More closures upcoming at cherished reservoirs on Pikes Peak

Apr. 20—While one cherished reservoir reopens on Pikes Peak, others are due for closures in the coming years for another dam repair that could coincide with water and recreation managers contemplating the future of access.

Commercial outfitters have been at the center of recent talks regarding that access. They'll be permitted to guide fishing and paddleboarding customers up to North and South Catamount reservoirs this season, as the North Slope Recreation Area's third lake, Crystal Creek, refills after a four-year closure for dam construction. The reservoirs are set to open for the season May 1.

But starting in 2024, the expectation is for those guides and guests and all other drivers along the Pikes Peak Highway to be barred from both North and South Catamount reservoirs. That's for what Colorado Springs Utilities calls "a major rehabilitation project" needed for 77-year-old infrastructure at South Catamount Reservoir.

Utilities has quietly announced vehicular access at the reservoirs will be closed for two years beginning next summer. That, according to a company webpage, "provides generous time to craft a comprehensive recreation plan that includes watershed protection, security concerns and public access."

Protecting the water supply considered "critical" is the priority of Colorado Springs Utilities. Meanwhile, city enterprise Pikes Peak-America's Mountain manages recreation around the scenic lakes popular for fishing, kayaking, picnicking and photographing for drivers stopping along the highway.

Pikes Peak-America's Mountain Manager Skyler Rorabaugh said he was "excited" about crafting a plan alongside Utilities.

"Our region has grown so much that there's been new pressures in" North Slope Recreation Area, he said. "One of the keys to success of a recreation area is, you have to have a plan, and you have to prepare for those pressures that you're going to receive."

Colorado Springs Utilities has made it clear that it specifically wants to review policies and procedures related to commercial permits. Four are currently issued, Rorabaugh said, while more are on hold for names on a waiting list.

Meetings and surveys last year resulted in "key findings" recently listed on a Utilities webpage, describing public opinions as "split" on sharing space with businesses and calling "for the process to be managed fairly and for outfitters to help with staffing costs, litter cleanup, stewardship education and other amenities."

Support and stewardship have always been goals of Angler's Covey, said the fly shop's director of services, Jon Easdon. He said he and other outfitters were "happy" to pay a new administrative fee charged by Pikes Peak-America's Mountain.

Utilities "is not in the recreation business, we get that," Easdon said. "But in my experience working with the Forest Service and (Colorado Parks and Wildlife) and all these other entities for a lot of years, it's like we're desperately waving our arms to say, 'We're partners in this. We have solutions to your problem.'"

The North and South Catamount closures will pose a big problem to business, he said. He said the reservoirs represented more than 80% of the season's total guided outings.

While Angler's Covey has other revenue streams, other enterprises exclusively depend on the lakes.

"It's not huge, overall economic damage, but for the four companies that have those permits, it's a huge issue," said El Paso County Commissioner Stan VanderWerf, who stood up for them in a recent meeting that saw Utilities break the closure news to outfitters.

Easdon said he and others left "shell-shocked."

"It's obviously concerning from a business standpoint," he said. "But I think the big thing is, no one is going to be able to access it. No one."

No drivers, at least; longer hiking paths to North Catamount Reservoir "may be available but will be subject to construction project planning," according to Utilities.

Rorabaugh said about 20,000 people every year buy tickets at the Pikes Peak Highway tollgate to visit North Slope Recreation Area, while close to 300 other anglers and regulars buy season passes. That represents no small gain for Pikes Peak-America's Mountain, which depends on such money to operate.

Rorabaugh said he anticipated pains over the next two years of anticipated closures — or however long the North and South Catamount closures might last.

"We're definitely keeping our fingers crossed that it's not going to be four years," he said, referring to the timeline of the Crystal Creek Reservoir project that was interrupted by pandemic-related supply issues.

Rorabaugh added: "We're definitely going to have a higher concentration of interest at Crystal Creek. We're trying to wrap our heads around what that may look like."

While crediting Utilities for the job — "I appreciate their continued efforts to ensure we have a good, healthy watershed," he said — VanderWerf wondered if there was a way to maintain access or reach "some kind of compromise."

Compromise can be difficult on a mountain with so many interests, VanderWerf recognized. "I think this is illustrative of that problem," he said.