DENVER, Colorado—In an exciting win for fish,
wildlife and recreationists, Western Rivers Conservancy and Colorado Parks and
Wildlife have permanently conserved the 1,860-acre Collard Ranch on Tarryall
Creek, just 60 miles southwest of Denver. Using funding from Great Outdoors
Colorado’s Centennial Program and the Colorado Habitat Stamp, WRC transferred
ownership of the ranch on March 8 to CPW, which will now manage the property for
its outstanding conservation and recreation values.
“Tarryall Creek is a special area to so many people in
Colorado, with easy access for Park County residents and folks living on the
Front Range,” said Allen Law, WRC’s Interior West Project Manager. “We are
proud to partner with CPW to forever protect this stretch of the creek,
especially given its importance to a critical wildlife corridor and its iconic
views of Kenosha Pass.”
Collard Ranch includes five miles of Tarryall Creek, a
principal tributary to the South Platte River and a popular South Park fly
fishing stream. The ranch is part of a major migration corridor for thousands
of Rocky Mountain elk, which use the property as their primary route from the
high peaks of the Rockies to lower-elevation grasslands during their annual
migration into and across South Park. Mule deer and pronghorn frequently move
through the area as well.
There are several beaver ponds
along the creek on the property, which are rare on Colorado’s valley floors. Beavers,
considered a keystone species, add vital habitat complexities to rivers through
dam building, which create ponds and wetlands as well as channel structure that
improves spawning habitat for fish. Their presence on Collard Ranch adds to the
property’s importance.
"A huge thank you to WRC and
GOCO for their partnership in acquiring this property and protecting this land
in perpetuity," said CPW Area Wildlife Manager Mark Lamb. "Wildlife
conservation work would not be successful without cooperation between
government agencies, outdoor organizations, private landowners and nonprofits.
We are excited to acquire this property and look forward to getting it open for
public access in the near future."
After Collard Ranch was listed for
sale, WRC jumped at the opportunity to conserve the property and negotiated a
purchase agreement with the landowner. WRC bought the property in early
December 2023 and held it until funding was in place, allowing it to convey the
ranch to CPW. The ranch will now be managed by CPW to preserve its outstanding fish
and wildlife habitat and to provide new recreational access.
Under state ownership, Collard Ranch will be open to the
public, offering fishing and hunting access along five miles of Tarryall Creek.
CPW ownership will also establish more uniform resource management along the
creek, given the property’s adjacency to Cline Ranch State Wildlife Area and
other conservation lands.
“We developed our Centennial Program to invest in
once-in-a-generation opportunities that protect some of our most valuable
places and create meaningful access to the great outdoors for Coloradans,” said
GOCO Executive Director Jackie Miller. “Western Rivers Conservancy and Colorado
Parks and Wildlife have given us exactly that kind of opportunity with the
Collard Ranch project, and we are proud to help make it a reality for Colorado with
our $6.25 million investment.”
