The main McPhee Boat Ramp, located on the Dolores Ranger District in San Juan National Forest, will open to motorized vessels on April 13.
Operating hours will be 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through April 30th. On May 1 operating hours will change to 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Effective May 1 the House Creek Boat Ramp will open for the season. Ramp hours at House Creek will be Friday-Monday 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Trailered and motorized boats must be inspected prior to launching. Inspectors with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Mussel Inspection Program will be on site to conduct these mandatory inspections. Boats exempt from inspection are non-motorized hand-powered crafts including canoes, kayaks, belly boats, rafts, and paddleboards.
Low water conditions and ice still exist on McPhee Reservoir. Boaters are reminded to register their boats for the 2019 season before visiting the reservoir. For additional information, please contact Tom Rice, Recreation Manager on the Dolores Ranger District at 970-882-6843.
Groundhog Lake RV Park and Campground will open on May 15. The abundant winter snow will fill the lake after it was drained in the fall to fix a dam head gate. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has an aggressive stocking plan for this spring to restore fishing quality. They plan to stock 50,000 three-inch rainbows, 7,500 ten-inch rainbows and 30,000 cutbows.
Groundhog will continue with a mandatory boat inspection program to prevent invasive mussels. Boat ramp hours will be limited, and will be the same as the convenience store hours when someone is available for inspections.
Groundhog stores water for the Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company. The company is requiring boat inspections, and is restricting motorized boats to no more than 18 feet in length, no more than 30 horsepower and outboard motors only. Pontoon boats are not allowed. Boaters with craft requiring inspection are encouraged to arrive pre-inspected with a seal and receipt ready to expedite entrance. Inspections are free at the McPhee boat ramp. A $20 inspection fee will apply if you do not arrive pre-inspected.
The Dolores River flows are beginning to rise enough for an early boating season for kayaks, paddleboards and canoes. Wearing a wet suit is encouraged. As of Wednesday in Dolores, the river had risen to 185 cubic feet per second, and below the San Miguel confluence at Gateway flows were at 385 cfs.
Due to above average snowpack in the Dolores Basin, there is a decent chance there will be a whitewater boating release from McPhee dam in May. There will be a community meeting on the potential for a dam release on April 18 at the Dolores Community Center at 7 p.m.
