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Grand Ditch and Tributaries Chemical Reclamation Area and Trail Closures
Poudre Headwaters Project – Temporary Area Closures Aug. 25–31
The Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and partners will temporarily close areas near Baker Gulch, the Grand Ditch, and parts of Rocky Mountain National Park from Aug. 25–31 to remove non-native fish and prepare habitat for the reintroduction of the native greenback cutthroat trout—Colorado’s State Fish.
Rotenone, an EPA-approved organic compound, will be used to safely and effectively remove non-native species. All treated water will be detoxified before leaving the area.
Closed: Portions of the Baker Gulch, Parika Lake area, Grand Ditch, La Poudre Pass Creek, Grandview Campground, and Bowen-Baker Trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Alert Start Date: August 25th, 2025
Alert End Date: August 31st, 2025
Order Number: Order Number: #02-10-00-25-01
Associated Documents
Forest Order
PROHIBITIONS
Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(a) and (b), the following are
prohibited on the National Forest System (NFS) lands and trails in the Sulphur and
Canyon Lakes Ranger Districts, Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, described
below and shown on the attached maps incorporated into this Order as Exhibits A and B
(the “Described Area and Trails”):
1. Going into or being on the Described Area, 36 C.F.R. § 261.53(e).
2. Being on the Described Trails, 36 C.F.R. § 261.55(a).
EXEMPTIONS
Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(e), the following persons are exempt from this Order:
1. Persons with Forest Service Permit No. FS-7700-48 (Permit for Use of Roads,
Trails, or Areas Restricted by Regulation or Order), specifically exempting them
from this Order or a written determination by a Forest Service authorized officer
that a permit is not required under 36 C.F.R. § 251.50(e)(1) or (2).
2. Authorized Federal, State, contractor, subcontractor, and partner personnel
implementing the Grand Ditch and Tributaries Chemical Reclamation Project in the
course of their official duties.
3. Employees, contractors and subcontractors with a permit specifically authorizing
the otherwise prohibited act or omission.
4. Any Federal, State, or Local Officer, or member of an organized rescue or
firefighting resource in the performance of an official duty.
DESCRIBED AREA AND TRAILS
Sulphur Ranger District (SRD), Exhibit A
The Described Area is in the Never Summer Wilderness, Colorado, and includes all NFS lands within 300 feet of Parika Creek and Baker Creek and their tributaries, and within
300 feet of Baker Gulch and its tributaries, in these sections: Township 5 North, Range
76 West, Sections 16, 17, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28, and 35, as well as Township 4 North, Range
76 West, Section 2.
The Described Trails are all NFS trails (NFST) within the Described Area: (1) NFST 29
(Baker Gulch Trail), (2) NFST 29.1 (Baker Pass Trail) from its intersection with NFST 29.2
(Parika Lake Trail) to its intersection with NFST 29, and (3) NFST 119 (Bowen Gulch
Trail) from its intersection with 119.1 (Bowen Gulch Connector) north to the border
between the SRD and Rocky Mountain National Park.
Canyon Lakes Ranger District (CLRD), Exhibit B
The Described Area includes all NFS lands beginning at La Poudre Pass, including La
Poudre Pass Creek downstream to the inlet of Long Draw Reservoir, northwest to the
eastern edge of NFSR 156.0 (Long Draw Road), south along the eastern edge of NFSR
156.0 to the intersection with the eastern edge of Grand Ditch Road (Administrative Only
Road), and south along the eastern edge of Grand Ditch Road to its intersection with La
Poudre Pass. The Described Area also includes designated dispersed campsites near
Grandview Campground (GC) with post numbers 23, 24, and 29, which will have an
extended 100-foot closure buffer; the GC; and designated dispersed campsites near GC
with post numbers 25, 26, 27, and 28, These lands are located at Township 6 North,
Range 75 West, Sections 15, 16, and 21.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this Order is to protect public safety during the Grand Ditch Reclamation,
a component of the Poudre Headwaters Project. For this project, a chemical piscicide,
rotenone, will be applied to the Grand Ditch and all the tributaries above and below it for
the purpose of removing nonnative fish.
IMPLEMENTATION
1. This Order shall be in effect from August 25, 2025, at 0900, through August 31,
2025, at 1700, unless rescinded.
2. A map identifying the Described Area and Trails attached and made part of this
Order as Exhibit A. For a digital version of this Order and Exhibit A, go to
https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/arp/alerts-notices.
3. Unless otherwise expressly defined in this Order, the terms used in this Order are
defined by the regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture, 36 C.F.R. Chapter II,
Parts 200-299. If there are terms in this Order that are not expressly defined in the
Order or 36 C.F.R. Chapter II, Parts 200-299, their meaning shall be determined
by their plain language definitions.
4. A violation of the above prohibitions is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor by
a fine of not more than $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations, or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.
Contact Name:
Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National GrasslandContact Number:
970-295-6600Maps
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