Aspinall, Wayne N., Unit Recreation at the three reservoirs of the Aspinall Unit is managed by the National Park Service under agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation, Western Colorado Area Office - Northern Division, Grand Junction, Colorado.Formerly, the Curecanti Unit, in 1980 it was renamed the Wayne N. Aspinall Unit in honor of former Congressman Aspinall; a strong supporter of the Colorado River Storage Project. The Aspinall Unit, also referred to as the Curecanti National Recreation Area, consists of three dams and reservoirs - Morrow Point, Crystal, and Blue Mesa.Water activities at Morrow Point Reservoir include fishing and boating (pack-in boats). The concessionaire provides guided fishing opportunities and a scenic guided boat tour (1.5 miles) May 1-Oct. 1. Call the Elk Marina at (970) 641-0707 for reservations. Both Morrow Point and Crystal require a vigorous hike to reach either reservoir. The exercise is worth the trip for nature lovers and photographers. Fishing enthusiasts can select from rainbow, German brown, or lake (mackinaw) trout, or kokanee salmon.Blue Mesa Reservoir's water activities include boating, fishing, sailboarding, waterskiing, and swimming. Ice fishing and cross-country skiing are some winter activities. Camping and picnicking areas are available. The reservoir area's natural beauty is a perfect setting for nature lovers and photographers. A variety of trout and kokanee salmon are found at Blue Mesa.While no entrance fees to the recreation area are charged, there are camping and boating fees in place.Current Resevoir Water LevelsBlue Mesa Reservoir, Crystal Reservoir,
Bear Creek Lake Bear Creek Dam, the last of three dams built to protect the Denver region from floods, is located on the southwest edge of suburban Lakewood at the confluence of Bear Creek and Turkey Creek. This project is known for its diverse bird and waterfowl population and its striking scenic views. This area is managed by the City of Lakewood, CO. (http://www.ci.lakewood.co.us Address: Department of Community Resources, 455 South Allison Parkway, Lakewood, Colorado 80226 303-987-7800.) Fishing, boat launching facilities, camping, picnicking, hiking, archery, nature study and winter sports are available. Wildlife is abundant and because Bear Creek is located at the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills, the scenery is striking.
Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site William and Charles Bent, along with Ceran St. Vrain, built the original fort on this site in 1833 to trade with plains Indians and trappers. The adobe fort quickly became the center of the Bent, St.Vrain Company's expanding trade empire that included Fort St.Vrain to the north and Fort Adobe to the south, along with company stores in Mexico at Taos and Santa Fe. The primary trade was with the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians for buffalo robes.
For much of its 16-year history, the fort was the only major permanent white settlement on the Santa Fe Trail between Missouri and the Mexican settlements. The fort provided explorers, adventurers, and the U.S. Army a place to get needed supplies, wagon repairs, livestock, good food, water and company, rest and protection in this vast "Great American Desert." During the war with Mexico in 1846, the fort became a staging area for Colonel Stephen Watts Kearny's "Army of the West". Disasters and disease caused the fort's abandonment in 1849. Archeological excavations and original sketches, paintings and diaries were used in the fort's reconstruction in 1976.
Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park The Black Canyon of the Gunnison's unique and spectacular landscape was formed slowly by the action of water and rock scouring down through hard Proterozoic crystalline rock. No other canyon in North America combines the narrow opening, sheer walls, and startling depths offered by the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
Bonny Reservoir Bonny Dam and Reservoir are on the South Fork of the Republican River near Hale, Colorado just west of the Kansas border in Yuma County. Reservoir open 24 hours. Fair access roads. Available species include walleye, crappie, wipers (white bass/striped bass hybrids), white bass, northern pike, fresh waterdrum, large and smallmouth bass, bullheads, bluegill, and channel catfish. Reservoir has approximately 2,095 surface acres. Fishing season is year-round.Recreation at the site is managed by the Colorado Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation for the Bureau of Reclamation. The Dam and Reservoir are features of the Armel Unit, Upper Republican Division, Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program.Current Reservoir Levels
Browns Park NWR Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge is comprised of five broad habitats: semidesert shrubland, grassland, marsh, riparian forest, and pinyon-juniper forest. The habitat diversity makes the area very valuable for wildlife. Over 300 species of terrestrial wildlife use the refuge.
Browns Park was the scene for a rich cultural history. The Fremont Indian culture used the valley from about 600-1300 AD. Here they hunted and gathered, grew corn and squash, built rock and masonry storage structures for their produce, and carved petroglyphs into the rock. The Snake or Shoshone tribe spent winters in the valley for many years. Fur trappers and traders established a thriving winter rendenzvous site with the Shoshone in the 1830's.
