About Friends of the Animas River
Located in Durango, Colorado, Friends of the Animas River (FOAR) was founded in 1993 to bring attention to the health and vitality of the Animas River and its riverine systems. The Animas River is located in Southwest Colorado.
FOAR was created in response to the construction of a grocery store along the banks of the river and the Animas-La Plata Project (ALP), the last dam project in the West scheduled by the Bureau of Reclamation. At the time of FOARs establishment the City of Durango had no specific development guidelines for the river corridor; FOAR helped to establish guidelines and codes for construction within the river corridor. For many years citizen protection efforts were focused almost entirely on the ALP, forgetting that this free-flowing river is more than 100 miles long and includes many other challenges needing the attention of people interested in protecting rivers. FOAR adopted a broader protection policy with a goal of addressing issues along the rivers entire geographical area.
FOAR was instrumental in bringing attention to the advantage of collaboration between interested parties on issues affecting the headwaters of the Animas. Silverton, Colorado, is rich in mining history, which has beset the Animas River Watershed with heavy metal contamination and mining pollution. Silverton was identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a potential superfund site.
In 2005 FOAR applied to the Waterkeeper Alliance to license the title Animas Riverkeeper. The Waterkeeper Alliance approved the title in September, 2005. Being a riverkeeper offers more than a title. It connects us with an international network of water activists, lawyers, and other resources.
What We DO!
- Advocate for the Animas River
- Provide a means for concerned citizens to enforce the Clean Water Act
- Report to members on current water quality and habitat issues, science, and progress
- Restore riparian areas and fish habitat
- Work to establish in-stream water rights
- Educate the public about current river issues
- Celebrate the River by helping to organize Animas River Days
- Remove invasive species from the watershed
- Protect your rights to a clean river