Editor’s note: The minewater spill that happened Aug. 5 came through Durango the next day, turning the Animas River bright yellow-orange. And with that, Durango and the Animas popped up on the nation’s radar and were reported nationwide. The idea of a wildly colored river and the irony of the spill being triggered by the Environmental Protection Agency also proved an irresistible combination for editorial cartoonists always in search of an image. It was hardly the sort of notoriety anyone wanted, but there is no denying the world was aware of Durango. The cartoons reproduced here originated with artists and newspapers from across the country.
