Rafters gearing up for what could be an ‘epic’ rafting season

From the Aspen Daily News (Dorothy M. Atkins):

The cold temperatures and large amounts of precipitation that have been plaguing Aspenites through the off-season have assured many rafters that the Roaring Fork River will have plenty of snowpack to pull from to maintain river flow well into the summer…

The Fork is fueled by snowmelt from snowpack located up Independence Pass. The gauging station located on Independence Pass is reporting 21.6 inches, — 159 percent of average snowpack — according to the Roaring Fork Conservancy…

This year with more snowpack and colder temperatures, the hope is that the Fork will remain navigable through August…

“I hate to say I have any expectations, because who knows what will happen,” said raft guide Casey Vandenbroek. “I would be so stoked to be on Slaughterhouse until mid August, and I feel like we have enough snow if we just get a nice steady melt.”

A nice steady melt is what everyone is hoping for this year.

From The Greeley Tribune (Dan England):

This season, boaters expect water levels may even surpass that 1983 record of just under 6,000 cubic feet per second. Those are water levels that bring elation from experienced boaters, concern from law enforcement and rescue personnel and a mix of the two from rafting companies…

The only thing for certain is the water should be higher than it’s been in years, and it will probably be a few weeks before boaters really see it. Even if it does warm up in a hurry, said Bell, a kayaker and atmospheric scientist, it takes a while to start the melt with such a deep snowpack, which could mean a peak later in June.

More whitewater coverage here.

Buena Vista: PaddleFest May 27 — 29

From The Mountain Mail:

Hosted by Colorado Kayak Supply, the weekend celebrates the start of the summer paddling season. Additional events include water education, fun competitions, the Buena Vista Pro/Am Rodeo, beer gardens, live music, and movie premieres. Water events include free stand up paddle board and kayak demonstrations, competitions for youths and adults, and high caliber educational on-water courses. Competitions and river demonstrations will be at South Main Square. Flat water paddling events will use the town lake in McPhelemy Park…

More information is at www.ckspaddlefest.com.

More whitewater coverage here.

Runoff news: There’s a 50% chance that the peak could be 80,000 cfs in Cataract Canyon this year

From PRLog.org:

The latest projection from the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center in Salt Lake City, Utah has projected the Colorado River in Cataract Canyon to have a 50% chance of peaking at over 80,000 cfs (cubic feet per second). Since 1985 the Colorado River has only reached 80,000 cfs one time. That happened on June 19, 1995 when the Colorado River peaked at 80,700 cfs.

Dolores River: Reclamation hopes for a 10 day boating season downstream of McPhee Reservoir this year, Dolores River Dialogue meeting April 28

From The Durango Telegraph (Missy Votel):

“The spring wind and weather has been eating it up,” said Vern Harrell, Bureau of Reclamation liaison for the Dolores River Project, of the region’s snowpack. “This year we don’t even know if we’ll fill the reservoir.” The reservoir, which was a capacity of 229,000 acre-feet is expected to receive 225,000 acre-feet of runoff this spring. With the latest prediction, this would make for a 10-day spill of about 800 cfs in order to stretch the flows out as long as possible. However, when and if this happens is anybody’s educated guess. While the BuRec ideally shoots for Memorial Day Weekend, sudden temperature or precipitation spikes could influence it either way. “We’ll know more the week after the reservoir starts to fill, depending on weather and storm forecasts,” said Harrell. He said flows will most likely not be significant enough for commercial rafting companies to plan trips, but savvy local boaters at the ready could luck out with some careful monitoring of the BuRec’s web site at http://www.doloreswater.com. “That’s the best information out there,” said Harrell of the site, which is updated twice a week. In targeting Memorial Day Weekend, May 28-30, the spill will be held back until May 20, if possible. However, in 2009 McPhee filled early pushing up the release start date to May 11. Last year, cold weather caused the reservoir to fill slowly, holding back the spill until May 24…

A steering committee for the Dolores River Dialogue, a varied group of user interests which has been meeting since 2004, will be revealing two proposals to benefit the Dolores’ downstream fisheries next week. The flow from McPhee was originally conceived with the nonnative, cold-water trout sport fishery in mind, but the objective has since grown to include the warm-water fishery of native species such as suckers, chubs and pike minnows. There is also concern over the health of the river’s riparian zone as well as the geomorphology of the riverbed, including sediment build up and flow.

The steering committee’s first proposal looks at the use of “selective level outlet works,” which would basically allow water to be pulled from various elevations within the reservoir for release. “In the past, we have only pulled water from the bottom, because that’s the coldest water for the trout, but we can get better water quality for the native fish with warmer water higher up,” Harrell said.

The second proposal from the group calls for the Montezuma Irrigation Co. to lease 6,000 acre feet of water from the Colorado Water Conservation Board for downstream flows. The water would actually come from Groundhog Reservoir, north of Dolores, and flow through McPhee, which is overallocated as is. The lease would be for any three years out of a 10-year span, although the sequence of those three years remains to be seen. “We will have to develop that concept, but details still aren’t here yet,” Harrell said.

More Dolores River watershed coverage here and here.

Yampa River: American Whitewater survey of river users

Here’s the link from the American Whitewater website.

American Whitewater is working to identify the range of flows that support the full range of boating opportunities for the main stem and tributaries of the Yampa and White Rivers. As part of our Yampa River Project, we are working with the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Yampa-White Basin roundtable to identify and define flows needed for continued recreational uses on Northwestern Colorado’s iconic rivers. THe results of our assessment will be used in future negotiations over water supply planning, and resouce management actions.

We have developed this survey so individuals can help American Whitewater represent recreational interests in deciding what the future of the Yampa and White Rivers will look like. Our goal is to utilize information from the survey to help us quantify flow preferences for whitewater boating, which will identify the range of flows necessary to provide whitewater recreation experiences, from technical low water to challenging high water trips. The information will provide us with the data necessary to describe flow-dependant recreation experiences and to protect and manage flows for river-based recreational opportunities.

AW is currently working with local governments, conservation groups, and State and Federal agencies to decide the future of the Yampa and White Rivers and their tributaries. Your honest participation in this study, will help American Whitewater Staff develop new instream flow guidelines for the Yampa and White Rivers.

Please encourage your fellow paddlers to participate in this study. The more responses we get the more robust our results will be. We will publish results of this survey for the benefit of paddlers with an interest in recreational opportunities on the Yampa and White Rivers.

From Steamboat Today (Mike Lawrence):

Survey results will be part of an extensive multiyear assessment of demands on the Yampa and could be used in future discussions of water policy and resource management. “This recreational flow survey is definitely something that’s pretty exciting for us,” said Kent Vertrees, a recreational representative on the Yampa/White River Basin Roundtable. “It’s just one of the components of the environmental and recreational nonconsumptive needs (assessments) of our basin.”[...]

“This has nothing to do with the recreational water right or establishing water rights in the future,” Vertrees said. “This is basically a study that the roundtable is doing to comply with what the state asked us to do, way back in 2005.”

More Yampa River basin coverage here and here.

Grand County files for a Recreational In Channel Diversion right on the Upper Colorado River

From the Sky-Hi Daily News (Tonya Bina):

Appropriated on Dec. 21, the 2010 water rights, if realized, may give Grand County traction with future water cases affecting the Fraser and Colorado Rivers, according to county officials. A recreational in-channel diversion allows for a call in a certain place and time for the benefit of “boating, rafting, kayaking, tubing, floating, canoeing, paddling, and all other non-motorized recreational uses” as “part of (the county’s) ongoing effort to improve water-based recreational and economic opportunities for its citizens and the general public,” states the water rights application. The “byproduct” would be allowing Grand County to be “in the conversation” when it comes to decisions about future river uses, according to Grand County Commissioner James Newberry…

Objectors to the Division 5 conditional water rights filing in Garfield County’s 9th Judicial District Court, Glenwood Springs, have until the end of February to oppose the application. Town boards and rights holders from Kremmling to Winter Park are considering opposing the filing as a means to join the case to ensure their water interests are protected — in some cases, a position of objection could be viewed as “friendly opposition,” and in others, genuine opposition…

Grand County’s application for conditional rights names a Hot Sulphur Springs Whitewater Park in Pioneer Park near the town, with no rights at flows above 900 cubic feet per second (cfs), and a Gore Canyon Whitewater Park in two locations, one above and one below Pumphouse recreation area west of Kremmling, with no rights at flows above 2,500 cfs. One or more of these sites could be the source of calls for recreation water in the river from the headwaters of the Colorado and in the length of the Fraser River…

The county’s 2010 water right would be junior to existing rights and may only influence future development and diversions on the river, [Grand County Commissioner Gary Bumgarner] said.

More Colorado River basin coverage here.

Snowpack/streamflow/storage/whitewater news

From Steamboat Today (Tom Ross):

It almost sounds sacrilegious to talk about spring runoff as Steamboat bears down on what could be its fourth 400-inch winter in six seasons. With seven weeks to go in ski season 2010-11, Steamboat already has surpassed 310 inches at mid-mountain, putting the tally ahead of the recorded-history average of 308 annual inches…

Risa Shimoda, of USA Freestyle Kayaking, has announced that for the first time, Steamboat’s Paddling Life Invitational freestyle competition will be added to the premier freestyle kayaking point series in North America. The Steamboat event on May 30 will come right after the Pro Rodeo in Buena Vista on May 27 and 28, ensuring the best in the sport will be in the Steamboat neighborhood.

If you like a dash of controversy with your water on the rocks, we’ve just learned that the Grand County Commissioners have applied for water rights on the Colorado River, both in Hot Sulphur Springs and below Gore Canyon, to ensure adequate flows for all forms of recreation. The recreational in-channel diversion rights would be attached to whitewater parks in Hot Sulphur and below the canyon near Pumphouse, Nathan Fey, of American Whitewater, reports. Fey said Grand County is seeking to protect 900 cubic feet per second of flow at Hot Sulphur and 2,500 cubic feet per second below Gore Canyon.

From the La Junta Tribune-Democrat (Bette McFarren):

…all reservoirs in the state are up with the exception of John Martin and Trinidad. The realtime streamflow in Fountain Creek is normal. Flow on the Arkansas River below Timpas and below John Martin Reservoir is lower than normal. Above Pueblo, there is 91 percent of the water present last year. The snow pack in the upper basin is at 80 to 90 percent of peak, with possible early spillage…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts drought conditions in the lower Arkansas basin through March and April.

Whitewater business news

From the Aspen Daily News:

According to the annual “Commercial River Use in the State of Colorado” report issued by the Colorado River Outfitters Association (CROA), commercial rafting companies in the state hosted 507,392 user days during the 2010 season, up 16,500 user days, or 3.4 percent, from 2009. A “user day” is defined as a paying guest on a river for any part of a day. The visitor figures have exceeded a half-million for four straight years from 2005-2008 before taking a temporary dip in 2009 during the heart of the national downturn. The rebound was warmly welcomed…

As the CROA report indicates, every user day contributed much-needed revenue to state coffers and local businesses. The combined economic impact of commercial river rafting in 2010 was $150.3 million, up 4.9 percent, or $7 million, from 2009. That was the second-highest total since CROA began tracking these statistics in 1988, trailing only the banner year of 2007.

Over a season that runs from April to September, CROA’s outfitters collectively raft more than 20 rivers across eight major basins. The Colorado and Arkansas rivers saw the largest increases from 2009 to 2010 and still have excess capacity to allow for more visitors. Many other rivers in the state have limits to increased use and therefore have seen their numbers stabilize. Overall, notes Cantamessa, the diversity of opportunity means that most Coloradans – and many in neighboring states – are within an easy day’s drive of a rafting vacation that suits their tastes.

More whitewater coverage here.

Whitewater rafting business news

From the Fort Collins Coloradoan (Pat Ferrier):

Guides brought nearly 37,400 people down the glistening waters of the Poudre River – about 400 more than the year before when the economic downturn hit the industry, according to a new report issued by the Colorado River Outfitters Association. The Poudre River was the sixth busiest of the 27 Colorado rivers with commercial activity…

With mountain snowpack at about 130 percent of average, [Brad Modesitt, owner of Mountain Whitewater Descents] already is getting bookings for summer trips. “We will have some water and we’ll have some fun out there.”[...]

Well-educated and affluent, customers of the five local rafting companies permitted to take visitors down the river spent $4.3 million on rafting, food, lodging, souvenirs in the area. That translates into an $11 million economic boon for the city and its surrounding area, according to the Colorado Tourism Board. The economic impact is up slightly from $4.2 million in direct expenditures and $10.8 million overall in the 2009 survey. Statewide, the 2010 economic impact totaled more than $150 million from more than a half-million rafters…

The Arkansas River was the busiest with 211,150 commercial user days, according to the Colorado River Outfitters Association.

More whitewater coverage here.

Pueblo: Arkansas River levee repairs update

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

The repair project will cost nearly $500,000 and must be completed before river flows increase in March, said Gus Sandstrom, president of the Pueblo Conservancy District, which maintains the levees. “We think it’s a crisis,” Sandstrom said. “If we didn’t do the work, we think we would flood parts of Downtown.”[...]

Although the levees along the Arkansas River and up Wild Horse Creek are maintained annually, the concrete levee along the Pueblo Whitewater Park was damaged during construction of the kayak course. “We noticed two years after the course was completed that the way they changed the flow had damaged part of the levee,” Sandstrom said. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers accepted responsibility for three of the five areas of concern on the levee, while it determined the district would have faced similar problems at two other spots if no work had been done, Sandstrom said. Repairs will address water backing up at the kayak gates, causing flows to wash away the dirt behind the levee. The repair work will cost between $300,000 and $350,000, and will include piping that will allow water to wash under the levee without carrying dirt away, Sandstrom said.

Diverting the river will cost about $100,000 and work will begin Monday. It will require constructing a small levee in the channel to steer water away from the concrete levee on the north bank. The diversion would be from Fourth Street to the Santa Fe railroad bridge, and will not diminish flows upstream or through the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo.

More Arkansas River basin coverage here.

Whitewater news: Rafting numbers up in 2010

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Tracy Harmon):

According to Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area Rationing Coordinator John Kreski, boating client use was up 2.56 percent over last year with a total of 262,122 people taking to the river on commercial rafting trips. A total of 254,431 clients rafted the river in 2009. “That’s good news,” said Bob Hamel of Cotopaxi, owner of Arkansas River Tours and president of Colorado River Outfitters Association. “That is what you would predict or hope for even in a good economy, so Colorado continues to hang in there.”

Hamel said he attributes the good numbers to several economic factors. He said shorter trips are still affordable for families, pricing has held for two to three years and discounts are available. The biggest jump in users came among anglers. Float fishing raft trips are a segment of the industry that bring in business during shoulder season months before and after the main rafting season of June, July and August.

Governor Ritter Creates Mediation Process for River Access Disputes

Here’s the release from Governor Ritter’s office (Myung Oak Kim/Todd Hartman):

Gov. Bill Ritter today issued a report outlining a series of proposals for resolving disputes between landowners and rafters in Colorado. He also signed an executive order creating the River Access Mediation Commission to provide a way for some of the most contentious conflicts between boaters and property owners to be addressed.

“I’m pleased to announce this report, and the formation of a mediation commission, so we can move forward in resolving these issues fairly and thoughtfully,” Gov. Ritter said. “I believe a mediation commission can work its way through these matters in a civil, reasoned way where all parties’ views are respected and considered in developing a resolution that could alleviate the need for litigation.”

The Governor’s River Access Dispute Resolution Task Force was a 17-member group created in July to help craft ways to sort out conflicts on Colorado rivers on a stretch-by-stretch basis as those disputes arise. Gov. Ritter created the task force through executive order as part of an agreement with stakeholders to set aside numerous conflicting ballot measures on the issue.

The task force report includes eight unanimous recommendations to the Governor on ways to limit disputes between various parties. The recommendations include creation of the River Access Mediation Commission to address the thorniest disagreements. Participation by disputing parties would be voluntary, and the commission would not have the power of arbitration. The report can be accessed on the website of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources at http://dnr.state.co.us/

“I commend the hard work of the task force in developing this report, and extend my thanks for its effort in working through difficult issues that required members to find common ground,” Gov. Ritter said. “The report includes a host of recommendations with great potential to reduce friction between rafters and landowners. I look forward to sharing the recommendations with Governor-Elect John Hickenlooper, and urge him, along with the State Legislature, to thoughtfully review the report.”

More coverage from the Associated Press via The Durango Herald:

The bill was prompted by disputes between landowners who don’t want boaters using waterways flowing through their property and boaters who say the state’s waters belong to the public. The conflict came to a head on western Colorado’s Taylor River last year when a developer told commercial rafters they could no longer float through his property.

“I believe a mediation commission can work its way through these matters in a civil, reasoned way where all the parties’ views are respected and considered in developing a resolution that could alleviate the need for litigation,” Ritter said in a statement.

More whitewater coverage here. More HB 10-1188 coverage here.

Durango: Winter maintenance for Smelter Rapid

From The Durango Herald (Garrett Andrews):

Track hoes in the middle of the Animas River at Santa Rita Park were performing winter maintenance on rock formations Monday, capitalizing on the 180 cubic feet per second flow of the Animas, which can run at several thousand cfs in the spring. The work, overseen by the city’s Animas River Task Force and funded by Durango Whitewater, should wrap up by the end of the week. The excavators are replacing dislodged boulders moved during monsoons and high flows over the last two years. Monday, Miguel Montoya of Spriggs Excavation of Durango was trying not to kick up silt while refashioning a river run that churns heavily in high water…

Durango Whitewater received a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and raised $14,000 to fund the project. Spriggs donated the track hoe and Montoya’s services. Wolf Creek Ski Corp. also donated a track hoe and operator.

More whitewater coverage here.

New whitewater park for Montrose?

From The Telluride Watch (Peter Shelton):

Now retired from competition and fresh from the opening of the 2012 Olympic kayaking venue in London, which was built by his firm, S2O Design of Boulder, [Scott] Shipley made a pitch for a family-oriented whitewater park on the Uncompahgre River at Upper Cerise (Riverbottom) Park.

City Park Planner Dennis Erickson hosted the event at the Pavilion, which also included a presentation by lead planner Ann Christensen of DHM Design in Durango, who introduced the draft plan. Also on hand was Gabe Preston of CPI Consulting, who led the group in a keypad polling exercise on priorities within the draft plan.

Participants indicated their preferences – high priority, medium or low – for a number of goals being considered in the plan, including: developing new city-owned parks on the northern third of the 10-mile-long river corridor, building more pedestrian bridges across the river, connecting downtown Main Street more directly to the river, building tails to link existing and future parks, acquiring private property for river improvements, and preservation/enhancement of the river ecosystem.

A whitewater park scored high on the list. But the highest priority for the public on this night was clearly trails, bicycle/pedestrian trails, to connect parks and link existing segments of river trail, thereby providing alternate-transportation routes, not just for recreation, but for commuting and shopping as well.

More whitewater coverage <a href="

Pagosa Springs plans new features for their whitewater park

From the Pagosa Sun (Jim McQuggin):

…if Army Corps of Engineers (ACoE) permitting goes seamlessly, along with other variables, river enthusiasts could have as many as seven new whitewater structures in the river by next summer…

The two new features, set for completion before next spring, will be installed in the portion of the river adjacent to Town Park.

With two new features slated for completion by mid-December, the town also approved engineering for five additional features in the near future, with construction possible as soon as next spring if ACoE permitting can make it through the process prior to late-winter thawing. Of the five features, two are planned for installation just north of the bridge on east U.S. 160, adjacent to the River Center shopping complex. Farther down the river, one feature is planned for the portion of the river adjacent to Town Hall, with two more set for construction adjacent to Yamaguchi Park. With the construction of a total of seven new features in the San Juan River, Pagosa Springs could potentially become a premier destination for rafters, kayakers and other whitewater enthusiasts…

As far as the additional five structures, Pitcher said that engineering and surveying was in process, as well as necessary easement acquisition (to fulfill ACoE requirements). “That’s going good and, as far as easements, I think we’ll have that done. Everyone seems to be supportive of the project.” If Riverbend and the town can secure those easements along with amended ACoE permits, construction on a third phase of the project (for five more structures) could begin as early as next spring.

Meanwhile, a whitewater park may be on the horizon for Montrose. Here’s a report from Kati O’Hare writing for the Montrose Daily Press. From the article:

[Scott Shipley, a world champion kayaker and veteran whitewater park designer] spoke Wednesday to a crowd of about 50 about the Uncompahgre River’s potential for a park. The discussion was part of a follow-up presentation about the city’s ongoing Uncompahgre River Corridor Master Plan process. Shipley said Montrose has the river, with its flow, and all aspects needed for a successful whitewater park. “They’re designed to mesh with the environment” and consider fish passage, vegetation and river access, he said. Designers consider 100-year floods and “most important, are designed that it doesn’t have a negative impact on the community where you put it.”

More whitewater coverage here.

Should the Colorado National Monument and Dinosaur National Monument be designated national parks?

From the National Parks Traveller (Kurt Repanshek):

Mary Risser, Dinosaur’s superintendent since 2005, answers the question by referring to the nomenclature of the National Park System.

“What they say is a national park contains a variety of resources and encompasses large land or water areas to provide adequate protection of the resources,” notes the superintendent. “A monument is intended to preserve at least one nationally significant resource. It’s usually smaller than a national park, and it lacks a diversity of attractions.

“So, when you look at the definition, Dinosaur would definitely qualify as a national park. When you think about the resources that we have here, you start with the Douglas Quarry, which is the world’s best window into the Jurassic-era dinosaurs, (and) we’ve just found probably one of the world’s most significant cretaceous area dinosaur quarries right across,” continues Superintendent Risser. “We have two of the West’s premier white-water rivers. … and then we have over 200,000 acres of wilderness. I think Dinosaur has features that you find in all the other national parks in the state (Utah).

“We can trace human history for 10,000 years here. It has the most complete geologic record in the National Park System, even more so than Grand Canyon. So it’s just a spectacular place.”

River Access Dispute Task Force meeting recap

From the Sky-Hi Daily News:

“We are going to try to get neighbors to meet with neighbors without having to have legislation,” said Bob Hamel, a member of the task force. Hamel is Colorado River Outfitters Association president and owner of Arkansas River Tours in Cotopaxi…

The rafting dispute came to a head on the Taylor River last year when a developer told commercial rafters they could no longer float through his property. State Rep. Kathleen Curry, an unaffiliated state representative from Gunnison, proposed a bill in favor of the rafters. But state lawmakers declined to intervene, and instead the 16-member Governor’s River Access Dispute Resolution Task Force was set up to resolve rafting disputes…

The task force also heard from Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area Director Rob White, who said that the Arkansas River draws 42 percent of the state’s rafting business and called rafting a “huge economic machine” for the area. White said his agency hears disputes and issues warnings and tickets to trespassers. Greg Felt, who runs float fishing trips on the Arkansas River, said conflicts are often passive-aggressive. He said some private landowners have built rock diversions that force rafts to trespass because of low water. Others have hung big fish hooks or dead rattle snakes off of foot bridges to signal the rafters aren’t welcome.

More whitewater coverage here.

River Access Dispute Task Force meeting recap

From The Mountain Mail (Audrey Gilpin):

Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area was presented as a “success story,” with park manager Rob White highlighting the citizens task force and river management plan as a way of monitoring river use and mitigating disputes among landowners, non-commercial boaters and private boaters. Comprised of anglers, private and commercial boaters, water users, environmental interests, property owners and local government representatives, White said the Arkansas headwaters task force creates a “communication tool” and management of the Arkansas River that’s “all about compromise,” White said…

The long-standing dispute about whether a “right to float” in Colorado exists or ought to exist, however, is not what the task force was charged to decipher. Mike King, deputy director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, said the task force is trying to find adequate processes and tools to mitigate disputes. Arkansas River Canyon landowner Tim Canterbury said he’d “hate” to see any standard go statewide. “We have a unique situation on the Arkansas River. Can you legislate respect?” he said…

Task force members will attempt to find “solutions” in dealing with problems identified during the meeting including criminal trespass, obstructions in the river such as diversions, fences and structures; issues with commercial and non-commercial boaters, volume of boaters and impact to natural resources. The Governor’s group will meet from 1-5 p.m. Oct. 13 in Glenwood Springs followed by a public input meeting from 5-7 p.m. The task force is to submit a final report to the governor no later than Dec. 31, identifying a framework for a “dispute resolution process for conflicts between rafters and landowners.”

More whitewater coverage here.

River Access Dispute Task Force meeting recap

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Tracy Harmon):

“We are going to try to get neighbors to meet with neighbors without having to have legislation,” said Bob Hamel, a member of the task force who also is Colorado River Outfitters Association president and owner of Arkansas River Tours in Cotopaxi. “We (outfitters) are not going to give up floating on any rivers in Colorado and it’s not about signing agreements, because every situation is unique.”[...]

Nathrop rancher Frank McMurry told the task force about his concerns from a private landowner’s perspective. He said he and other landowners feelvulnerable to lawsuits. “I own the last piece of private property before you go into Browns Canyon, and the carrying capacity is 300 rafts. With seven people in a raft, that is 2,100 rafters a day and that is not counting the private boaters,” McMurry said. “My property has become an attractive nuisance and rafters have caused a big part of that,” McMurry said. He described finding private boaters on his property who had set up a volleyball net and were playing volleyball. Another time, a group of private boaters had stopped to chase some of his heifers at a time when two bulls were with the cattle. “What if one of them was hurt by a bull? Who is liable for that? I think the state should afford us liability (insurance) as property owners,” McMurry said.

The public still can weigh in on the issue. Written input or comments may be provided to Governor’s River Access Dispute Resolution Task Force via e-mail at riveraccess@state.co.us, via mail at Colorado Department of Natural Resources, attention Kim Burgess, 1313 Sherman St., Room 718, Denver, CO 80203. For information, log onto the website http://www.dnr.state.co.us.

More whitewater coverage here.

Governor Ritter’s River Access Dispute Task Force to meet in Salida tomorrow

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

The 17-member Governor’s River Access Dispute Resolution Task Force will meet from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District officers, 339 E. Rainbow Blvd. (U.S. 50). Public input is set from 5 to 7 p.m. The task force was created to help craft a dispute-resolution process to resolve future conflicts between boaters and private landowners on Colorado waterways. It met earlier this month for the first time, and additional meetings are planned in October and November…

Written input or comments may be provided to the Governor’s River Access Dispute Resolution Task Force. Written comments will be compiled and delivered to Task Force members for their consideration.

By e-mail: riveraccess@state.co.us

By mail: Colorado Department of Natural Resources, 1313 Sherman Street, Room 718, Denver, CO 80203. Attention: Kim Burgess.

More whitewater coverage here.

Elk River: Rancher Jay Fetcher named to River Access Dispute Resolution Task Force by Governor Ritter

From Steamboat Today (Mike Lawrence):

Gov. Bill Ritter named Jay Fet cher on Monday as one of 17 members of the River Access Dis pute Resolution Task Force. The group has until Dec. 31 to prepare a report for Ritter and the state Legislature that recommends methods for resolving disputes among landowners, commercial rafters, boaters and anglers on a case-by-case basis as disputes arise…

Fetcher was a logical choice for the task force, [Ritter spokesman Evan Dreyer said] said. “Jay (Fetcher) and his family have owned land and ranched in Northwest Colorado for decades and decades,” he said. “They have a unique perspective from a landowner’s viewpoint that will be extremely valuable to this task force and this process.”

Meanwhile, there is a dispute with the members of the dispute task force, according to a report from Shawn Martin writing for The Pulse- of Colorado Farm Bureau. From the article:

“In addition to the Governor making some questionable appointments to this taskforce, I am most disappointed that he clearly and purposely chose to alienate the organization whose members stand to potentially lose the most from this process. The Colorado Farm Bureau represents a large majority of riverfront landowners in Colorado, but our nominees to the task force are absent from the list of voting appointees,” said Alan Foutz, President of Colorado Farm Bureau. “It is disappointing that one of the organizations that was most engaged in the debate surrounding HB- 1188 is excluded from this process.”

In addition to a lack of diversity in political philosophy and vocation, the Governors list is also lacking members who live and work on the land of Colorado’s Western Slope. “Over half of the members of the taskforce reside in Front Range communities. It is apparent that the Governor is not serious about creating an equitable process that will yield fair and workable results for all parties involved. It shows his lack of seriousness about the issue,” continued Foutz.

More whitewater coverage here.

Steamboat Springs: Local whitewater enthusiasts contemplate replacing manmade water feature know as ‘Charlie’s Hole’

From Steamboat Today (Joel Reichenberger):

The C-Hole is one of a number of features that have been built into the Yampa River and has long been the biggest and the best. It was named for Charlie Beavers, a local kayaker who died at age 21 in a non-kayak-related accident in North Carolina.

It was built in 2003 and partially washed out by a high runoff in its first season. That damage was repaired, but the Yampa hit its highest mark since that summer in early June this year, and again the hole was damaged. “It’s significantly changed for the worse,” local kayaker Dan Pia no said. “As the river was coming up this year, some thing shifted. There was a big crease in the wave I’ve never felt before. Then when the water came back down, the hole was just gone.”

Some speculate that the boulders moved, likely because the sediment under neath them was eaten away by the ferocious river. The rocks then sank into the hole dug by the flow…

Kent Vertrees, with Friends of the Yampa, said he’s contacted the city and everyone is eager to start work on repairs as soon as Stagecoach Reservoir is finished siphoning excess water into the river. That could mean work in October, though bad weather could push any repairs to the spring or fall 2011. “The city said they’re fully committed. We want to get this done,” Vertrees said. “This is a great amenity that needs to be taken care of.”[...]

The fix envisioned could help avoid similar troubles at the hole in the future. Planners hope to get approval to pour grout between the rocks actually in the river, though that’s not a sure thing and extra boulders might be needed to help lock the feature in place. A new hole won’t necessarily look like the big wave that left even the world’s best kayakers grinning. Organizers said they hope to consult and consider everyone from kayakers to tubers to fly fishers and surfers when deciding what work to do. “Part of the discussion is whether or not the formation should have more of a wave effect. The last feature was built with a little more retentiveness, a little ledgier with a drop-off, to create more of a hydraulic,” Van de Carr said.

More whitewater coverage here.

Governor Ritter names river access dispute resolution task force

Here’s the release from Governor Ritter’s office (Theo Stein/Evan Dreyer):

Gov. Bill Ritter today announced he has appointed 17 members to the River Access Dispute Resolution Task Force. The Task Force was created to help craft a dispute-resolution process to resolve future conflicts between river users and private landowners on Colorado waterways.

The Task Force appointments follow heated debate that occurred earlier this year over proposed legislation, a specific dispute along the Taylor River and the introduction of several ballot measures which have since been withdrawn.

The Governor appointed the following 14 members to serve as voting members of the Task Force. The terms expire at the pleasure of the Governor:

- Robert A. Hamel of Howard
- Greg Felt of Salida
- G. David Costlow of Fort Collins
- Thomas J. Klienschnitz of Grand Junction
- Leslie A. Tyson of Denver
- Jay P.K. Kenny of Denver
- Lee L. Spann of Gunnison
- James R. Ford of Pagosa Springs
- John G. Leede of Greenwood Village
- Charles B. White of Denver
- Jay Fetcher of Clark
- Paul C. Crane of Boulder
- Sen. Dan Gibbs of Silverthorne
-Undersheriff Richard D. Besecker of Gunnison

He also appointed three members to serve as non-voting members of the Task Force, also with terms expiring at the please of the Governor:

- Rebecca Swanson of Denver, to serve as a co-chair of the Task Force from the Governor’s Office

- Patrick D. Tooley of Denver, to serve as a non-voting ex-officio member and as a legal advisor to the Task Force

- Carolyn F. Burr of Denver, to serve as a non-voting ex-officio member and as a legal advisor to the Task Force

The executive director of the Department of Natural Resources, or a selected designee, will also serve as a co-chair. The charge of the Task Force is to develop a framework for resolving conflicts among landowners, anglers, commercial rafters, and the boating public on a stretch-by-stretch basis as disputes arise. The group will:

- Hold two public meetings in different parts of the state to gather stakeholder input.

-Hold at least four other open meetings to evaluate the public input and consider options for a dispute-resolution process.

- Prepare a final report with recommendations for the Governor and Legislature by Dec. 31.

More coverage from The Pueblo Chieftain (Patrick Malone). From the article:

The task force was created to help craft a dispute-resolution process to resolve future conflicts between river users and private landowners on Colorado waterways. During this year’s legislative session, a bill seeking to clarify whether rafters are entitled to float through rivers on private land failed to settle the question. The issue sprang from a dispute between a landowner along the Taylor River on the Western Slope and commercial rafters who for years had traversed the stretch through the land that the developer recently had acquired. The developer had threatened to halt passage through his property. A compromise was struck, avoiding about two dozen proposed ballot initiatives on the subject. The task force’s objective is to develop a framework for resolving conflicts between landowners, commercial rafters, anglers and the boating public on a stretch-by-stretch basis as disputes arise.

More whitewater coverage here.

Bailey Canyon: Bailey Fest 2010 Saturday and Sunday

From The Denver Post (Scott Willoughby):

Legal-speak aside, the debut of a coordinated recreational water release through Bailey Canyon calls for a party. Bailey Fest 2010 will celebrate the optimal flow of 300 to 450 cubic feet per second (cfs) planned for release from Dillon Reservoir via the Roberts Tunnel into the often underserved stem of river running through Bailey Canyon and Foxton.

Kayakers are encouraged to come out and show their support of the rare summer release by paddling the classic Class IV/V run beginning at the town of Bailey on Saturday, followed by a takeout party with free food and beer from 2-6 p.m. at Pine Valley Ranch Park. Colorado Whitewater is planning a cruise down the more mellow Foxton section (Class III) on Sunday. In between, group camping is free to boaters and volunteers along Forest Road 550 near Buffalo Creek.

For more information, call Ian Foley at 303-907-1373 or Confluence Kayaks at 303-433-3676.

More whitewater coverage here.

Cache la Poudre River: New whitewater park for LaPorte?

From the North Forty News (Cherry Sokoloski):

[Mandy Kotzman of LaPorte] is actively working on the creation of a whitewater park at Lions Park in LaPorte. The park could be a playground for folks with kayaks, rafts, canoes and even surfboards. It could also be home to a healthy population of trout, Kotzman said. “There’s no reason we can’t create something that will work for both,” she said. If more pools are created in the river, Kotzman noted, more fish might survive over the winter.

Kotzman has received 106 letters of support for the project, as well as offers of funding and labor. “I’ve been blown away” by enthusiasm for the water park, she said. The principal of Cache La Poudre Middle School wrote a letter of support, and she has received positive feedback from the three private property owners who would be directly impacted.

More whitewater coverage here and here.