Ice park threatened by climate change finds an ally in US silver mine

America's ice-climbing epicenter was facing a bleak future, with climate change endangering its water supply. Nestled in the heart of the Rockies, at an altitude of 2,400 meters, Ouray is famous among mountaineers around the world for its artificial ice park. 

A damaging decades-long drought threatened the area's water source, even as the number of winter visitors exploded. But starting next season, all that is set to change, after Ouray Silver Mines stepped in and offered to lease the rights to millions of liters of water every year -- for a meager $1 fee.