For Immediate Release
Save The Poudre Coalition: Poudre Waterkeeper
January 13, 2010
www.SaveThePoudre.org
Contact: Gary Wockner, 970-218-8310
SAVE THE POUDRE MAKES THE COVER OF INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE
Does the Poudre's fate forshadow that of all the world's rivers?
Fort Collins, CO -- In the winter edition of the international Waterkeeper Magazine, the Save The Poudre Coalition makes the cover, as well as provides a long article about the threats and opportunities for saving the Poudre River. The theme of this edition of the magazine is "When Our Rivers Run Dry" 1with a sub-heading of "The fight to save Colorado's Poudre River is a cautionary tale for the coming era of water scarcity."
The article in Waterkeeper Magazine about the Poudre is written by Save The Poudre Director, Gary Wockner, and is titled, "Last Stand on the Poudre: The fight for Colorado's Cache la Poudre River could be ground zero for the next round of water wars in the Western U.S." A pdf of the article is available freely for download by clicking here.
"The Waterkeeper Alliance is one of the preeminent water protection organizations in the world," said Gary Wockner of the Save The Poudre Coalition. "Climate change coupled with population growth are threatening many of the world's rivers. The photo of the dry and drained Poudre on the magazine cover highlights the threats to the Poudre as well as rivers worldwide."
The cover photo was taken in March of 2008 right behind the Aztlan Center in downtown Fort Collins. While the river had been drained dry as it ran through Fort Collins, it was flowing with over 100 cubic feet per second of water in Poudre Canyon west of Fort Collins -- 100% of the Poudre's flow had been diverted before the river reached Fort Collins.
"The threats to the Poudre and to all of the Southwest U.S.'s rivers are extraordinary," said Wockner. "If we can save the Poudre, we might save many of the Southwest's rivers; if we lose the Poudre, we could lose them all."
A hi-resolution version of the magazine cover image is available for download by clicking here.
About Waterkeeper Alliance:
Waterkeeper Alliance is a global environmental movement uniting more than 190 Waterkeeper organizations around the world and focusing citizen advocacy on the issues that affect our waterways, from pollution to climate change. Waterkeepers patrol more than 100,000 miles of rivers, streams, and coastlines in the Americas, Europe, Australia, Asia, and Africa. Part scientist, teacher, and legal advocate, Waterkeepers combine firsthand knowledge of their waterways with an unwavering commitment to the rights of their communities and to the rule of the law. Whether on the water, in a classroom, or in a courtroom, Waterkeepers speak for the waters they defend -- with the backing of their local community and the collective strength of Waterkeeper Alliance. Waterkeeper Alliance ensures that the world's Waterkeepers are as connected to each other as they are to their local waters, organizing the fight for clean water into a coordinated global movement.
About Save The Poudre: Poudre Waterkeeper
The Save The Poudre Coalition's mission is to protect and restore the Cache la Poudre River. Several proposed dam and reservoir projects threaten the already degraded Poudre River, including the Northern Integrated Supply Project and its destructive Glade Reservoir. The Coalition has proposed a "Healthy Rivers Alternative" to the projects that is less expensive, better preserves farms, and will protect and help restore the Poudre River. A summary of the Healthy Rivers Alternative is here: http://poudreriver.home.comcast.net/~poudreriver/Healthy_Rivers_Alternative.pdf
