2018-12-12_REVISION - M2018016 (7)

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stream habitat improvement, outreach and education. The Foundation r p operates under ' an action memorandum from the EPA, designating it as a Good Samaritan Action Agent. The Foundation conducted a number of cleanup projects that have improved water quality in Clear Creek with funding from the EPA, the U.S. Forest Service and the Colorado's Water Quality Control Division. In particular, the Foundation awarded a grant of around $500,000 to implement restoration on the Lower North Empire Creek controlling runoff from severely impacted,virtually un-reclaimable, upland mined lands to the west of the Creek.32 The City of Golden is an active member of the Upper Clear Creek Watershed ' Association that also derived from the EPA Superfund initiative. Golden's drinking water source is predominantly from Clear Creek and its tributaries.33 A number of other Colorado cities (Georgetown, Idaho Springs, Black Hawk, Arvada,Northglenn, ' Thornton and Westminster) also use Clear Creek water or water from tributaries of Clear Creek for their domestic household water supply. To ensure that tap water is safe to drink,the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has ' regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in the treated water provided by public water systems such as Golden's. ' CDOT is involved in keeping Clear Creek waters clean, as well. The formation of the Sediment Control Action Plan (SCAP) for the reach of the I-70 tributary to Clear Creek is a collaborative partnership between CDOT, local mountain communities ' and other parties interested in the Clear Creek watershed.34 The SCAP is a voluntary effort by CDOT to address sediment-related water quality issues. The 2017 Sediment Control Plan for the Upper Clear Creek Corridor notes that reductions in ' sediment loading due to SCAP will reduce in trace metal and nutrient loading35 in Clear Creek.36 ' Clear Creek is used extensively for water-based tourism; there has been major growth in white-water rafting over the past decade. Yet, last summer has shown ' how fragile this industry is with drought causing some business to operate in other parts of Colorado and others to close early in the season. Since the late 1990s, three ' 32 http://clearcreekwater.org/news/2017/9/27/ccwf-awarded-grant-for-lower-north- empire-project 33 https://www.cityofgolden.net/media/WaterQualityReport2017.pdf ' 34 Sediment loading in upper Clear Creek is two to three times higher than might be expected from bed load conditions, and sediment loading in lower Clear Creek is three to five times higher than would be expected from bed load conditions. ' 35 Nutrient loading is the process where too many nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus,are added to bodies of water and can act like fertilizer, causing excessive growth of algae. ' 36 https://www.codot.gov/projects/i-70-old-mountaincorridor/documents/clear-creek- scap-final-report.Rdf 14