The Dolores River is one of western Colorado’s unique geological, scenic, recreational and environmental features, carving a path south and west out of the San Juan Mountains through Rico and into the McPhee Reservoir near Dolores, only to turn north and begin its meandered carve through the red-rock canyons of Dolores, San Miguel and Montrose counties before leaving the state to join with the Colorado River in Utah. The river and its environs’ distinctiveness, and the many varied interests that depend on these resources have prompted a multi-year, multi-level discussion about how best to manage the river corridor and the water within it. A collaborative stakeholder group is focusing on a proposed congressionally established national conservation area. It is an inclusive, grassroots endeavor deserving respect and attention.
A diverse advisory committee of stakeholders in the Dolores River landscape has, since 2010, been crafting proposed legislation to ensconce the lower Dolores from below McPhee Dam to Bedrock as a national conservation area – a management tool that allows for significant local input on how the resources are used. This is an appropriate avenue for developing a shared vision that incorporates the many, sometimes divergent, interests with a stake in the land, water and wildlife in and around the Dolores River. The group has worked tirelessly and inclusively for five years drafting proposed legislation, with help from elected officials including U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet. It has engaged a prominent water attorney to review the implications of any federal designations on water rights in the lower Dolores. It has been thorough in its process up to now, seeking input from affected decision-makers along the way.
Montezuma County Commissioner Larry Don Suckla is on the legislative drafting committee and had been supportive of the national conservation area concept for several years before turning on the idea in February. That was a shocking and premature stance to take, and prompted the commission to vote unanimously to oppose any such plan. Given that the drafting committee has yet to take the proposed legislation to the public for input and adjustments, let alone to a member of Congress for sponsorship, Montezuma County pre-empted a local process that is steadily identifying, addressing and resolving areas of conflict around the Dolores River corridor management. The commission should re-think its opposition to a carefully constructed local plan for protection – of land, fish, water rights, recreation and the many local economies that benefit from the Dolores River.
Sen. Bennett and his staff were key players in the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act that passed Congress and was signed into law in December. That bill was built on the same solid local foundation that takes many years to build the requisite trust among divergent stakeholders to craft a plan that addresses all concerns – with some sacrifices from all parties. There is significant time and energy invested in the lower Dolores River corridor, and Bennet’s support of the process bodes well for its success and soundness.
As the proposed national conservation area legislation circulates, there will be ample opportunities for the public to weigh in on the concept itself, as well as its details. Those are important venues for civic engagement that affect a landscape critical to so many western Colorado communities. Protecting the Dolores River corridor under a collaborative vision is to the benefit of all involved.