# White River Co-Ut



## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

Seems the main question would be what time of year, not that I'll have any useful information to contribute myself.


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## boatbjammin (Mar 16, 2015)

*Colorado Mesa Guide*

This seems like a good place to start: 

http://org.coloradomesa.edu/~jerry/guide/white/WRG_2.PDF

I've never done it, but think it looks intriguing as well. I think you can put in in Meeker, but it appears to be mostly private water access/private land...


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## Nugs (Dec 5, 2011)

Best launch site is at Big Trujillo RA, a couple miles downstream from Rangely, or Bonanza RA. Best take-outs are at Enron RA, Ouray RA, or Sand Wash on the Green.

Be aware that since construction of Kinney Reservoir, the White has been eating into the riverbanks, creating ten foot vertical banks, toppling dozens and dozens and dozens of cottonwood trees into the river, and creating numerous significant strainer hazards. 

There’s also a collapsed bridge between Enron and the Green, but it actually doesn’t pose too much of a hazard, except at high water levels.

With the cutting away of the riverbanks, campsites are not plentiful and no longer where shown in the guidebook mentioned in previous post.

Then there are the oil seeps. Starting well below Bonanza and continuing almost to Enron, the shoreline, and any potential campsites, is contaminated and quite nasty.


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## k2andcannoli (Feb 28, 2012)

Thats not at all the experience ive had on the white from rangely to enron. Never saw any "oil seeps"...plenty of sand bars and beaches. I lived in rangely for a few years and what i saw from the oil companies was pretty much safe and clean sop.

Dont boat from meeker because is not that great and theres a lake in the way. For day floats and fishing id put in below the dam and float to the bridge in town...lots of otters but also old cars in the river banks. Putting in below town and floating to enrons access makes a nice two or three day float...less if there's good water. Below there the river goes into a crazy amount of s bends before entering the green...never bothered boating it but its is pretty and very remote. There's many other acess points if you just go poking around on google maps and youve got a good 4x4...the oil industry has dirt roads everywhere but they turn into rocky mofos on the way down to the river.


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## k2andcannoli (Feb 28, 2012)

The dam is 33 years old already and never really has a flow different from its inflow...any changes in the river from the creation of the lake happened a long long time ago

Ive seen spray painted "signs" around bonanza saying indian land keep out...and im pretty sure the river acess there says something about indian property...but its in the middle of nowhere and the Ouray live quite a distance from there. I never had any problems.


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## Nugs (Dec 5, 2011)

The put-in at Bonanza is Ignacio county park. BIA land doesn’t start on river left until below the Enron RA. The Mountain Fuel Bridge RA is on reservation land and signed, and is poor access.


The toppling of cottonwood trees is on-going – that’s why there’s still so many of them.


According to the guidebook, published 2004: _“The section of the river between Rangely and the Mountain Fuel bridge commonly contains several “strainers” in the channel. This is the result of the river actively undercutting the bank, toppling trees into the channel. These strainers may block much of the channel, migrate down river during high water, and present a serious hazard to the boater. As a result of the river dropping about 300 acre-feet of sediment in Kenney Reservoir each year, the river has increased the rate at which it shapes the channel below the Taylor Draw dam.”_

I noticed a new full-sized cottonwood has fallen within the last year right below the Enron ramp, blocking much of the channel.


The seeps are from a well that was “grand-fathered” to allow them to re-inject all their waste liquids. It percolates down till it hits an impermeable rock layer that surfaces along that stretch of the river. The EPA is well aware but little they can do. The seeps are extensive but only visible at low water.


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## k2andcannoli (Feb 28, 2012)

Thanks for the clarification and additional information...interesting and unfortunate


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## Nugs (Dec 5, 2011)

In spite of all the strainers, seeps, and oil&gas fields, the White is still an enjoyable trip. Several scenic canyons, wildlife including otters and nesting bald eagles, solitude. It's flatwater but moves right along.

Just be ready for dead cottonwood trees stretching across the river around every corner and grab camps when you see them.


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## daver (Mar 26, 2006)

The White is a fantastic trip, especially if you can link it with a Deso-Gray permit. However, there are some challenges. The first ten miles below Rangley are through private ranch land and there are patches of private land interspersed down to the reservation. If you find a recent map from the BLM I believe there has been some land exchanges since the Mesa State map was published. I also believe you need a permit from the Ute tribe if you want to camp or take out on their land as there is access at the bridge over the Green on river left. We floated the 20 some miles in one LONG day during the Spring runoff. The collapsed bridge is five miles upstream of the confluence and we were just barely able to scrape under it on the left side at just over 2000cfs. The right channel was blocked by a strainer. Camping on the green below the confluence is also challenging for the first few miles, (at least at higher water) and the current slows to a crawl.

As the other posters have mentioned, if you float beyond Goblin Valley the camping gets pretty scarce and even at high water the banks are still covered in oil have a refreshing sulfur aroma. Furthermore, there is also considerable sheep grazing during the spring months which can also complicate camping opportunities.

Despite all of this it is still a great trip with excellent scenery, wildlife and side hikes.


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