Keep it clean , we all live downstream .
Meet Our Heroes
Every day , countless people are working to protect and manage our water supplies . We all have a responsibility to help .
From the time of Colorado ’ s earliest inhabitants to the present day , the history of our state has been about the history of water , a history of both surplus and shortage .
Meet Watershed Defender ( WD ), super hero and protector of runoff water . While growing up on the eastern plains of Colorado , WD learned the value of water . While snow in the mountains is often measured in feet , much of the plains region averages less than 13 inches of annual moisture .
WD ’ s grandad told him what it was like when the first non-native settlers arrived , following the Rio Grande , Arkansas and Platte rivers . He told him how irresponsible water use had fouled mountain streams and lakes .
He also told him about the 1930s and 1950s , when crops withered in the drought and livestock died from lack of feed .
WD spent his summers working on a ranch in the mountains . He saw firsthand how grazing , mining , logging and other industries were good , but could be mismanaged .
While studying at the university to become a hydrologist , WD learned how a river was much more than what was contained between the banks . He learned how all living things are connected by water .
WD , his sister Kilee and their team of Watershed Defenders have committed themselves to helping to keep Colorado a great place now and for future generations .
The Watershed Defenders help protect our water all along its path , encouraging everyone to do their part , large or small .
Their No . 1 enemy ? The Contaminator . He ’ s the monster that thrives on polluted runoff water . His favorite hiding spot is the storm drain . He waits for rain and melting snow to carry pollutants that will damage our local rivers and lakes , harming animals , plants and possibly humans .
The good news ? You can help . We can all be Watershed Defenders every day . It ’ s easy . Read on …
You don ’ t have to be a super hero to be a Watershed Defender — Check out page 4 to find out how you can make a difference today !
2 Watershed Defenders produced by Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom