Legal Template for U.S. Municipalities

In February, Save the Colorado and Earth Law Center formed a partnership to advance the rights of rivers and watersheds in Colorado and beyond. Since then, we have been hard at work to create innovative, effective, and enforceable new legal models to establish the Rights of Nature and create legal guardianship bodies to enforce those rights.

Communities that have recognized the rights of waters & watersheds:

• Nederland, CO - Boulder Creek & Watershed

• Ridgway, CO - Uncompahgre River & Watershed

• Grand Lake, CO - Grand Lake & Watershed

We are in conversation with ~10 other communities wishing to consider similar initiatives. Contact info@earthlaw.org for more info.

Boulder Creek, Colorado

Earth Law Center joins Boulder Rights of Nature (BRON), Save the Colorado, and other local partners to establish the Boulder Creek Watershed as a legal entity possessing rights. Although ecologically and culturally important to the region, Boulder Creek faces many water quality and flow challenges.

The campaign seeks to establish legal rights including the ability to flow and to be pollution-free. It also seeks the right to restoration. The Boulder Creek Watershed would also have one or more legal guardians that enforce its rights and interests.

With Nederland recognizing the rights of Boulder Creek, we are hopeful that other communities will do the same.