AURORA, Colo. — Low water levels have forced boat ramp closures across Colorado, creating challenges for first responders who rely on those ramps to launch rescue boats during emergencies.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is working to stay ahead of potential problems.
Kara Van Hoose, a CPW spokesperson, said the agency is being proactive — thinking through ways to respond quickly if an emergency arises, even when traditional boat ramp access is unavailable.
"That's certainly something that we are working on, and kind of running drills, and already having these conversations with the different fire departments that we also work with on water rescues," Van Hoose said.
When boat ramps close, CPW has several options. If a marina is located on a reservoir, rangers are parking boats there full time to ensure something is ready to deploy. Inflatable boats are also staged and ready.
"You can't fit a lot of people on them because they're a little smaller, but they can be hand launched," Van Hoose said. "And then, in like the worst case scenario, we can just get our huge marine evidence recovery team boat in somewhere and then deal with getting out once the job is done. So really the tricky thing is getting out of the water, but getting in in times of emergency is something that we are prepared for."
Van Hoose said the adjustments are not slowing response times. The agency is conducting drills and holding conversations about how to handle rescues now — before emergencies occur.
That preparation is especially important, Van Hoose said, because park visitation numbers have not dropped despite the state's low water levels.
Looking ahead, CPW said places like Chatfield Reservoir will likely be okay because of its size. Cherry Creek State Park is a different story. Water levels there started 3 feet lower this year than normal. If they drop further, boat ramp closures are likely.
The boat ramp at Cherry Creek State Park remains open for now.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
