The news continues showing us the orange-tainted Animas River while only giving us updates on the levels of toxic waste it is carrying, the lead levels now reaching 12,000 times over the level of safety.
I wanted to see for myself how the Animas is currently presenting itself, so I went to Durango on Aug. 11. The orange sediment is sinking to the bottom of the river, though leaving its mark on rocks, twigs and the shorelines: undeniable signs that the river has been through some serious trouble.
I discovered minnows in a small pool out of the way of the current hovering just above the orange sediment-covered bottom. They appeared to be doing just fine, but that was yesterday. Who knows what the future consequences will show.
To gaze at the river as a whole one might surmise it to be running clear and beautiful, but to then look at the visible bottom is to know that this tragedy has only begun. Just because the river looks clean is no reason to fall into relaxation about what has happened. This event has far-reaching consequences, and though many of the stronger species may be only mildly affected, there will be many that will suffer.
Water is the blood of life for all species, not just our own. May it be the mission of all of us to not take for granted that some one else will watch out for and protect our water. That is the unconscious assumption of a child. It is the calling of all of us to pay better attention to who, why and how our water is being considered. We have no excuses. We all know, and that makes us responsible, like it or not.
Sheila Wheeler
Dolores