Help Stop New Development in the Dolores River Canyon (CO)

A new plan to replace the out of date a salinity control unit in the Dolores River Canyon near Bedrock, released recently by the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), would severely alter the wilderness character of the river. The comment deadline on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement has been extended to February 19 from February 4, 2020. While Alternative B1 displays the most obvious negative impacts to the Dolores River Canyon and its recreational and scenic Outstandingly Remarkable Values, it is clear that the other action alternatives do not meet the project's identified goals, nor do they adhere to other applicable laws or land management plans.

We need to act now. Make your voice heard! Comments are due by February 19, 2020.

Alternative B1 proposes a new injection well upstream from the Bedrock Boat Ramp. The alternative includes a new 1.3 mile road with two river crossings as well as power lines and buried pipeline. Alternative B2 is a similar injection well on Monogram Mesa. Alternative C would disturb 1,500 acres of elk and sheep habitat within the Paradox Valley with evaporation ponds and salt landfill. Lastly, Alternative D includes an energy intensive zero-liquid discharge technology as well as a 60 acre salt landfill.

Your comments are needed to encourage the BOR to select Alternative A, the no action alternative or pursue other action alternatives. The BOR has failed to show that any analyzed action alternative meets their identified goals. Your comments are needed to encourage the BOR to consider recreation more substantively in their alternatives. Use our super simple comment form below to take action.

Exiting the Dolores River Canyon and floating to the boat ramp at Bedrock, boaters will notice the existing injection well that takes shallow, briny groundwater pumped from the Paradox Valley and shoots it 15,000 feet into a deep permeable rock formation to reduce salinity content in the Dolores, and thus Colorado River, as a part of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act. The existing well, which can be seen from the Bedrock Recreation Area, is reaching the end of its useful life. The draft environmental impact statement describes three alternatives for the well's replacement.

Alternative B describes an injection well similar to the existing technology at a new site. One proposed site (Alternative B1) would impose drastic changes to the last few miles of a Dolores River trip above Bedrock. The image to the right shows the 1.3 miles of new road that would cross the river twice as it passes Wild Steer Canyon. These impacts to the wild character of the Dolores River would be harmful.

Tell the BOR not to develop in the Dolores River Canyon! Please personalize your letter below with your own experiences and why the Dolores is important to you!

The full proposal can be found here: https://usbr.gov/uc/progact/paradox/index.html#PVUEIS

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Dear Mr. Warner

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Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Paradox Valley Unit of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program. I am very concerned that the impacts from the proposed Alternative B1 would be devastating to the recreational and scenic qualities of the Dolores River Canyon. The alternative violates the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act’s requirement to retain the outstandingly remarkable values of eligible river segments.

Other alternatives are incompatible with existing management plan direction, pose unredeemable conflicts with high value recreation activities, and create insurmountable impacts to wildlife, cultural resources, social values of the Paradox Valley.

I recommend that the Bureau of Reclamation select the No Action Alternative A or develop additional alternatives that would adequately minimize impacts to wild rivers, scenic resources, archeological sites, wildlife,  and recreation. None of the alternatives, other than No Action, achieves the project goal to “avoid and minimize adverse impacts on physical, biological, social, economic, cultural, and tribal resources in the affected environment.”

The Dolores River was deservedly found eligible to be a wild and scenic river. This new construction would permanently impair the outstandingly remarkable values for which the river was originally identified.

As an avid outdoor recreationist, I encourage the Bureau to take impacts to recreational and social values more carefully into consideration of the proposed alternatives. Other locations for potential brine injection wells should be considered that do would not be as socially and environmentally impactful. Additionally, the Bureau should consider the future prospects of the salinity removal effort in the context of climate change and decreasing water supply and runoff.

Sincerely, [Your information here]