White River National Forest Proposes New Management Zones at Sweetwater Lake

Glenwood Springs —Protesters lined Grand Avenue on Wednesday, holding signs and watching the library. Just inside the glass doors, officials from the White River National Forest were meeting. They were laying out possible plans for Sweetwater Lake. The lake sits just a few blocks from that very library.

The crowd outside wanted the U.S. Forest Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife to protect the wildlife habitat. They wanted the natural character of the lake to remain untouched. Both agencies are weighing the future of 844 acres around the water.

Brian Glaspell, supervisor of the White River National Forest, stood inside. He told residents this open house was about quality, not quantity. The goal was to help people submit comments that would actually influence the final decision.

“What we want to do is help you submit the type of comment that is most meaningful and useful to us,” Glaspell said.

He warned that this was not a public vote. Detailed comments that identified specific concerns, evidence, or solutions were far more useful than a flood of identical forms.

“We don’t need 10,000 identical comments,” Glaspell said. “We just need one very good one that addresses issues in a meaningful way.”

The project covers 433 acres acquired in 2021 through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. It also includes 413 acres already part of the National Forest System. The acquisition expanded public access. Now, the agency needs a plan to manage recreational activities while protecting sensitive resources.

Four alternatives are included in a draft environmental impact statement for the Sweetwater Lake Recreation Management and Development Project. Public comments will be accepted until September 23.

The first alternative keeps things mostly as they are. It maintains current Forest Service management. No new structures. No new recreation management zones.

The second alternative is the proposed action. It would create eight management zones across nearly 189 acres. The plan includes 29 new structures. It adds 20 camping spaces. It includes five to seven horse camping spaces. It adds 12 operational cabins. It proposes approximately 6.4 miles of new trails.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife would manage the area alongside the Forest Service under a special use permit for 20 years.

The third alternative sets four management zones across approximately 32 acres. It offers fewer facilities. Two new structures. Ten camping spaces. No horse camping. No operational cabins. The Forest Service would continue to manage the area.

Locals are watching closely. The tension is between preserving the wild and building infrastructure. The Forest Service is asking for input that cuts through the noise. The deadline is set. The stakes are high for the land right next door.