Outstanding Waters in the Gunnison Basin

After two years of coordinated sampling events and data collection, our Southwest Colorado Outstanding Waters Coalition has submitted our proposal to designate 25 creeks in the Gunnison and San Juan basins as outstanding waters. We’ve carefully selected these creeks based on their extremely high-quality waters and unique characteristics. Our sampling results have demonstrated that these creeks meet the water quality criteria that renders them eligible for OW designation. These waters also possess a range of important qualities—some host cutthroat trout populations or rare warm-water fi sheries; others support unique recreational opportunities or vulnerable riparian communities. Want to weigh in to support Outstanding Waters designation for these streams? A link to our official proposal to the state can be found at https://ourcowaters.org/. Please sign our petition at to add your support.