Boulder Creek has always been known as a hotspot for fun outdoor activities, from fly fishing to tubing down the river with friends. Making lasting memories that families and friends cherish and look forward to when warm weather arrives. However, there has been a long-standing issue that many may not know about the water they are interacting with. “E.coli is a bacterial marker for fecal pollution, which lives in the intestines of humans, wildlife, cattle, and dogs'' (Keep It Clean). Studies have shown that high levels of E.coli have been found in Boulder Creek that do not meet the water quality standards (Brennan). Recreational waters should not exceed E. coli levels of 104 cf/ 100ml, while Boulder Creek surpasses that at 126 in cf/ 100ml (Keep It Clean). Realistically many people have swum at least once in the creek, revealing that clear water may not be as clean as one thinks.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has registered over 100 waterbody sections that have been placed on their water list due to startlingly high levels of E. coli (Udasin). Encompassing this list is the expansion from 13th street to South Boulder Creek, continuing through the City of Boulder and parts of Boulder County (Boulder Creek E.coli Monitoring). The nonprofit organization, Boulder Waterkeep, has found that this issue could extend upstream of 13th street. Thus insisting that the E. coli crisis may be polluting more waterways than presented (Boulder Creek E.coli Monitoring).
Willie’s Culkin, Waterkeep activist, has pinpointed the cause of this crisis to three entities who hold permits allowing them discharges to dump pollution into Boulder Creek. These three entities are the University of Colorado, the City of Boulder, and Boulder County. Culkin and his organization have directed most of their attention towards CU because they are polluting beyond what is allowed within their permit guidelines. Furthermore, their permit is up for review and Waterkeep knows from their water quality tests that CU has E. coli surging off of their campus (Culkin). Streaming directly into Boulder Creek in a multitude of places.
Underneath CU there is a system of pipelines that dispose of waste, street runoff, and other unknown toxins that leak out of campus buildings. There is a whole universe of plumbing and sewage below the university’s feet and no one knows what pipes are connected to what anymore because no one has been down there since 1876. The discharge coming out of campus buildings flush through the pipelines, then into the street sewer and several outfalls. The end of the line for the system of underground pipes is the outfalls that dump into Boulder Creek. Nevertheless, CU has over half a dozen of outfalls (Culkin). The most notorious outfall being outfall C. Boulder Waterkeeper has discovered a shockingly excessive record of E.Coli at the location. With concentrations as high as 4,838c/f 100 ml, way beyond the recreational standards (Brennan). Culkin describes outfall C as “a completely devoid of life” going on to describe that “The nose and eye would recognize that something is going on that is not healthy. It looks dead”.
Boulder Waterkeep had taken samples and found elevated levels of E. Coli within Boulder creek. Consequently, they invited CU to one of their quarterly watershed forums and asked the university to explain the reason behind the E. coil issue. CU deflected their involvement and put full blame on raccoons. Raccoons do make their way into the storm sewer at the university but Waterkeep had information to disprove CU’s argument. Culkin recounted that whenever there is a storm, there should be high amounts of E. Coil that flows into Boulder Creek. This is because the storm should fill the storm drains and wash out the raccoon feces. However, Waterkeep found that even when the climate was dry, there were still elevated levels of E. coli in these outfalls from CU. Furthermore, it is normal for water to have E. Coil but CU had significantly executed that limit (Culkin).
Although it is still unsure where the E. coli is exactly coming from, the test for genetically E. coli that Waterkeep conducted found geese, raccoons, and human marks. The permits that Boulder nourishes, gives leeway for geese or raccoon feces. But once a human marker is detected that becomes a crucial issue against the permit and even the law. Waterkeep presented their findings to CU and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Shockingly, they brushed it off. Waterkeep does not know if the E. coli issue is getting better or worse. Regardless, the issue is continuing at a pace that exceeds the limit the permit admits for the universities. Waterkeep continues their campaign for clean water and ultimate goal of making the University of Colorado accountable for their commitment, of being a good steward to the environment by abiding to their permit (Culkin).
Work Cited
“Keep It Clean.” E. Coli, www.keepitcleanpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/FINAL_Ecoli_FactsheettoWeb.pdf.
“Boulder Creek E.coli Monitoring.” Edited by Ted Ross, Waterkeeper, www.boulderwaterkeeper.org/.
Brennan, Charlie. “Environmentalists Again Flag E.coli Concerns in Boulder Creek.” The Denver Post, The Denver Post, 26 July 2019, www.denverpost.com/2019/07/26/e-coli-boulder-creek-university-colorado/.
Udasin, Sharon. “E. Coli Fouls 100 Colorado Waterways. But Managers Aren't Sure How Big the Threat Is to People Playing in Streams.” The Colorado Sun, 3 July 2020, coloradosun.com/2020/07/23/e-coli-colorado-water-recreation/.
Willie Culkin (303) 641-9024 boulderwaterkeeper@gmail.com
