The Dolores is a gem for recreationalists in southwest Colorado
By: Erik Dalton, Montrose Surf & Cycle
The Dolores River is one of Colorado’s little known treasures, and it happens to be in Telluride’s backyard.
With its headwaters at the top of Lizard Head Pass, the river begins with the spring snowmelt, winding its way down into the depths of Ponderosa Gorge and through the red sandstone of Slickrock Canyon. Near the old town of Uravan, the Dolores meets the San Miguel — a river familiar to many outdoor recreationalists, conservationists, and community members in the Telluride area.
When the river runs, which isn’t every year, it’s an exciting and spectacular time for boaters around the state. Exciting features such as Snaggletooth and Stateline Rapids, stunning views of Slickrock Canyon (currently protected for its important ecological values as a Wilderness Study Area), and winding desert canyons are only a few of the most unique and important features. In high water years, the Dolores offers a 12 day, 173 mile river trip, a length second only to the Grand Canyon in the lower 48 states.
In addition to boating opportunities, Dolores River Canyon Country is host to a large population of catchable trout, including brown trout, and Colorado pikeminnow, attracting many fisherman below McPhee Dam.
Native species including the flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker, and roundtail chub are also present on the lower Dolores. In the West End of Montrose County, endless mountain bike opportunities are scattered throughout the canyons and plateaus, featuring slick rock, desert singletrack, and plenty of gravel roads.
The Dolores River tells a familiar story of water in the west: it was identified in 1976 and again in 2013 as eligible for a Wild and Scenic designation, yet it remains completely unprotected. In recent decades, stakeholders in Dolores County have worked to create a National Conservation Area proposal. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper have led the way by introducing this legislation to protect 68,000 acres of the river corridor through Ponderosa Gorge. While we support this legislation and urge senators to push for its passage in Congress, we recognize that it faces a difficult path forward in a divided political atmosphere.
We believe that the entire Dolores River Canyon Country landscape is worthy of protection: from McPhee Dam all the way up to the Utah state line, Dolores River Canyon Country should be recognized as our country’s next national monument.
As a local business owner of Jagged Edge and Montrose Surf + Cycle we and the recreation community rely on the wellbeing of our local landscapes, and their conservation as protected lands, to help create jobs and generate economic growth.
The correlation between protected landscapes and economic growth is strong. From the early 1970s to the early 2010s, western rural counties with the highest share of protected federal lands grew in population, employment, and personal income growth at least twice as fast as adjacent communities with lower shares of protected federal lands.
A national monument designation will highlight the importance of the Dolores River’s recreational opportunities, a critical component of our area’s economy and way of life. It will broaden the resources that are available to manage these wildlands, fostering collaboration and co-management among multiple federal land management offices.
At the same time, a national monument will maintain existing water rights, grazing leases, and private property rights that rural communities rely on.
As a dedicated advocate for recreational opportunities in our backyard, I strongly support the designation of Dolores River canyon country as a national monument. After 50 years of advocacy, it’s time for this spectacular river corridor to receive the protections it is worthy of.
Erik Dalton owns Montrose Surf + Cycle
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