Weighing in on Lake Nighthorse
Agency taps public for reservoir’s recreation plan

Trees line the newly created shore at Lake Nighthorse. As the reservoir fills, thoughts are turning to recreation at the site 2 miles from downtown Durango. The Bureau of Reclamation is seeking public input on a master plan that will direct recreation at the reservoir. Currently, there is no funding for recreation at the lake, but project sponsors and agencies believe a plan will help garner financial support./Photo by Stephen Eginoire

by Missy Votel

With Lake Nighthorse nearly ready to set sail, locals are being asked to get on board with crafting the reservoir’s master recreation plan.

“Public input is absolutely critical. This is an opportunity to design the kind of recreational facilities we want up there,” said Joe Colgan, vice-president of the Animas-La Plata Water Conservancy District board and newly appointed Durango City Councilor.

Area residents will have their chance to learn more and float their ideas at an open house this week. The information-gathering session will be followed by a public forum next week where people will have a chance to air their thourghts, and a series of workshops to resolve issues. The process will culminate in a final review of the master plan in mid-January.

The plan’s creation is being overseen by Joy Lujan, a planning expert on loan from the National Parks Service’s Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, with help from the Durango office of DHM Design. “A-LP applied for my program’s assistance earlier this year,” she said.

Lujan said the biggest challenge will be igniting public interest and buy-in on the project, “especially given the way things have happened so far and the general distrust from the public,” she said.

The major complaints Lujan has heard so far center on the reservoir’s name as well as acceptance of a $3 million federal grant to build a boat ramp, parking area and vault toilets. The grant, which was funded via the boat fuel excise tax, came with the stipulation that the reservoir must accommodate motorized uses. It elicited public outcry that motorized use was already a foregone conclusion at the reservoir.

However, Lujan said that is not necessairly the case. “The idea of absolutely no motorized use is not likely given the grant stipulation, but unlimited use is not likely either,” she said. “There is a lot of space in the middle for shared uses and a set of solutions.”

The most likely recreation scenario will include camping, picnic areas, fishing, swimming beaches and designated nonmotorized areas. The possibility of trails and bike lanes is also being explored.

A recent feasibility study by Durango’s RPI Consulting showed that Lake Nighthorse could draw some 163,000 visi

Situated 2 miles from downtown Durango, the 1,400-acre-foot Lake Nighthorse will have neary 10 miles of shoreline when filled. The reservoir is closed to the public until a recreation plan is devised./ Photo by Stephen Eginoire

A recent feasibility study by Durango’s RPI Consulting showed that Lake Nighthorse could draw some 163,000 visitors a year leaving nearly $8 million in food, lodging, gas and other supplies in their wake. By 2025, the report estimates, Lake Nighthorse could bring 230 jobs and $10.8 million a year in revenue.

While there is little doubt over the if-you-build-it-they-will-come hypothesis, the subject of who will pay to build it is still a bit murky. Although Lujan said there are no hard and fast numbers, estimates put the cost of the master plan at $200,000 with recreational facilities coming in at around $20 million. Ongoing operations and maintenance would be additional.

The original A-LP bill included $20 million to finance the recreational component, but it was stripped out in 2001. With the Bureau of Reclamation, which owns the land the reservoir is on, unable to pay, a veritable game of hot potato ensued, with the Colorado State Parks Board taking a pass as well as the City of Durango and La Plata County.

“The BuRec thought Lake Nighthorse would be a natural fit for Colorado State Parks, but it turns out they had no money,” said Colgan. “And the City just has so many other things that are higher priority, and the county isn’t really in the recreation business to begin with.”

It was by default, Colgan said, that A-LPWCD decided to take the helm. “Eighteen months ago, we discovered the whole thing was going to be scrapped, a fence put around it and the lake would be closed to the public,” he said. “We decided unless somebody steps up, nobody will be able to use it, which is nonsense.”

Colgan said from an economic perspective, development of recreation at the lake should be “low-hanging fruit,” and once the plan is in place, the money will follow. “Once people see the recreation opportunities and economic opportunities, that will give us some motivation to go forward,” he said.

Some funding possibilities include GOCO grants, federal assistance, concessionaires, a recreation district or some kind of public-private partnership. “We don’t have the blueprint, we’re just trying to facilitate the process,” he said. “It’s possible the project will be built in phases over several years.”

Perhaps the biggest selling point so far is Lake Nighthorse’s proximity to downtown Durango – the boat ramp is closer to town than Wal-Mart. “To have such an amenity only 2 miles from town is a huge opportunity,” said Mary Monroe, executive director of Trails 2000. In addition to close-to-town camping, swimming and boating, the lake could also offer a host of new trail and riding options, right out most residents’ front doors. “The terrain up there is different from other options in town. Plus, you get to ride and look at a beautiful body of water. Right now, it’s a blank slate,” she said.

And just like the reservoir, that slate of ideas is likely to fill up fast. Which is why, Colgan said public involvement is so important at this early stage. “Regardless of how you feel about the reservoir, it’s there,” he said. “We may as well take advantage of it. It doesn’t have to be a fully equipped Taj Mahal, but I think people will get excited as they look at the possibilities.” •