New Mexico Clears San Juan River For Drinking Water, Recreation

New Mexico officials on Saturday lifted the ban on using the Animas and the San Juan rivers for drinking water after a major wastewater spill in Colorado.

The New Mexico Game and Fish Department is also reopening the rivers for recreational use following the August 5th spill at the Gold King Mine near Silverton.

But officials recommend anglers only catch and release fish caught on the Animas and San Juan Rivers until the impacts of the wastewater on aquatic life can be determined.

The Navajo Nation, through which the San Juan flows, has not lifted its recreational and agricultural water use restrictions.