# Arkansas River CLOSURE (BV - Johnson Village)



## AHRA

Dear Outfitter and Private Boating Community,

For the protection of public health, welfare and safety, AHRA is closing the river section between Buena Vista (bottom of the whitewater park) and Wilderness Aware launch boat ramp until further notice. The Helena Diversion Structure (aka Silver Bullet, aka Buena Vista Boat Chute) is causing significant issues in the third wave of the boat chute and also the re-entry eddy at the bottom of the portage trail.

AHRA is working on launch options near Johnson Village. AHRA will notify you as soon as a compromise for launching within this section has been determined.

Due to private property between this stretch, whitewater trips above Buena Vista will need to end at Buena Vista boat ramp and no trips can launch at Buena Vista to travel downstream. Buena Vista's Whitewater Park is available.

Additional information will be provided when available.

AHRA
(719)539-7289


----------



## denali1322

Must be pretty big issues to shut the river down. Glad for the heads up though - was planning to put it at RR bridge and run to Hecla on Saturday. Wouldn't have been thrilled to have been told to get out at BV with no car waiting there. Another section it is.


----------



## kayakees

*GREAT JOB AHRA*

Used to be great run. Another place AHRA trying to manage something they know very little about. Thanks Rob White


----------



## glenn

While I didn't like the idea of the remodel in the first place I actually think the designers will come back and get this figured out. The fact that the portage trail isn't working should have been easy to address in the design phase though. What's more screwed up is the AHRA somehow has the authority to close a section of river on a whim to the private boating community. That hole looked solid but certainly runnable. While this stretch isn't that fantastic it does connect other pieces of excellent whitewater which can make for a long, fulfilling and fairly uniquely Arkansas river experience.


----------



## Id725

Seems to me that nobody has the right to CLOSE that river to private boating. Navigable waterway. It's my right to get trashed in a hole if I want to.


----------



## craven_morhead

Id725 said:


> Seems to me that nobody has the right to CLOSE that river to private boating. Navigable waterway. It's my right to get trashed in a hole if I want to.


The same way you can use public roads or public land without restriction?


----------



## glenn

craven_morhead said:


> The same way you can use public roads or public land without restriction?


State parks can't arbitrarily close a roadway that passes through because too many car accidents happened. Same should apply for the river.


----------



## Id725

Furthermore a river is most certainly NOT like a public road. It was not built and does not need to be maintained. The AHRA CHOOSES to spend a lot of money around that river corridor...
But this thread is gonna get real dumb real fast. Get out your clubs and let's beat some dead horses.


----------



## Jahve

Interesting to see what the AHRA can get done for only 400k and it only took 4 years of work... Guess they did not have the time or the $ to get it done correctly. 

Wonder if they will find a way to get the "fix" done this decade or if we are looking at a arbitrary closing of this section of river for a number of years.. Just like the first time they re-did the boat chute in the 80's then again in the 90's the man made rapid is much more difficult after the "fix" was done.

Remember that the head gate to the ditch had to be redone and that is why the work was done. 

From my understanding and before anyone jumps on the folks who did the in river work they had a ton of gradient to deal with as well as a fish ladder.. The guys building it did as good as they could with their hands tied by the AHRA. Again the guys building it did as well as they could. The complete responsibility lies solely with the AHRA. 

The AHRA as well at the ditch and private land owners (well after the local rancher was nice enough to sell the AHRA the property as they are the "landowner" now) pretty much tied the hands of the guys doing the work as I saw the entire process the guys doing the work did as best they could with the gradient and what the AHRA said they had to do.

Kinda interesting that they did not see at 700 - 800cfs that this "thing" would be a beater hole..... Many of us who boat that section regularly sure had a strong suspicion that it would turn into just what it did. 

As far as running it I dont think the AHRA should be able to or even can tell privates that they cant run any section on the Arkansas River. It seems the AHRA wants to shut down a lot of the Ark to boating over the past few months. 

Or again the AHRA is planning on shutting down complete sections that have been historically boated (above Twin Lakes) just due to the whim of some well connected fishermen and now they want a indefinite closure for private boaters around Buena Vista??? Come on - limit the commercials and leave the section open to private boaters. The same way it should be above Twin Lakes.. 

Private boaters should be able to and should plan to boat the section. Plain and simple or this is a slippery slope that private boaters need to stand up to or the AHRA "closures" will get more arbitrary and no doubt bigger over the next few years..

Yea this is a epic fail or a great example of a bureaucracy boondoggle...


----------



## Andy H.

Well it looks like the AHRA screwed up the design on the boat chute but I'd expect someone's hearing from them on the fact it turned into a boat eater. Hopefully they'll get if fixed next winter and it'll make the section boatable at all levels.

I agree that they should open it to privates but sure wouldn't want to do that swim in that boogie water below it. 

Yeah, it's a drag that they didn't get it right, but at least they tried to do something boater-friendly when they rebuilt the diversion. I'd bet they get an earful from the outfitters, especially the ones that frequent that stretch.


----------



## Jahve

Andy H. said:


> Well it looks like the AHRA screwed up the design on the boat chute but I'd expect someone's hearing from them on the fact it turned into a boat eater. Hopefully they'll get if fixed next winter and it'll make the section boatable at all levels.
> 
> I agree that they should open it to privates but sure wouldn't want to do that swim in that boogie water below it.
> 
> Yeah, it's a drag that they didn't get it right, but at least they tried to do something boater-friendly when they rebuilt the diversion. I'd bet they get an earful from the outfitters, especially the ones that frequent that stretch.



Yea I would imagine that they will hear it but have to respectfully disagree with that they made this change for boaters as that was never the intention - well other than to get $ to do it... 

The #1 priority was the fix so the head to the ditch would work. Might be why they poured in all that concrete to literally separate the river into 2 channels. So the ditch was the first priority this it totally understandable.

The #2 priority was the fish ladder that made the work significantly more difficult to get something mellow. So the fish were the 2nd most focused on priority. 

The #3 priority was not to disturb the private land other than the land that is the boat chute. The AHRA owns most of this land. They had to be careful as well about the surrounding private property. 

The #4 or very last priority and it shows - was to build a boat chute. They spent 0, zip, or no time on seeing if this thing would be safe and turned a blind eye when many said this hole would turn into what it is as soon as we saw it. 

If making a safe boat chute gets pushed down to the very last priority on the old priority list well you get the unwarranted river closure as a knee jerk reaction to yet another high priced AHRA or CWP boondoggle.... 

A group of 5 of us in kayaks has ran it the past 2 nights and it is not even hard you just have to know where to be. Also you might not want to try and surf the "AHRA" wave  or a swim is likely. To ban even a class 4 kayaker who has seen it is unwarranted at best. The "AHRA" hole is bad and the swim would not be fun but you cant compare the rapid in any way to the difficulty of Pine Creek that private boaters can and will run this week...

Just wondering if it will take another 4 years and another 400k to even attempt another fix??


----------



## wookie

I was on it two days ago at 2940, no need to close it at all except com.we had one cat and one 14 ft hyside.


----------



## Phil U.

Thanks Jahve. I just can't imagine how they can justify "closing" the Ark to so called private boaters. My preferred term is the public. Seems like this really needs to be challenged. Please keep boating it.


----------



## Jahve

I hear you Phil I just use privates as that is the chosen nomenclature the CWP uses. 

Public would be much better.

I would imagine that there are some folks already planning on a trip down that way soon.


----------



## BoilermakerU

Anyone know what the issues are in the re-entry eddy? Congestion or people falling out of boats in the eddy? Did they not even get the portage right? lol



wookie said:


> I was on it two days ago at 2940, no need to close it at all except com.we had one cat and one 14 ft hyside.


So what's the secret to succes? Is it a left side line, hitting th hole on the left edge as someone in the other thread suggested?

I haven't even seen the new Silver Bullet and I already miss the old one....


----------



## lmyers

The AHRA will not and can not stop me from boating when and where I want. They do not own the river and only have jobs because our tax dollars provide them with employment. I do appreciate everything they do, but if Pine Creek, Numbers and the Gorge are open to private/public boaters, so is the Silver Bullet... I would like to see them try and stop me if I choose to drop in.


----------



## MCSkid

lmyers said:


> The AHRA will not and can not stop me from boating when and where I want. They do not own the river and only have jobs because our tax dollars provide them with employment. I do appreciate everything they do, but if Pine Creek, Numbers and the Gorge are open to private/public boaters, so is the Silver Bullet... I would like to see them try and stop me if I choose to drop in.


Lighten up, Francis.


----------



## Phil U.

MCSkid said:


> Lighten up, Francis.


I don't think there is anything remotely light about this. IMO, its time to contact AW. There is a sign in BV stating the rio is closed. I would have no problem closing it to commercials and no problem with a sign alerting boaters to the hazard but it is entirely runnable for a solid class 4 boater. They are over reacting and setting dangerous precedent here. I'm in favor of qualified boaters running this as a form of civil disobedience. 2 days ago it was soft on the left side of the hole.


----------



## MCSkid

Phil U. said:


> I don't think there is anything remotely light about this. IMO, its time to contact AW. There is a sign in BV stating the rio is closed. I would have no problem closing it to commercials and no problem with a sign alerting boaters to the hazard but it is entirely runnable for a solid class 4 boater. They are over reacting and setting dangerous precedent here. I'm in favor of qualified boaters running this as a form of civil disobedience. 2 days ago it was soft on the left side of the hole.


Tito Puente's gonna be dead, and your gonna say, "Oh, I've been listening to him for years, and I think he's Fabulous."


----------



## Dave Frank

Ran it Sunday and Monday. It flipped four decent kayakers, myself included. Scouting is recommended for first time through. My 12 year old re-entered after the portage without incident. Three clean raft runs. Just be ready to work left. WE saw a commercial boat (RR) wrapped pretty badly near the right shore Monday.

It would have been smart to design it so rafts could portage some passengers and catch the eddy to pick up those who wanted to opt out. That did not look feasible at flows just over 2K.


----------



## Rich

We ran it Monday with 2 rafts and 4 cats and all right side up.
Did have a temporary wrap just below on the right following a sweet, but unintentional, surf. We were able to portage a child on the trail but eddy below is tough at these flows and upper eddy is right at the edge of the drop.

Did not see anyone run left but it looked to be a twisting triple drop on other side of island.

There are certainly more difficult spots on the river that AHRA is not closing and
my thought is they are closing this for liability reasons. They (AHRA) designed and constructed a man-made modification. If someone is hurt (or worse) some ambulance chaser will be all over them. It is also on a section of river (Milk Run)that is normally ran by beginners. If the same hazard was on the Numbers there would be no closure.

I agree that they should close it to commercials and post warning signs for the public.


----------



## Phil U.

MCSkid said:


> Tito Puente's gonna be dead, and your gonna say, "Oh, I've been listening to him for years, and I think he's Fabulous."


Dammit, MCSkid. You made me go to the google machine and its too early for me to be laffing...


----------



## tango

I wasn't planning on boating the Ark this weekend but I can't pass up the opportunity to paddle an officially closed section of river. 


Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz


----------



## Jahve

So if there is a civil disobedience float when were you guys thinking? Might be good to call the media outlets to let them know so they can be alerted to the float due to the unessary "closure".

Drove down last night and saw the first group paddle the section after the closure rafts and kayaks so I am sure there will be many more. Good news is that they all lived through the evil "ahra" hole.......


----------



## BrianK

Where does AHRA get the authority to close a section of river?

The state/local governments of Colorado have limited authority to close waterways subject to CRS 33-13-111 - I put the statute below. And even then they can only close waterways to canoes and kayaks under very limited circumstances that are not present here. 

I'd be interested to see where AHRA was granted powers that even the state of Colorado doesn't have. 

§ 33-13-111. Authority to close waters--rules

(1)(a) The commission shall promulgate rules to prohibit the operation of vessels on any waters of the state and ordering the removal of vessels from any waters of the state when such operation constitutes or may constitute a hazard to human life or safety.
(b) For purposes of this subsection (1), “vessels” shall not include whitewater canoes and kayaks except in the case of:
(I) A state of disaster emergency pursuant to section 24-33.5-704 or 24-33.5-709, C.R.S.;
(II) Disaster relief efforts that are underway and that may include debris removal;
(III) An accident or other emergency that occurs in or immediately adjacent to the water body;
(IV) Rescue efforts for victims that are actively underway and such efforts would be hindered by additional waterway traffic; or
(V) Active construction or transportation projects authorized under state or federal law.
(2) Any parks and recreation officer or other peace officer as defined in section 33-10-102 has the authority to enforce this section under the rules promulgated by the commission.
(3) Any person who fails to obey an order issued under this section is guilty of a class 2 petty offense and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of one hundred dollars.


----------



## FrankC

They are probably worried about liability now. If they designed this thing and some newby gets killed you can bet there will be a lawsuit. 

Is this only an issue at high water? If so, get the portage trail fixed and then open it back up when the levels drops to safer levels. The river only get this high for a few weeks every fews years so it shouldn't be that big a deal.


----------



## lmyers

I agree. I just went through their regulations/law enforcement/state statute pages and couldn't find anything beyond what Brian K posted. My guess is they legally have no way to enforce the closure to private boaters, but are posting the closure at the recommendation of an attorney to limit their liability since they essentially created an uncharacteristically difficult rapid.


----------



## BAER

*Ahra blowing it*

As of may 29th, at 3000 cfs I was apart of a commercial trip of four rafts, every professional raft guide read the water and made the appropriate decision for their clients, we all ran left. Avoiding a seriously mean looking hole, reminded me of some of the other Beatering attempts at play features in the Bv park. The left line down the "fish ladder" was class 4 mostly due to the long run out. The fact that the Ahra has botched "fixing" this rapid three times should bring up questions of mismanagement. Not to mention closing the river could bring them into as many legal problems as some one getting hurt. 

*Stop fucking with rivers and paddle inside your means! *


----------



## Jahve

lmyers said:


> I agree. I just went through their regulations/law enforcement/state statute pages and couldn't find anything beyond what Brian K posted. My guess is they legally have no way to enforce the closure to private boaters, but are posting the closure at the recommendation of an attorney to limit their liability since they essentially created an uncharacteristically difficult rapid.


Agreed they have no legal or any other right to close the river and this section should be boated.

A huge float is needed to show the AHRA that they over stepped their authority this time.

As far as it being man made it was before and folks died in the old man made structure... No one has been killed by the "AHRA" hole yet.


----------



## nathanfey

Representatives from AW and Colorado Whitewater, and several local interests, will be discussing this issue with AHRA staff this afternoon. Stay tuned for more information.


----------



## FrankC

Jahve said:


> As far as it being man made it was before and folks died in the old man made structure... No one has been killed by the "AHRA" hole yet.


Great name for the hole. Maybe call it the "A" Hole for short.


----------



## seanwkim

My two cents as a former local, raft guide, and now hydraulic engineer,
My family lived below Silver Bullet on river left for 10 years and I guided for Jahve (whats up!). I work as a River Engineer now and I haven't seen the modifications nor do I know the whole story yet, however, from professional experience, the short story is that designing and modeling any modification in a river to meet multiple objectives over a large range of flows can be complex and difficult with lots of uncertainty, hence the multiple fixes that have happened and the large amount of cost. I can also understand the liability if someone were to get seriously hurt (the lawyers always win).

I think it is important for boaters to get the message across to AHRA in some way that isn't unsafe (let's try to avoid a Cliven Bundy parade) to improve the situation in the future. I hope somebody has spoke up to AHRA to get their designer and construction crew out there to collect field data (photos, water surface elevations, velocities, etc.) to hopefully amend the stickiness of the problem after runoff without too much additional work. Shouldn't have to be another $400k. 

Regards,
Sean


----------



## Phil U.

nathanfey said:


> Representatives from AW and Colorado Whitewater, and several local interests, will be discussing this issue with AHRA staff this afternoon. Stay tuned for more information.


Awesome! Thanks for the info Nathan.


----------



## barry

I have related this story on this forum before....


I believe it was 1995...big water year for most of the west but, ID was raging. My friend and I arrive at the murtaugh (Snake) put-in for a quick "let's see what it's like" run. Flow was well over 20,000+ and we found a deputy had been stationed there who told us the sheriff declared the river "unsafe" and thus closed for all river travel. He threatened to ticket or arrest us if we tried to enter. Of course, we made an alternate put-in and enjoyed a big wave..big water...mostly "washed out" experience. 

My paddling partner, Bill, was a writer for the Magic Valley newspaper and the next issue he wrote a scathing and sarcastic article. In essence, he acknowledged that although he thought it proper that the sheriff issue warnings....he ought not to be using law enforcement &/or threat of confinement to close the river and determining the river "safe" vs "not safe" as accidents happen at all water levels. Tongue in cheek, I recall that he encouraged anyone injured following the river re-opening by the sheriff....to promptly sue that agency as a result of it being declared "safe." Deputies gone, river "re-opened" the following day.

I dont know the situation over there or agencies involved, and have never seen that river feature. Circumstances & players sound different too. I am mainly just posting this to relate a fond memory and would really like a high water year to go by, everyone enjoy it, and live to paddle another year. 

BA


----------



## Blade&Shaft

I agree AHRA shouldn't be able to close this stretch. I also think this rapid should be approached with extreme caution right now and a "protest float" is probably not a good idea. It's great to hear in this post how many people have run it with very little problems, but reality is the Boat Chute is pretty full-on at these levels and the protracted swim resulting in fucking up the hole could be disastrous. Maybe AHRA needs to post signs, similar to Frog Rock, preceding the rapid...

I was there a few days ago training some rookies and was shocked at how violent and channelized Silver Bullet was. The hole move is super precise and still a huge hit, and I can't stress enough how terrible the half-mile swim would likely be for most people. The eddy and portage are also not too great, and the eddy to re-launch recircs pretty strongly back into the hole. Mad props to the Buf. Joe's boat with the perfect line that still broke the guide's paddle in half. Our four boats decided to portage, it took forever, and after seeing this notice I am especially happy with our decision at the time to suck up our pride and actually walk the thing. I think that since this one rapid is on an otherwise pretty tame stretch, extreme caution and fair warning to need be implemented in the very least.


----------



## nathanfey

Today's meeting of AHRA, American Whitewater, Colorado Whitewater, CTF, and local outfitter representatives was helpful for all involved. Stay tuned for the next post/Press Release on this issue. There's more to the story, and I think everyone will be pleased with the information that is forthcoming.


----------



## lmyers

Thank you for everything Nathan.


----------



## Rain1999

*AHRA does not have the authority to close River*

AHRA does not have the authority to close this section of river. A river that is phsically navigable in rafts, kayaks, and canoes is navigable for commerce clause purposes under FEDERAL LAW. THEY CANNOT BE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC UNDER ERRONEOUS NOTIONS ABOUT STATE LAW. AHRA can only close the river when there is a search and rescue situation or a natural disaster. THIS IS NEITHER THIS IS ENGINEERING GONE BAD WAY BAD.


----------



## Jahve

Not sure when the press release will get out but here is my take. 

I have talked with more than a handful of boaters, many business folks here in BV, as well as others who are rightfully angry and seriously questioning the AHRA's decision not only to close the section but also question why it is necessary to put a big red ugly sign every 20 feet around every BV put in that reads THE RIVER IS CLOSED when in reality it is not. Since it is Saturday and since a lot of these questions are spinning into rumors I thought a update was needed before the press release gets out. 

I was kindly asked to be part of the discussion yesterday with Nathan and 7-8 others including the private boater CTF reps yesterday about the closure. 

This is my take - there was a lot of talk of the state statute and the short of it is that AHRA as well as their lawyer's feel that they do have the authority to close the river - so it will stay closed but only to rafters. 

Under the statute kayaks and canoes are exempted from the statute and the AHRA said they would not be detaining or ticketing kayaks or canoes who run this section as they can not under the statute close the river to these 2 types of craft. The exemption is very clear and again the AHRA agreed that kayaks or canoes can run the section anytime you want but the AHRA advises that no one run the section. 

The AHRA also explicitly said or made it very very clear in the meeting that they made the decision to close the section only after the firm that designed and built the feature came up to the boat chute, looked at what they had designed then built, and officially advised that the river be closed to all forms of boaters. Since the AHRA put so much emphasis on this in the meeting I thought is was worthy of mention. 

So the river is not "closed" and I would doubt after the discussion that even if you run it in a raft you will get detained but who knows. 

The AHRA had to get out the word that they royally screwed up the fix and dont want someone to die or get hurt as the firm that built it as is worried about liability. 

Thats it so the river is not closed in any shape way or form to kayaks/canoes but if you are a private rafter it is. That is what the press release will inform the public of when ever the AHRA gets it out. For Commercial rafting this section will be looked at the same way as a high water advisory and this section will be avoided until the flows come down. 

Thanks to Nathan for pushing the issue yesterday and for clarification from the lawyers as well as AHRA reps on the call as it was interesting to listen to the discussion about river closures and the opinions of why both the firm that built the feature and the AHRA felt it necessary in this situation. Also thanks to all of you on the buzz who gave your opinion.


----------



## lmyers

I too was invited to take part in the conference call, but unfortunately was unable. I would like to thank the AHRA for reaching out to private boaters and inviting several of us to be involved in the discussion.

Thanks for getting this updated information out there Jahvea. As you stated, the timing is critical with a busy high water weekend on tap.

Also a very big thank you to Nathan and AW for stepping up to represent the private boating community so quickly.


----------



## Rain1999

*What Statute?*

Again AHRA can not close the RIVER to any form of whitewater vessel. Rivers in Colorado that were usable in the past for fur trade canoes or log drives, and are usable today for COMMERCIAL raft trips or kayak or canoe classes are NAVIGABLE for COMMERCIAL CLAUSE purposes under FEDERAL LAW. This includes rivers that have rapids, waterfalls, and portages. Once again thes rivers arenavigable for COMMERCIAL CLAUSE PURPOSES UNDER FEERAL LAW. They cannot be closed to the public under erroneous notions about state law. (states cannot interfere: Gibbons Vs Ogden 22 U.S. 1 (1824)


----------



## craven_morhead

Rain1999 said:


> Again AHRA can not close the RIVER to any form of whitewater vessel. Rivers in Colorado that were usable in the past for fur trade canoes or log drives, and are usable today for COMMERCIAL raft trips or kayak or canoe classes are NAVIGABLE for COMMERCIAL CLAUSE purposes under FEDERAL LAW. This includes rivers that have rapids, waterfalls, and portages. Once again thes rivers arenavigable for COMMERCIAL CLAUSE PURPOSES UNDER FEERAL LAW. They cannot be closed to the public under erroneous notions about state law. (states cannot interfere: Gibbons Vs Ogden 22 U.S. 1 (1824)


Oh good, glad its completely clear cut and there aren't any nuances to deal with here. Guess AW can rest easy now huh?


----------



## GameOn

*Update*

*CPW CONTINUES TO MONITOR CONDITIONS AT THE SILVER BULLET BOAT CHUTE

**SALIDA, Colo. - Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) continue to monitor conditions near the Silver Bullet Boat Chute and are urging all whitewater boaters to exercise caution in that area. 

The AHRA has placed use restrictions on a two mile section of the Arkansas River over safety concerns due to a recently constructed diversion structure and boat chute. The restrictions do not apply to whitewater canoes and kayaks, but CPW strongly advises all boaters avoid the area until further notice.

The section of river is near Johnson Village and is adjacent to private property, limiting the ability of boaters to portage the hazard. Recent high water levels have compromised the reentry point of the portage trail, making it temporarily unusable. In addition, the diversion structure and the associated boat chute is creating a large strong hydraulic that could lead to capsizing. 

"The decision to place restrictions on that section of the river was made after careful consideration and discussion with several parties, including the whitewater engineering firm who designed the boat chute," said Rob White, AHRA Park Manager. 

Colorado State Statute 33-13-111 gives CPW the authority to prohibit the operation of vessels on any state waters when there is a hazard to human life or safety. However, whitewater canoes and kayaks are exempt in this situation. Those who choose to boat this section of the river must have a Type I, Type III, or Type V Coast Guard approved personal floatation device and AHRA staff also recommends the use of a whitewater designed helmet.

AHRA has talked with representatives from the AHRA Citizen Task Force, the Colorado River Outfitters Association, the Arkansas River Outfitters Association, American Whitewater and Colorado Whitewater to discuss the conditions that would lead to the future removal of the use restrictions.

“We recognize that river closures can be put in place when necessary and in accordance with state statute, to protect public safety and reserve the resources of emergency personnel. Under the current condition, AHRA is not closing the river to all users, and it's important to understand that at these flows the feature requires paddling finesse and that portage options are non-existent,” said Nathan Fey, Director, Colorado River Stewardship Program, American Whitewater. “Our hope is that paddlers understand and respect the specifics of this closure, and are willing to work with AHRA to address the constraints and opportunities of this particular situation."

"We appreciate AHRA's prompt response to our concerns about whitewater kayak and canoe access to this section of the river and recognize the hazard the diversion structure presents to certain whitewater boaters," said Patrick Tooley, Board Member of Colorado Whitewater. "As always, we look forward to continuing cooperative discussions on river issues with AHRA as they arise." 

Once water levels recede and access is again available to the portage trail, AHRA plans to coordinate the necessary repairs to the portage trail so that the current use restrictions can be lifted. AHRA will also work with the whitewater engineering firm who designed the boat chute to implement any necessary changes needed to try to reduce the likelihood of any future problems with this structure during high water events. 

"We will continue to closely monitor the situation and update the public as much as possible throughout the process," White said. 
Signs have been posted in the area and AHRA Land and River Rangers will be on patrol to advise people of the potential hazard.

The AHRA continues to offer 150 additional miles of Arkansas River whitewater boating opportunities for the boating enthusiast, including the availability of whitewater parks that can be found in Buena Vista, Salida and Canon City.*

_For more news about Colorado Parks and Wildlife go to: http://cpw.state.co.us_

_For more information about Colorado Parks and Wildlife go to: http://cpw.state.co.us._


----------



## glenn

American Whitewater - Limited Closure on Arkansas River


----------

