MESA
COUNTY, Colorado—In
the waning days of 2022, Western Rivers Conservancy (WRC) and the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) together added a critical Gunnison River property to the
Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area (NCA). WRC conveyed the 27-acre
Meridian Junction property to the BLM on December 29, furthering the partners’ efforts
to improve the integrity of the NCA and the health of the Gunnison River for
fish, wildlife and people.
WRC and
the BLM have been working together to purchase and conserve strategic riverfront
inholdings in the NCA since its creation in 2009. Although the lower
Gunnison River flows through the NCA for 30 miles, more than 16 miles of it remain
privately owned and could be developed or mined for gravel.
The small
but important Meridian Junction property was one such parcel that could have
been locked out of the NCA for good. With previous conservation successes under
their belts, the BLM approached WRC in 2014 about acquiring the property when
it was put up for auction. WRC was able to move quickly and purchase the
property and then hold it until funding sources were lined up to convey it to
the BLM. Funding for the project came from the Land and Water Conservation
Fund.
“We’re
thrilled to see nearly 10 years of hard work pay off with another parcel along
the Gunnison protected and one more crucial property included in the Dominguez-Escalante
NCA,” said Sue Doroff, president of WRC. “The Gunnison is a lifeline for this
parched western Colorado landscape, and protecting vulnerable land along the
river is crucial to the health of the entire conservation area.”
With its rich
archeology, unique geologic formations, free-flowing stretches, healthy
riparian corridors and prime habitat for endangered desert fish, the Gunnison is
one of the West’s great rivers. On its journey to the Colorado River, the
lower Gunnison flows through the 210,172-acre Dominguez-Escalante NCA. The conservation
area is home to diverse wildlife, and the lower Gunnison is one of the last
places where all four species of Colorado basin warm-water fish (Colorado
pikeminnow, humpback chub, bonytail chub and razorback sucker) still survive.
The remote NCA also offers exceptional recreation opportunities for boaters,
hikers, cyclists, equestrians and others.
This is
the sixth property that WRC has purchased along the lower Gunnison and
transferred to the BLM for permanent protection. The partners’ efforts began
with two pivotal projects in 2012 and 2013, which prevented gravel mining at
the northern entrance to the conservation area and improved access for boaters
and other recreationists. To date, WRC and the BLM have protected over eight miles of the lower
Gunnison within and adjacent to the NCA.
“This acquisition
will benefit our National Conservation Lands” said Dominguez-Escalante
National Conservation Area Manager Amber Koski. “We have great partners,
such as Western Rivers Conservancy that assist the BLM in acquiring lands for
the public to enjoy and cherish here on the western slope.”
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ABOUT
Western Rivers Conservancy acquires lands along rivers
throughout the West to conserve critical habitat and to create or improve
public access for compatible use and enjoyment. By cooperating with local
agencies and organizations and by applying decades of land acquisition experience,
Western Rivers Conservancy secures the health of whole ecosystems. Western
Rivers Conservancy has protected hundreds of miles of stream frontage on great
western rivers, including the Rio Grande, Yampa, Little Cimarron, John Day,
Salmon, Snake, North Umpqua and Madison Rivers. To learn more, visit www.westernrivers.org.
