Hundreds of people are backing a petition calling for slow boating that creates no wake on Lake Nighthorse.
The Quiet Lake Nighthorse Coalition formally launched its efforts last Saturday during the Climate March in Durango, and has collected nearly 300 signatures, Kristine Johnson said. The coalition, which includes several members from the Great Old Broads for Wilderness, expects to deliver the petition to Durango City Council in June.
The petition calls for a 5 mph speed limit for motorized boats to ensure a peaceful sanctuary where visitors could fish, canoe, kayak, paddle board, sail and swim. The speed limit would comply with a requirement to allow motorized boats on the lake, the petition states.
Excise taxes on fuel for motorboats helped fund the grant that paid for the boat ramp and other improvements, which requires that motorized boats be allowed on the lake, said Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Metz.
“We think this reservoir deserves special attention because we want a Durango park, not a typical state park that’s overrun, especially on weekends, by powerboats and water skiers,” Johnson said.
People who enjoy power boating can visit McPhee Reservoir, Navajo or Vallecito lakes.
“Those reservoirs do not provide a quality recreation experience for those people who want to canoe or kayak or stand-up paddle board, or just chill somewhere where it is beautiful and wet and not overrun by loud, noisy, smelly wave-inducing boats. And there is no comparable opportunity for those of us who want that different experience,” Rose Chilcoat said.
In the city’s conceptual master plan from 2014, some areas are envisioned as no-wake zones, including the swim beach, the inlet, the dam, the west end of the lake and around the shore line.
At low water, about 750 acres would be a no-wake zone, the plan says.
The no-wake areas would be signed with buoys, which is standard practice, Metz said.
Johnson and Chilcoat are concerned about conflicts between power boats and other users in the small center of the lake about 2 miles long, where wakes will be allowed.
The speed limit in this area could be up to 40 mph, the master plan says.
Lake Nighthorse is about the same size as Ridgway Reservoir, where motorboat sports such as water skiing and other high-speed sports coexist with other activities, Metz said.
Once open, the lake could be an economic driver for the area as well, she said. A 2010 analysis estimated the lake could generate $7.8 million in spending in the area.
Chilcoat would like the city to do a new analysis of the lake use and who it might attract, especially since paddle boarding has gained popularity and the lake will not have campsites when it opens.
“Look at the different scenarios. If you put high-speed use up there, what recreational use are you going to lose? Because I’m not going to paddle board if they are zipping around water skiing,” she said.
City Council could have months to discuss the issue because the city may open the lake for recreation in 2018, Metz said.
The Bureau of Reclamation submitted an application for the lake to be annexed into the city in April, starting a process that will require several public hearings, Metz said.
The bureau is also working on a cultural resource management plan that will outline steps to protect historical sites.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
Lake Nighthorse petitions
The petitions are available at these locations:
Great Old Broads for Wilderness office, Seventh Street and College Drive.
San Juan Citizens Alliance in the Smiley Building, 1309 East Third Ave.
4 Corners River Sports, 360 South Camino del Rio.
Environmental Center in the Student Union Center at Fort Lewis College.
