Could a federal designation help protect one of Colorado’s ‘last free-flowing rivers?’

Could a federal designation help protect one of Colorado’s ‘last free-flowing rivers?’

A community-driven effort to protect the Crystal River from dams and out-of-basin water diversions has gained new traction with the release of a report evaluating the feasibility of a Wild and Scenic designation from the federal government.  The report — issued by the Crystal River Wild and Scenic and Other Alternatives Steering Committee — comes decades after the designation was first explored for the river, which, in its upper stretch remains …