Water Levels Strong for Summer & Fall Recreation in Gunnison County, Colorado
Fishermen, rafters, kayakers, boaters, windsurfers and water lovers are celebrating the best summer and fall water flows expected in Colorado’s Gunnison River Basin since 1998. Snow pack in Gunnison River Basin as of May 19 was 146 percent of average, with total precipitation at 118 percent of average, according to the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District.
The Gunnison River Basin, located in southwest Colorado, includes world-class recreation facilities such as Taylor Park Reservoir, Blue Mesa Reservoir, Taylor River, East River, and Gunnison Whitewater Park on the Gunnison River. Not only is water plentiful in the Gunnison River Basin, it is some of the cleanest in the world, according to the National Park Service.
Water Levels & Recreation
“Our peak water releases out of Taylor Dam will be in June and July, but we will have good flows through September,” says Mark Schumacher, who has been in the fishing, kayaking and rafting business for 23 years as owner of Three Rivers Resort & Outfitting in Almont, Colo., located between Gunnison and Crested Butte.
“This definitely is the year to go rafting and kayaking in Gunnison County. It will be the best experience in years because of volume; there will be rapids and waves that we haven’t seen for a long time,” he says.
Located west of Gunnison, Blue Mesa Reservoir will come close to reaching full capacity this year. “In June and July especially, we expect Blue Mesa to be pretty full. There should be great boating into the fall and fishing year-round,” says Karen Shirley, district manager of the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District. “This year also will be a much better year for water amounts in the Taylor River because we can release more of the natural inflow instead of storing it in the Taylor Reservoir.”
Fishing has remained strong in Gunnison County, even during recent years with lower moisture levels. However, due to higher water levels in 2005, wading will start a little later and float fishing will last into September. “It is a bit unusual to be able to float fish on the Taylor River and Gunnison River that late,” Schumacher says.
Flat water fishing looks very promising this year, with Taylor Park Reservoir expected to be fuller and clearer this year. “By mid-summer, there will be a lot of water and the trout fishing should be great. By mid-May, Taylor Park Reservoir should be free of ice and a prime place to catch the large Mackinaw trout early in the season. Northern pike fishing should be good all summer,” says DeeDee Marriott, owner of Taylor Park Marina.
Another benefit to a strong moisture year is the ability to do a “flushing” release from the Taylor Reservoir into the Taylor River. Currently scheduled for late in June, the flushing will cleanse the river of silt, improving fish habitat and bug life. “This could lead to even better fishing years in the future,” Shirley says.
Events for Water Enthusiasts
The third full week in June is a banner week for water events in Gunnison County with the Colorado Adventure Sports Festival (June 25 – 26), River Awareness Week (June 21 – 26) and 5th Annual Taylor Park Marina Fishing Derby (June 25). On July 20 – 21, the Crested Butte Land Trust will host the fourth annual Caddis Cup Fly Fishing Tournament.
Colorado Adventure Sports Festival (previously known as the Gunnison Whitewater Festival) showcases the excellent recreational opportunities available at Gunnison Whitewater Park and in the Gunnison Valley on June 25 and 26. The festival will feature community and competitive raft races, kayak racing and demonstrations, a freestyle kayak competition, a trail run, a Rock Star Party, a trials mountain bike competition, a rock climbing competition, fly-fishing, adventure racing, and kids’ foamy boat races. Once again in 2005, the event will be the final stop of the Colorado Cup kayaking point series.
Gunnison Whitewater Park is located on the west side of Gunnison along the Gunnison River. Follow the signs from Highway 50 west. For more information about the Colorado Adventure Sports Festival, contact the Todd Crane Center for Outdoor Leadership at Western State College, (970) 943-7131, or visit www.whitewaterpark.org
In conjunction with Colorado Adventure Sports Festival, High Country Citizens’ Alliance (HCCA) will hold the second annual River Awareness Week, June 21 – 26, in the Gunnison Valley. River Awareness Week is designed to promote awareness about the role of rivers in the local environment and economy. The week’s event are open to the public and will feature a Morrow Point Reservoir boat tour, sea kayaking demo day, hikes, fly-fishing workshops, evening presentations and music. For more information, contact HCCA at (970) 349-5975 or visit www.hccaonline.org
The fifth annual Taylor Park Marina Fishing Derby on June 25 will offer cash prizes for longest northern pike, largest pike by weight, most pike caught, and largest trout caught in the Taylor Park Reservoir. Registration begins at 6 a.m., with eligible fishing times between 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. The entry fee is $25 per person. Registration for the kids’ division is free, with non-cash prizes available. For more information, contact Taylor Park Marina at (970) 641-2922 or visit www.taylorparkmarina.com
Crested Butte Land Trust’s fourth annual Caddis Cup Fly-Fishing Tournament on July 20 – 21 is a 24-hour extravaganza. The tournament starts off with a barbecue at a local ranch on July 20, where participants are matched with famous local guides. On July 21, teams head off with a picnic lunch and fan out for the day. Late afternoon, prizes are awarded for biggest brown, rainbow, total aggregate inches and best fish tale for the one that got away. The event entry fee is $600, with all proceeds benefiting the Crested Butte Land Trust. For more information or to register, call (970) 349-1206.
Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages
To find out more about water recreation and other events in Gunnison County or to book personalized vacation packages, call the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association’s official reservations center at (800) 814-8893 or visit www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com During summer and fall, air access to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport is provided by United Airlines.
About Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado
Gunnison-Crested Butte is nestled among almost two million acres of pristine wilderness in southwest Colorado. Winter sports enthusiasts know the area for its world-class alpine skiing and snowboarding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing. Gunnison-Crested Butte is also a haven for outdoor summer activities. In the warmer months, visitors can choose from recreational activities such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking, boating, whitewater rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, camping and horseback riding. Year-round visitors enjoy distinctive restaurants, unique shops and stimulating cultural opportunities, and have a wide range of lodging options — from rustic inns to guest cabins and bed-and-breakfasts to full-service resort hotels.
Dubbed the Wildflower Capital of Colorado, Crested Butte is the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and Crested Butte Academy, a private college preparatory boarding and day school. Gunnison, a real western town celebrating its 125th anniversary, is home to the beautiful, high-country campus of Western State College, a four-year institution offering 22 majors in the liberal arts and sciences and professional fields, and the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport. Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities.
In Gunnison County, visitors will find the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where dinosaur fossils were recently discovered; the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado’s largest body of water and home to the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States; and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of our country’s newest national parks. Gunnison County includes the quaint and historic towns of Pitkin, Gothic, Tin Cup, Marble, Powderhorn, Almont and Crystal, plus the better-known communities of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte.
May 31, 2005
Posted in: United States West