While camping/hiking the upper Florida watershed – a key source for Durango city drinking water – over four days recently, I observed and photographed the following: domestic sheep excrement liberally dropped over extensive areas of vegetation and surface rock, including along all creeks in the watershed, and profusely widespread trampling along diminishing margins of all lakes in the watershed (including city reservoir Lake Marie) with subsequent damage to lake-side vegetation and significant sediment transfer into lake outlets and downstream courses.
I am retired from the USDA Forest Service and I support multiple use. I’ve also come to the opinion that the San Juan National Forest’s greatest priority is watershed protection and that priority is elevated when a watershed is critical for drinking water.
The water, environment or aesthetic aspects of this watershed are not pristine, if you just look – which I do.
So, the city of Durango will continue to treat for heightened coliform contaminants; they have to. And lakes/reservoirs will fill with sediment. And I won’t delve into the issue of domestic vs. bighorn sheep, but I suggest readers investigate that in depth.
Durango residents, please ask yourselves: Is it appropriate for one sheep permittee to be enabled to impact this watershed in this way, a source for the water out of your tap?
Think about what you’re drinking. Think about where protection is needed.
Thank you for reading and for your consideration.
Steve Hartvigsen
Pagosa Springs
