River Park at Las Colonias will be restricted due to low water levels

The City of Grand Junction has restricted access to the River Park at Las Colonias due to low water levels in the Colorado River. Sandbags have been placed at the entrance of the River Park to guide the water flow towards the primary river channel to help safeguard four species of endangered fish until water levels increase later in the fall. The water levels in the Colorado River have been dropping steadily over the past month.

The River Park is still open during park hours but the experience is different than when the river levels increase water through the channel. Residents can still access and enjoy the water including the beach areas, which remain popular into the fall. Sandbags should remain in place.

According to requirements of the River Park's federal permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, any time the Colorado River flows below 810 cubic feet per second (cfs), the River Park channel must be cut off from the main channel of the Colorado River to protect critical habitat for wildlife including four endangered fish species. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and the Wildlife Service authorized the city to construct the River Park channel and the permit was contingent on restricting water from flowing into the River Park channel when levels are below 810 cfs.

The $1.2 million River Park project was funded by grants from Great Outdoors Colorado and the Colorado Water Conservation Board as well as the City of Grand Junction, Colorado Basin Roundtable, Downtown Grand Junction, and One Riverfront. The project also was made possible through partnerships with Bonsai, Colorado Mesa University, and the U. S. Department of Energy.