I often fish the Animas River and returned to the river below the former transient/homeless camp at Purple Cliffs after more than a year of avoiding this section of the river. The refuse in the former camper area is disgusting. Even more appalling was the trash from La Posta Road down to the river.
There were multiple abandoned camps in this area and rather than use the roll-off trash containers provided, trash was simply dumped over the road shoulder toward the river. Following designation of the temporary Purple Cliffs camp, I have volunteered twice with a local recreational group and once with a county-organized group to pick up trash along the Purple Cliffs river corridor. These are public lands and the discarding of trash and refuse ignored littering laws and are a direct consequence of the former Purple Cliffs transient/homeless community enabled by Neighbors in Need Alliance, Manna Soup Kitchen, Project Moxie and others.
While La Plata County is awaiting a bid from Clear View Cleanup of Durango to address the refuse and trash abandoned at the former camp at county taxpayers’ expense, it is unlikely they will address the trashed river corridor.
It is time for Neighbors in Need Alliance, Manna Soup Kitchen, Project Moxie and other supporters of the transient/homeless community to take responsibility for this trash, and use their time and financial resources to clean up the river corridor below Purple Cliffs.
Charles MacKown
Ignacio
