A relic of Ridges Basin ranch life, which will be leveled and covered by water if plans go through./Photo by Patrick Brawley.

Photographer Patrick Brawley has never attended a meeting or signed a petition opposing the Animas-La Plata project. In fact, he’s never officially come out opposing the project until now. This week, a Web site will be going online with a collection of his photographs (including those accompanying this story). The site will document the look, feel and history of Ridges Basin before it is inundated with water.

Brawley said that when he moved to Durango, he began exploring Ridges Basin as an “open and relaxing” area to recreate near Durango. “I wasn’t even sure that was the spot they were going to flood,” he said.

He’s been spending a lot of time familiarizing himself with the basin lately, recording its features in case it is filled with water. “I’m just going to show the good side of it before it’s gone,” Brawley said.

He said that he hopes that people will view his images and think about the value of what will be lost.

“Look at the area,” he said. “Look at what we’re going to lose. It’s this history, diversity and life that we’re going to lose. Hopefully the photographs will be protest enough.”

Brawley’s work can be viewed online at www.ridgesbasinphotos.net.