DOLORES
COUNTY, Colorado (October
30) – The San Juan National Forest Dolores Ranger District and Western
Rivers Conservancy
(WRC) have permanently conserved the 160-acre Dunton Meadows property—a
critically important wetland meadow complex at the headwaters of Colorado’s
famed Dolores River. The acquisition protects a crucial source of clean, cold
water for Colorado River cutthroat trout in a Dolores River headwater tributary
called Coal Creek, and keeps an iconic viewshed intact for people visiting some
of Colorado’s most popular hiking trails.
Dunton
Meadows sits at roughly 10,000 feet in the San Juan Mountains, 25 miles from
Telluride and between the East and West forks of the Dolores. The meadow
complex serves as a cold-water sponge that collects, stores, cools, filters, and
gradually releases snowmelt and stormwater into Coal Creek, which contains some
of the richest habitat in the entire upper Dolores River basin for the Colorado
River cutthroat trout. The subalpine meadow is also excellent habitat for Rocky
Mountain elk, mule deer, black bear, Canada lynx, American marten and other
wildlife.
“In
addition to being a spectacular alpine meadow with sweeping views of two of
Colorado’s highest peaks, Dunton Meadows is a vital cold-water savings vault for
the area’s fish and wildlife,” said Allen Law, WRC’s Interior West project
manager. “Alpine wetlands like this are rarer than ever, so protecting what we
still have is critical to river systems like the Dolores. We’re thrilled to have
worked with the San Juan National Forest to conserve a place that is so
integral to the experience that many Coloradans have in this area.”
Dunton
Meadows’ sweeping, undisturbed views of Mount Wilson and the Lizard Head
Wilderness are emblematic of the area. The property is bisected by an access
road that connects hikers to two of Colorado’s most scenic hikes: the Navajo
Lake Trail and the Kilpacker Trail. The San Juan National Forest’s acquisition
of the property ensures the pristine nature of this mountain meadow and its mountain
views remain intact.
“Dunton Meadows is
ecologically irreplaceable for the role it serves in the Dolores River
watershed,” said Dolores District Ranger Nick Mustoe. “The property’s importance
for fish and wildlife in the Dolores River system is only matched by its
important contribution to water quality and quantity for downstream
municipalities. Places like this allow the National Forest System to live its
mission of caring for the land and serving people.”
WRC and the San
Juan National Forest launched their effort to conserve Dunton Meadows in 2021,
and WRC successfully purchased the property in May 2023. WRC then held the
property while working with the Forest Service to secure funding through the Land
and Water Conservation Fund and other sources to convey it to the San Juan National
Forest.
The Dolores
River is one of Colorado’s most popular rivers for anglers and boaters, charting
a 240-mile course through alpine meadows, ponderosa pine forests and
sheer-walled sandstone canyons. The Dunton Meadows property has been a top
priority acquisition for the San Juan National Forest for years, and keeping it
intact allows it to continue its small but crucial role in the health of the larger
Dolores River system.
This
project was made possible by funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Pivotal support also came from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and
individuals throughout the West.
Hi-res images and a map are available here.
