A local hydrologist says glaring data gaps invalidate a study that denies a connection between natural gas operations and the degradation of a natural spring on Florida Mesa.
On Tuesday, Southern Ute officials presented to the La Plata County Commission the findings of a study investigating correlation between Red Willow Production operations and contamination of a nearby spring and tree die-off.
Red Willow, an oil and gas production company owned by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, operates three wells in the area between U.S. Highway 550 and Rainbow Road.
Last year, adjacent property owner Jennifer Thurston’s suspicions arose that Red Willow’s activity affected a spring near her property, and the activity caused an expanding acreage of dying junipers and piñons.
Separate assessments of the area were led by the Southern Ute Growth Fund Safety and Environmental Compliance Management Group and Colorado State University Forestry Service.
Karen Spray, exploration and production manager for the tribe, pointed to thriving wetland vegetation and attributed dying junipers and piñons to increased moisture.
“You have dead trees in the middle of robust wetland vegetation, which is not indicative of a methane seep,” she said.
Spray told commissioners that no methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide or hydrogen sulfide were detected in the soil around the impacted area. She said one cannot extrapolate oil and gas activity from the pool of potential culprits behind the problems on Florida Mesa.
“Looking at this data, I can’t speak 100 percent, but from my years of experience, I would be comfortable saying this is not oil- and gas-related,” Spray said.
Commissioner Julie Westendorff found the similar patterns between the property in question and impacts to other springs within the county “striking.”
In answer to commissioners’ questions, Spray said there are no plans for ongoing monitoring of impacts to the area, and the recent study focused solely on Red Willow wells.
The water levels of total dissolved solids in the spring water are significantly lower than those in the produced water, according to the study.
But Win Wright, a hydrologist and engineer for 35 years, said he doesn’t think the tribe can draw any conclusions based on the study.
Wright, an acquaintance of Thurston, reviewed the report and said the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has limited purview over the matter.
“In this case, Thurston doesn’t really have due process, which would include a technical review and comment on the reports. I think there are a lot of unanswered questions related to this particular area.”
Wright said the problem is bigger than methane, and took issue that the report did not measure the spring discharge, which would be standard protocol, he said.
The commission discussed possibly contacting the state’s oil and gas commission for evaluation of other possible methane seeps near gas operations.
jpace@durangoherald.com
