Over two years ago, a group of stakeholders announced the recommendation to seek federal Wild and Scenic classification for the Crystal River, one of three potential preservation measures identified through a scoping process that began in 2022. Last week, after ongoing conversation, five area governments and water districts signed an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) pledging to defend the river against new dams and water diversions.
The Crystal River, which has headwaters in the western Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area in Gunnison County, flows for over 40 miles before meeting the Roaring Fork River near Carbondale. Valley conservationists have been campaigning for the conservation of the Crystal River since 2002. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968, and designates certain free-flowing rivers as protected based on factors including particular aesthetic, geologic, cultural or historic values.
The recent IGA is a step in that direction. The agreement was reached among Gunnison County, Pitkin County, the Town of Marble, the Colorado River Water Conservation District and West Divide Water Conservancy District. The collaboration formalizes shared opposition to developments that would alter the tributary’s status as a free-flowing river.
Proponents of the agreement cite the Crystal River’s beauty and importance for agriculture, recreation, tourism and economics.
“The [Colorado River Water Conservation] District is proud to have been a partner in this effort,” said Zane Kessler, director of government relations for the Colorado River District and Steering Committee co-chair. “This agreement demonstrates that conservation and protection of working landscapes, local agriculture, recreation and existing water rights are not mutually exclusive.” Kessler added, “By working together, the parties were able to develop a balanced framework that serves to protect the Crystal River from transbasin diversions and new mainstem dams while preserving local control and respecting existing water uses.”
Other participants recognized the challenge of reaching a successful IGA. “Protecting a river as special as the Crystal requires people to stay at the table for hard conversations,” explained steering committee co-chair Elizabeth Smith, also a Gunnison County Commissioner, in a press release announcing the agreement. “[We must] thoughtfully consider a wide range of tools that can work together to preserve the river for future generations.”
Both counties, the Town of Marble and the two water districts have agreed not to advocate for or otherwise support any new impediments or on-channel reservoirs on the main section of the Crystal River. By signing the agreement, they also have agreed to oppose any water rights applications or projects that intend to divert water from the basin to any other watersheds. The document notes the importance of downstream water rights for streamflows and legacy ranching and farming operations.
Local nonprofits have shown support for the IGA. “Community members in and around the Crystal Valley have been working for decades to protect the river from the possibility of big water developments,” said Wilderness Workshop campaign director Michael Gorman. “We are excited to continue working with the stakeholder group on durable solutions for the watershed, including instream flows and a Wild and Scenic designation.”
The Roaring Fork Conservancy provides information on Wild and Scenic designation eligibility, and confirms that the Crystal River has been classified as eligible by the U.S. Forest Service. According to the Roaring Fork Conservancy, the next step in the process is a suitability study, which will establish whether the designation will protect the river’s free-flowing status, whether there are other historical or contextual considerations and the level of commitment among local stakeholders for implementing protective management plans.
If suitability is confirmed, the final step of the process is congressional action. The federal group reviews documentation from the eligibility and suitability phases to decide whether to designate a river as Wild and Scenic. Roaring Fork Conservancy notes that the river hosts significant biodiversity, has significant mining history with national implications and is important for local agriculture and recreation alike. Detractors have voiced concerns about the enforceability of the IGA, and the strength of protection for the river. Some have described it as the weakest protection for the basin.
You can read more about the Crystal River and potential Wild and Scenic designation at www.bit.ly/WildCrystalScenicRiver