Las Animas - Bent County Library District

At the May 18, 2016 Clean Water Fee Bill stakeholder meeting,the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Water Quality Control Division staff presented a starting scenario regarding fee changes for each of the Clean Water Sectors. The purpose of this fact sheet is to assist those who were not able to attend the meeting to understand the assumptions used to develop the starting scenario.

The need to permit discharges associated with pesticide applications evolved from national litigation. The courts decided that an exemption EPA had adopted in 2006 was invalid in that only Congress has the authority to exempt pesticides from Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) permitting. The court decision required discharges associated with pesticide applications to have CWA permit coverage beginning October 31, 2011.

Wetlands are an essential component of Colorado's landscape that greatly benefit the people of Colorado by performing a number of vital functions, including water quality improvement, flood attenuation, and wildlife habitat. As resource managers, planners, and restoration practitioners attempt to mitigate for impacts to aquatic ecosystems, there is a growing need for conservation planning tools that help bridge the gap between ecological data collection...

The management of Colorado's water quality is crucial to the continued development of the State, and to the quality of life the state offers to its citizens. The Water Quality Control Division plays an important role in the protection and restoration of the State's streams, lakes and reservoirs and in assuring that the citizens of Colorado have safe water to drink.

The 303(d) List identifies water quality limited segments still requiring Total Maximum Daily Loads ("TMDLs") within Colorado.