CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1908-08-20
FIRST STEPS IN CAMPAIGN
FOR A CLEAR RIVER

One week from next Thursday judi
cial cognizance will be given the mat
ter of preventing further pollution OF
the waters of the Arkansas river by
placer mining operations on the part
of the lessees of the Twin Lakes
placer company. This recognition will
come about through an application for
a temporary writ of injunction re-
straining the defendant company and
it's lessees, or assigns, from proceeding
with placer mining operations pend
ing the final hearing upon the matter
when it is hoped that permanent in
junction will be granted.
The application was filed in the dis
trict court here about ten days ago by
Messrs. Waldo, Dawson & Stump of
this city, Wallace Schoolfield Of SaliGa
and John A. Martin Of Pueblo repre-
senting the people of Canon City and
Pueblo.
In the application for the injunction
it is alleged that previous to the begin
ming of placer mining on Cache creek,
a tributary to the Arkansas, the river
was a mountain stream, its waters
clear and pellucid and swarming with
trout. Since the pollution of the
stream by the debris washed into 1t
by the hydraulic machinery. the water
upon which the people Of the two mum
icipalities depend for domestic uses
has been rendered practically unit
for use, while the poisonous stuff with
which the water is impregnated has
killed the trout from one end Of the
stream to the other.
It was a number of years after the
beginning of mining operations by the
Twin Lakes company, before the full
extent OF the damage being done, was
realized by the people of the two cities.
At first a great deal of the debris was
caught in holes and RIFLES in gulches,
through which the polluted water
found its way into the Arkansas, and
in the river itself. In course of time
filled up with the debris, until now the
stuff is carried down the stream, fill
ing up the headgates of irrigation
bitches and rendering the water of the
river unfit for use for domestic pur-
poses.
In an attempt to purify the water
the two cities have expended large
sums of money, and these expendit-
ures continued each year, have been
found futile. The placer mining pro-
position is low grade one, and while
almost inconceivable damage Is being
done through the running of tailings
and other debris into the river, the
earnings of the placer miners does not
exceed on an average 100000 a year,
considerably less than is each year ex-
pended by the cities in an endeavor to
render the water fit for use.
In the complaint it is alleged that
the damage done to Pueblo and Canon
City through this pollution of their
water supply cannot be estimated in
dollars and cents, as it is difficult to
estimate the money damage done to
the health of the people, while it
would be equally as difficult to esti-
mate the amount lost through the re-
tarding of a natural growth in popu-
lation due to poor water. 1t Is the con-
tention of the municipalities that the
placer mines are nuisances which
should be suppressed for the common
good. 1t is shown that no great vested
interests exist as the placers return
in profits but a small portion of the
expense their operation entails.
For several years the people of the
valley have been agitating the propo-
sition OF taking such action as would
make of the Arkansas a clear, pure
mountain stream and at last this agi.
tation bids fair to bear fruit. 1t being
the general impression that upon final
hearing the placer miners will be per
manently restrained from further
running one of the most beautiful
mountain streams in the United States