A Report of Water Pollution in the South Platte River Basin February 1953

Home Browse Search

DAMAGES TO WATER RESOURCES FROM POLLUTION Pollution has damaging effects on water uses in the Basin. There is evidence to show that truck crops irrigated with sewage contaminated waters in the Denver area have much larger numbers of intestinal organ - isms adhering to them than do those irrigated with unpolluted waters. The probability of disease transmittal to consumers of these products is thereby much greater than with similar crops irrigated with clean water. Certain intestinal parasites may be transmitted to animals grazed on pastures irrigated with polluted water. The economic loss from the illness and death of such animals. or from their inability to produce their normal quota of beef or milk, is serious. Where dairy cattle drink or wade in contaminated water, the cost of milk production is increased as is the probability that the milk may be contaminated with pathogenic organisms. The health of farmers and field workers in the irrigated areas is also jeopardized because of their close contact with sewage polluted irrigation water, No public water supplies are taken from surface resources below Greeley. Cities which use surface water obtain their supplies from mountain streams remote from large sources of pollution. Streams might have been used for more water supplies had less pollution existed at the time many municipal water systems were established. Industry which requires odor -free, color -free, and relatively unpolluted waters must obtain supplies from ground sources or muni- cipal systems since river water below Denver, or in South Platte tribu- tary streams below principal cities, is so badly polluted that it is of little value for such use. The large quantity of organic pollution causes the water to be of poor quality for boiler purposes. Excessive slime also develops in industrial cooling systems when polluted waters are used, Fish life has been largely destroyed in streams of the plains section by pollution and low flows, Inorganic materials from mining operations have, in some places, obliterated fishing grounds by poison- ing the fish or by silting the river beds and destroying fish food. In 1934, the case 4illmore vs. Chain 0114ines, Inc., was heard before the Colorado Supreme Court which held mainly in favor of the plaintiffs who claimed damage from mine tailings to their irrigated lands. In the Denver area farmers formerly complained of waters contaminated by wastes from the American Smelting and Refining Company which processed cadmium, thallium, and lead. Cadmium sulphide, a bright yellow dye, was easily discernible in irrigation waters. An attempt has been made to control the offending industrial wastes. Pollution precludes local recreational usage of reservoirs and irrigation systems. Local nuisance problems exist at numerous places in the Basin. Odorous sludge banks have developed in Barr Lake, in the Burlington- O'Brian Diversion Canal, below many municipalities, and below sugar refineries, There have been numerous complaints regarding the foul smell of decomposing sugar beet refuse which is discharged into streams. Beet sugar company officials have recognized the nuisance ME