Editor:
I have to applaud the county commissioners on their stand on the gold milling situation in the Mancos area, and I hope they hold everyone responsible and make them accountable. This is a situation which has long-reaching implications for the health of those who worked there and neighbors as well.
Residents of Montezuma County can only hope the commissioners will be as concerned with the potential downgrading of the Dolores Valley Plan. The proposed changes, which might allow structures and RVs within the 100-foot setback which is now in place, will run the risk of lessening water quality if those structures and vehicles get washed into the river and ultimately into the lake, which is the domestic and agricultural water source for much of the county as well as Dolores County. Debris piling up behind bridges will also increase the chances of damage to those structures, whether publicly or privately owned.
In an era where water is increasingly precious and high quality increasingly difficult to maintain, this is not the time to risk degrading what we have. We can’t risk poorer water quality because one landowner got away with not following regulations. Commissioners, don’t open that door!
Bill Williams
Dolores
