information has been shared with them regarding the spills.

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