Beginning as a trickle of a high alpine creek in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado, the Dolores River runs through some of the most rugged, remote areas of the state. The river then meanders its way through the sinuous “goosenecks” stretch into the wildlands of eastern Utah, where it ultimately joins the Colorado near Moab. The 200-mile-long river corridor is a stronghold for biological diversity, home to such species as river otter, canyon tree frog, and at-risk native fish like the bluehead sucker and roundtail chub. The unique hanging garden ecosystems contain many wildflowers and the side drainages and canyon rim are home to plants found nowhere else in the world.

The so-called “Ponderosa Gorge” of the Dolores, from just downstream of McPhee Reservoir to the tiny outpost of Slickrock, offers a unique geography of towering red rock walls peppered with riverside groves of giant ponderosa pines.  Set amidst a high desert pinyon-juniper ecosystem, the contrast between the fiery red sandstone and the deep green forests is staggering. We were fortunate enough to experience the Dolores just as it was waking up from a long winter–the riverside flora shone a brilliant spring green.  As we floated downstream, it was like moving forward in time – day by day we began to see more buds and blossoms along the riparian corridor.

The lucky Center for Native Ecosystems staffers to participate in this trip were Megan Corrigan, Dolores Campaign Staff Biologist, Brian Hires, Colorado Field Coordinator, and myself, Andrea West, Development Associate.  Joined by a handful of close friends, we spent four glorious days in early May floating fifty miles of one of the most pristine rivers in the West.  Our days were spent running the Dolores’ playful rapids, scouting for river otters along the banks, and hiking in side canyons looking for rare wildflowers.  We camped among the towering ponderosas, watched a peregrine falcon dive through the air, and reveled in the wild beauty of this rugged canyon.

This amazing ecosystem is under increasing threat from the explosion of oil and gas drilling on public lands in western Colorado and eastern Utah.  A large portion of the Dolores watershed, including crucial habitat for Gunnison sage-grouse and other native species, is targeted for drilling and related construction activities. With 126,000 new oil and gas wells approved or under review in the West, the biodiversity of the Dolores River Basin is under mounting assault. The recent upsurge in uranium mining across the West also presents serious air and water quality threats to this uranium-rich region, and the high-impact infrastructure developments and transportation activities associated with uranium mining stand to fragment and disturb sensitive populations of native species in the area. 

In response to the full-scale assault on this watershed, Center for Native Ecosystems has targeted the Dolores as a priority area for conservation. We are challenging inappropriate oil and gas drilling and obtaining precedent-setting decisions for the regulation of drilling on public lands.  In coalition with a diverse network of conservation groups, outfitters and guides, local citizens, and recreation groups, we are working for permanent protection for the most biologically-sensitive areas of the Dolores basin. With all this in mind, Center for Native Ecosystems staff undertook this Dolores River trip as a way to better understand this diverse ecosystem and ultimately become better advocates for its protection.

Now here we are, back in the office, tugged away from our river paradise. We’re here, however, with a renewed zest for the wild places we work so hard to protect. We might have to wait years until our next Dolores adventure, but we feel so lucky to have experienced this one.  In the meantime, we’ll be here, working diligently to stem the threats to the Dolores Basin and seeking permanent protection for this magical high desert ecosystem. This trip has reinforced our collective sense of commitment to this imperiled area, and we’re not going to let this one go without a fight.

To support our Dolores River Campaign, please visit www.nativeecosystems.org/support-our-work