Clean Water In the News

When Steve Gunderson took the podium Friday at the Colorado River District water conference at the Two Rivers Conference Center in Grand Junction, he was aware of the headline in that morning's Daily Sentinel.

"State denies claims about dirty water" was the headline on a story by Bobby Magill of the Sentinel.

Gunderson is the director of Colorado's Water Quality Control Division.

The news story was about claims by the group Environment Colorado that Colorado's rivers and lakes had more sediment and chemicals in them because of increased oil and gas drilling.

The report, called "Water Under Pressure," says that during heavy rainstorms, mud is running into streams and rivers off of bare land around hundreds of new gas wells and newly cut roads. It also says the state needs more water quality inspectors.