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Welcome to Sheep Mountain Alliance |
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 Sheep Mountain Alliance is a grassroots citizen organization dedicated to the preservation of the natural environment in the Telluride Region and Southwest Colorado. To this end, Sheep Mountain Alliance will provide education for and protection of regional ecosystems, wildlife habitats and watersheds.
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SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS |
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CONGRESSMAN TIPTON'S STAFF TO HOST TELLURIDE OPEN HOUSE • FEB 10TH 7-9PM
Drop by the Commissioner Meeting Room in the Miramonte Building from 7-9pm on Feb. 10th to let the Congressman's staff hear the broad base of support for the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Bill. After years of stakeholder outreach and community compromise this balanced proposal to preserve just over 61,000 acres of public lands will protect our clean air and water, increase our quiet recreational opportunities and the associated economic benefits to our regional communities, enhance the wild lands for the wild creatures and ensure that these fragile ecosystems are left untrammeled for future generations. Congressman Tipton has indicated that he will make a decision after this meeting.
Please drop by the "Open House" to voice your support in person OR
Contact the Congressman with your support today
Phone: 970-241-2499
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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One of the last free flowing rivers in the west, the San Miguel is experiencing increasing threats from the mining industry and potential development. SMA is involved in several conservation efforts along the San Miguel River.
WILD & SCENIC SUITABILITY: See the BLM RMP section for more information on the Wild & Scenic Suitability Recommendations.
INSTREAM FLOW: On September 13th the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) approved an instream flow filing for the lower San Miguel River from Calamity Draw (below Naturita) to the confluence with the Dolores River. These appropriations are based on studies by the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW), Forest Service and BLM scientists to protect several elements of riparian habitat along the lower San Miguel River. “This segment of the San Miguel River has been identified as being an outstanding population of three fish that are species of concern,” according to CDOW. SMA rallied strong support for the initial approval of this filing which was challenged by Montrose County and Southwest Water Conservation District. SMA again rallied support and took legal action to defend the CWCB decision.
WATER RIGHTS: SMA has filed opposition to several Montrose County water rights applications. We feel that these applications are based on the desire of Montrose County to turn the West End of Montrose and San Miguel Counties into an industrial zone severely diminishing the natural flows of the San Miguel River, threatening water quality, endangering the threatened Colorado River Fish and riparian habitat, as well as recreational and agricultural opportunities for the entire region. |
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PARADOX VALLEY EVAPORATION PILOT POND STUDY |
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SCOPING COMMENTS DUE MONDAY JANUARY 30th
The geologically unique Paradox Valley is formed by a collapsed salt dome that created a brine aquifer near the surface. As the Dolores River crosses the valley, it naturally picks up over 200,000 tons of salty brine each year, contributing to high salinity levels downstream in the Colorado River Basin.
To reduce that salinity, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation operates a deep injection facility near Bedrock which removes 110,000 tons of salt each year from the Dolores River. Salty brine is pumped from shallow wells before it can intercept with the river, and then is injected into a 15,932 foot well. The Bureau of Reclamation is considering replacing the injection system with an evaporative pond complex because of concerns over seismic activity, the receiving aquifer is filling up, and it is expensive to build a new well.
The Bureau of Reclamation is taking scoping comments to conduct an Environmental Assessment (EA) and begin an Evaporation Pond Pilot Study to determine whether large-scale evaporation is feasible in Paradox Valley. They propose building a pilot pond between 15 and 40 acres in size that would require mitigations such as flashing lights, bioacoustics and noise cannons, water sprays and coloring of the brine. Netting to prevent migratory birds from accessing the pond may also be required. Once the pond reaches capacity, the salt evaporate is toxic waste. The pond would be reclaimed and managed permanently as a toxic waste landfill.
If evaporation is found to be a feasible alternative for salinity control in Paradox Valley, the Bureau then could proceed with building a large-scale complex of evaporative ponds. It would take an estimated 800 acres of ponds to match the current amount of salt removed by deep injection. Once the ponds reach capacity (estimated 3 to 11 years) they would most likely be reclaimed as landfills on site in Paradox Valley because the cost of relocating the waste would be prohibitive.
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DOE URANIUM LEASING PROGRAM |
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October 19, BREAKING NEWS: SMA and our conservation partners won a sweeping legal victory on Oct. 18 when a federal judge ordered a halt to the Department of Energy’s Uranium Leasing Program. The court issued an injunction to suspend all drilling, mining, exploration, and existing and future uranium leasing over a 42-square-mile area on the Western Slope.
Read the press release.
Read the court ruling.
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