Adapting to Changing Conditions

Curecanti's Elk Creek Marina on Blue Mesa Reservoir

NPS Photo

Management of the Elk Creek Marina docks has been challenging due to long-term drought, low precipitation, and increasingly fluctuating water levels. In 2021, Blue Mesa dropped 70 feet (21 m) and the docks were at risk of grounding and getting crushed under their own weight. In response to this emergency, the National Park Service (NPS) relocated the docks away from the shoreline to deeper water. The project required contracted labor, cranes, barge support, and the installation of 53 concrete anchors weighing 10,000 pounds (4,536 kg) each.

To address the low water levels that continued into 2022, NPS engineers, planners, and facility maintenance staff reconfigured the docks and made them more mobile so that the NPS staff could move the docks themselves. This will allow the NPS to respond more quickly to future water fluctuations.

Motorized and trailered watercraft launched onto Blue Mesa Reservoir must be inspected for aquatic invasive species prior to launching. Inspection stations are available at the Iola, Lake Fork, and Elk Creek boat ramps. Boaters are encouraged to get an exit inspection to verify watercraft are clean, drained, and dried. Boat inspections are available from 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily during the spring and summer seasons. The inspections help ensure that recreational opportunities at Blue Mesa Reservoir will be available for future generations to enjoy. To learn more about watercraft inspections at Curecanti, click here.