| 10/28/2009 10:01:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| Rose Bayless serves the birthday cake during the 20th anniversary of Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area Tuesday at Salida SteamPlant Events Center. Bayless has been employed at the area since it started.
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AHRA marks 20 years
Audrey Gilpin - Mail Staff Writer
Celebrating 20 years of Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area development, about 50 people - most of whom had a hand in its creation - sang "Happy Birthday" Tuesday at the SteamPlant.
The "unique partnership" between Colorado State Parks and Bureau of Land Management formed Oct. 27, 1989, creating the first joint recreation project developed and managed by a state and federal agency.
Growing up in Salida in the 1950s and '60s, Chaffee County Commissioner Tim Glenn said the community was "blue collar and railroad driven," and downtown was industrial.
"When the railroad pulled out in the mid-'80s, Salida suffered - but the park (headwaters) has transformed this community," he said.
The location of the headwaters building on Sackett Avenue was once a Volkswagon junk yard, Glenn said.
Serving Lake, Chaffee, Fremont, and Pueblo counties, headwaters hosts visitors to the most commercially-rafted river in the world and the premier brown trout fishery in Colorado.
AHRA as a "valuable resource" was mentioned consistently among speakers at the celebration.
Rob White, AHRA state park manager, said the area encompasses about 9,000 acres of river front property. This land along with all other improvements including those of state department of transportation and recreation sites and buildings totals "hundreds of millions of dollars" in value.
Salida Mayor Chuck Rose thanked headwaters personnel for protecting the river while encouraging use.
"The river really is an artery - the heart of the city," he said.
Formation of Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area created a 150-mile river corridor park, but didn't come without a struggle among officials.
John Nahomenuk, BLM river manager for AHRA, said he started working with the bureau in 1988 when it was managing commercial permits.
Hecla Junction was "rough" with constant fights between private and commercial boaters, he said.
His solution was to segregate Hecla Junction river access, by giving a quarter of the beach to private boaters and about three-quarters to commercial rafters. He used a bright orange piece of plywood to mark designated sides.
"That sign lasted about 40 minutes," he joked.
Andy Neinas, headwaters rationing and agreement advisory committee member and owner of Four Corners Rafting in Nathrop and Echo Canyon in Cañon City, commended headwaters for an open dialogue with commercial boaters.
"We have a consistent dialogue and we brainstorm - like the river, we are always moving forward.
"We hope to work parallel with the river for the next 20 years," he said.
White thanked the Colorado Division of Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State Parks, commercial outfitters and Trout Unlimited for their partnership and support through the years.
Dean Winstanley, director of state parks, said the part-
nership between state parks and the bureau "is the most interesting partnership in 25 years."
As a "national model" and "gold standard," Winstanley said headwaters had about 737,000 visitors last year, and tourists spend an average of $220 per car in the area.
Salida Administrator Jack Lewis mentioned the potential of a natural resource center as the next vision of the partnership involving federal and state agencies.
"My hope is to celebrate the 40th anniversary at the new natural resource building," he said.
As longest headwaters employee, Rose Bayless, was recognized for her "brains and knowledge."
She said although many positive things have happened in 20 years, growth of private residences along the river has been an obstacle.
"Private residents and commercial outfitters have had to develop a mutual respect for one another."
People might say mutual respect and growth through partnerships keynoted the headwaters 20th anniversary.
The celebration included rangers, river outfitters, mayors, county commissioners, recreation officials and river enthusiasts - people who developed headwaters and will lead it into the future.
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Reader Comments
Posted: Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Article comment by:
Phyllis Cron
CONGRATS to AHRA and Rose Bayless for 20 wonderful years of partnership in protecting the Arkansas! As someone drawn to Colorado by the Arkansas River since 1984,(which I still call MY river!) I am grateful for the efforts of Colorado State Parks and BLM to protect this valuable resource. I miss being able to give back to the river I love by serving as AHRA Park Naturalist. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to help educate our community about the importance in protecting this beautiful river. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AHRA! Keep up the GREAT work!
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