Clean Water In the News

The water quality of Colorado's rivers and lakes has declined considerably during the last eight years because the state's water control division has a shortage of inspectors to monitor development permits, according to a report released Thursday by an environmental group.

The nonprofit Environment Colorado Research and Policy Center cited data and reports submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency by the state's Water Quality Control Division, policy center official Stephanie Thomas said.

Colorado's water quality declined 31 percent for lakes and 21 percent for rivers and streams, the report said.

The Water Quality Control Division does not have enough inspectors and staff to oversee whether developers and oil and gas drillers are implementing measures to keep sediment, chemicals and debris from entering the state's waterways, said Thomas, clean-water advocate for the organization.