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<br />COMMUNITY COOPERATION KEY POINT
<br />
<br />Dillon Meeting
<br />
<br />Dillon Reservoir Is being polluted by
<br />human sewage. It may soon show signs of
<br />being choked with algae and weeds, and
<br />there eventually may be hea\)' trout
<br />100~s.
<br />The situation ill serious enough that the
<br />Environmental Proteetion Agency (EPA)
<br />has announced it won't grant money to fi-
<br />nance pollution control measures until a
<br />water quality study Is done on the aru
<br />around the reservoir.
<br />I The pollution Is occurring despite
<br />prolOl1g~ and costly efforts by slate and
<br />Summit County officials to provide sew.
<br />age treatment for one of the fastest grow_
<br />ing areas in Colorado.
<br />Development of recreation facilities
<br />near the Denver Water Department's
<br />man-made n!servoir about 70 miles west
<br />of Denver has resulted in an explosion of
<br />homes, condominiums, apartments and
<br />businesses.
<br />In the past five }'ears 16 sewage treat-
<br />I ment plants plus scores of individual spe.
<br />tic systems have been installed in the
<br />Upper Blue River drainage to serve the
<br />communities of Dillon, Frisco, Brecken-
<br />ridge and thr~ ski areas.
<br />A new community with a projected pop-
<br />ulation of 25,000 is rl-ring near Copper
<br />Mountain where a $100 million ski area Is
<br />. being built. It too will anect the reservoir.
<br />~ "A year from now we anticipate 8,000
<br />permanent residents," Lee Woolsey, Sum-
<br />mit County manager, recently told the
<br />Colorado Water Pollution Control Commis..
<br />; sion. adding, "We've got about 4,000 year-
<br />around residents now."
<br />The weekend and holiday tourist and
<br />recreation attraction Is such that an
<br />average of 25,000 perron! are using the
<br />area, according to Paul Ferraro, .chief of
<br />regional water resource plannmg for
<br />EPA.
<br />Ferraro told the commIssion that by
<br />
<br /><67:;
<br />
<br />1976 the population may be 42,000 and ul-
<br />timately 121,000, according to conservative
<br />projections.
<br />Assuming "good sewage trealment," the
<br />effluent will be ample to pul enough nu-
<br />trients into the reservoir to cause eu-
<br />trophication, Ferraro said.
<br />Eutrophication Is enrichment of waiPr
<br />with nutrients, especially phosphorus and
<br />nitrogen, which spur plant growth, and
<br />they in turn use up oxygen in the water.
<br />H oxygen levels fall significantly, trout
<br />perish although other "rough" fish can
<br />survive. Odor and discoloration also
<br />result.
<br />"We're almost there now," Ferraro told
<br />the rommisslon. There is a need for
<br />reducing con9iderably the amount of nu-
<br />trients getting into the reservoir." ..
<br />Something needs to be done promptly,
<br />Ferraro said, noting that technology (ad.
<br />vanced sewage treatment plants) isn't the
<br />only solution to be considered.
<br />Water Plan Needed
<br />"There's a critical need for a detailed
<br />water quality plan. . . an environmental
<br />assessment for ttoe whole area. EPA can't I
<br />continue to fund any more projects in the
<br />basin until we have a plan and considClr .
<br />alternati\'es," Ferraro said.
<br />He noted that private land along the
<br />streams draining into the reservoir-the
<br />Snake River, Blue River and Ten Mile
<br />Cre-ek-are being developed to take ad-
<br />vantage of the fishing, boating, sailing
<br />and other recreation at the lake a! well
<br />as skiing.
<br />A U.S. Forest Service survey shows 13
<br />potential ski sites. Four are now devel-
<br />oped or de\"eloping and there are sUr other
<br />"good" ones. Ferraro agreed with figures
<br />Showing a doubling of skiers in the next
<br />few years.
<br />While Summit County pollution control
<br />standards are stricter than state regula-
<br />tions. there is a limit to Ihe amount of
<br />material that can be added to the reser-
<br />voir, even if It should be enlarged by
<br />waterdevelopmer.twcstoflhearea.
<br />Taking sewage plant effluent below the
<br />dam is being considered, in which ca~e
<br />Green Mountain Reservoir, downstream
<br />on the Blue River. would share the
<br />problem.
<br />IWbert Swanson, attorr.ey for the Frisco
<br />Sanitation District, has challenged EP A
<br />authority to halt funds for pollution con-
<br />trol without a long-ran&e water quality
<br />pl~n.
<br />
<br />'Serious Situation'
<br />He acknowledged, howe\'er, that without
<br />a master plan "we are shortly going to be
<br />facing an ugly situation if something isn't
<br />done. We're going 10 have some serious
<br />. situations somebody's going to have to
<br />worry about." he told the commission.
<br />The commission, however, voted 6 to 2
<br />to allow the Frisco district to site a plant
<br />on the shore of the reservoir without hav-
<br />I ing any plans on the plant's capabilities
<br />or design.
<br />Earlier. the commission had okayed a
<br />sewage plant for Breckenridge on land it
<br />I didn't own. Four plants either exist or are
<br />proposed between Breckenridge and Fris-
<br /><0.
<br />I Ferraro commented th.llt under the En-
<br />vironmental Policy Act and federal water I
<br />I pollution control laws, EP A can, in effect
<br />sa)': No plans, no money., . C
<br />"This is an area where I m conVUlced
<br />we'll bave to get B regional environmental
<br />I impact statement (before any money is
<br />I forthcoming," Ferraro said.
<br />There won't be any money available
<br />until July I, 1973, anyway unless the $20
<br />billion measure now in Congress becDmes
<br />ll'W.
<br />The situation, Ferraro observed. Isn'l
<br />unique to Colorado. but one that Is build-
<br />ing in the Rocky Mountain area as devel-
<br />opmenl aC'Celerates.
<br />Ken Webb. Colorado Department of
<br />Health water poUutlon control engineer,
<br />concurred with the planning concept.
<br />"We can't solve this problem from a
<br />desk top," Webb said. "I think ~e can.
<br />safely say that the area could be In tro.u- III
<br />ble from euthrophication in the reservoIr.
<br />I don't think the problem's been recog-
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