Serving the community since 1866
WEEK OF JUNE 19, 2025
VOLUME 159 | ISSUE 25
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CELEBRATING 166 GOLDEN YEARS Clear Creek closed
to swimming, tubing amid rising water levels Restrictions go into effect June 9 in Golden, unincorporated Jeffco BY CORRINE WESTEMAN CORRINE@COTLN.ORG
Seen from the Tucker Gulch Trail, the setting sun casts soft light along the cliffs of North Table Mountain in July 2024.See Page 4.
PHOTO BY CORINNE WESTEMAN
Testing shows PFAS in many mountain water systems State offers testing, help for private well owners who meet requirements BY JANE REUTER JANE@COTLN.ORG
Conifer resident Ralf Topper was taken aback earlier this year when he saw a notification at his doctor’s office warning of chemical contamination of the domestic water supply. In a random state test conducted in April 2024, Conifer Medical Center tested positive for PFOA or perfluorooctanoic acid, part of a larger group of manmade chemicals known as PFAS or forever chemicals. Topper has since learned the center is among many places in the area with systems containing PFAS. “When I went on the (state) website and looked at where they had positive results, I was very surprised to see how ubiquitous this contamination was,” he said. “This is not point sourced. This is
now throughout our environment, and that’s really scary.” Conifer High School also tested positive for the chemical, along with 26 water systems identified by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in 2024 as exceeding the new federal standards.
levels in just about everyone’s blood. Both the Conifer Medical Center and the high school, which volunteered for the testing, have since implemented treatment systems to mitigate exposure. “No one is serving water in the area with PFAS above maximum containment levels,” said David Dani, emerging contaminants coordinator for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “They did detect levels about the EPA’s national containment levels.” The EPA announced strict new maximum levels in April 2024, prompting the round of testing. At the same time, the federal government also tagged more than $10 billion to help communities test and treat drinking water — money intended for rural or disproportionately impacted areas.
WESTMINSTER
MINSTER
Treatment systems
PFAs are human-made chemicals that resist oils, stains, water, and heat. The chemicals are common in non-stick coatings on cookware, coatings for carpets and fabrics, paper and cardboard food packaging, firefighting foams, ski wax and other products. They don’t break down easily and can stay in the environment and in the human body for a long time. In fact, the American Cancer Society says studies have found PFAS worldwide at very low
WINDOW
VOICES: 8 | LIFE: 10 | CALENDAR: 13
Rising river levels promoted the Jefferson County Sheriff ’s Office and the Golden Police Department to implement red flag restrictions as of noon June 9, closing Clear Creek to swimming and tubing. These restrictions extend from Jeffco’s western edge through Golden city limits, including Vanover Park, according to a June 9 Sheriff ’s Office press release. Under red flag restrictions, only kayaks, whitewater canoes, multi-chambered professionally guided raft and riverboards may operate in the creek. These users should wear life jackets and helmets at all times, and proceed with extreme caution as water levels grow higher and faster in the coming days. The restrictions will be strictly enforced to minimize the risk to those using the creek, the Sheriff ’s Office said. Violators may be issued a petty-offense summons, punishable by a $100 fine. As local rescuers have previously explained, water in Clear Creek can reach about 15 mph at peak flows. While that doesn’t seem fast compared to a car, rescuers have stressed that it’s much faster than people can swim. Plus, water temperatures are so low, people without proper gear can become hypothermic very quickly. “The river is powerful,” Lt. Joe Bechina of the Golden Fire Department said last June. “It’ll win every time.” Authorities will lift restrictions when water levels and speeds decrease. Based on recent years’ run-off trends, that may be in late June or early July. In the interim, Clear Creek visitors may see firefighters and other rescuers conducting swiftwater training along the creek this month. It remains a popular training spot for rescuers from all over the country, including several local agencies. Before recreating at the creek, visitors should check the flag warning status either online at VisitGolden.com or via the physical flags posted on the bridges over Clear Creek.
WINDOW SEE PFAS, P7
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