Difficult days in the Rafting Industry

The current drought conditions have had a severe affect on our whitewater rafting outfitting business. We have seen a drastic reduction in visitors. However, more damaging is the reduction in the length of our season. We have already ceased operations on our most productive sections of river with roughly a 30% loss in our season length. Unfortunately, this part of the season tends to be the busiest for tourism. We anticipate that this will lead to a much greater than 30% loss of revenue. To offset this, we have already begun to focus our trips on Colorado's last stand for rivers, the Colorado River. The reservoirs are keeping it flowing, but each day the reservoir levels drop. We stay optimistic and guide customers to what rafting opportunities are still available.

My family has built our lives around the Colorado outdoors and the amazing experiences it has to offer. However, without much needed water, these experiences will cease to exist. We have seen a reduction in staffing, visitors, and income that is very hard to manage. We look forward to and pray for a big winter, because without that, the results would be dire for our families and communities.

Arkansas River 2026

2026 will mark my 40th consecutive year on the Arkansas River here in Colorado. As a river outfitter, I live around, on, and quite literally in the river, and I am so proud to be able to say that. This river has been my life for over 2/3rds of my lifetime, and I cannot think of a better way to spend a career, and what a great way to raise a family. My wife and I are from Colorado; we met in Gunnison at Western State College in the 80s. Our three kids all graduated from the Colorado State University…

Grand County Community Water Supply Limits

Grand County communities are facing unprecedented drought impacts. The Town of Kremmling is currently navigating an unprecedented water supply crisis driven by historically low snowpack, depleted runoff, and critically low river levels. This year, neither of the Town’s primary supply reservoirs filled, leaving one below deadpool. With primary storage exhausted, the Town’s backup supply—the Colorado River intake—became a vital municipal lifeline. However, a structural failure within the infiltration gallery, compounded by historically low river elevations and heavy sediment deposition, rendered the intake unreliable. To prevent a complete loss of municipal water, emergency crews are urgently rehabilitating the physical intake infrastructure…