Dotsero, Colorado – The Bureau of Land Management announced it is reprogramming $76,000 from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to acquire a key public access point to the Colorado River.

BLM Colorado and Eagle County Open Space have been partnering since 2011 to manage the Dotsero Landing Recreation Site on the Colorado River. Eagle County Open Space acquired the 8.25-acre parcel in 2011 to secure an important public access point for float-boating and fishing on the Upper Colorado River.

In 2011, the public was about to lose river access at Dotsero because of a major bridge reconstruction. The new Eagle County Open Space program stepped in and purchased this parcel to maintain access at Dotsero Landing, then managed it in partnership with the BLM.  

“Without Eagle County Open Space, the public would have lost this key access point,” said BLM Acting Colorado River Valley Field Manager Gloria Tibbetts. “The idea all along was that BLM would eventually take ownership and continue to partner with Eagle County Open Space to manage this and other river access sites.”

The 85 miles of river in the Upper Colorado River receives more than 75,000 visitors each year. Key access points such as Dotsero Landing help distribute recreational use throughout the SRMA, reducing crowding and impacts to sites. 

The BLM and Eagle County are partnering with The Conservation Fund to facilitate this transfer with $526,000 in total funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund’s Sportsman and Recreation Access funding allocation. The acquisition is supported by multiple groups and organizations, community leaders, and local elected officials.

The BLM currently manages and operates 11 river access and recreation sites within the Upper Colorado River Special Recreation Management Area, including three in partnership with Eagle County Open Space. 

David Boyd, Public Affairs Specialist

970-876-9008

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America's public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. In Fiscal Year 2015, the BLM generated $4.1 billion in receipts from activities occurring on public lands.