After 12 years of work, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service have approved a management plan designed to protect a high-stakes section of the Upper Colorado River that will act as a substitute for more stringent Wild and Scenic designation.
The agreement, approved in late June, covers the stretch of the river from Kremmling to Glenwood Springs, according to an Aspen Journalism report, and seeks to balance the need to protect the river for environmental and recreational purposes with water development and use by Front Range water providers and Western Slope water users.
The plan includes a provision that allows any participant to withdraw if major new diversions planned for the Front Range hurt streamflows, particularly for boating. Read more here.
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