Colorado's recent rain saves boating season at Cherry Creek State Park

A round of heavy rain has given boaters at Cherry Creek State Park a reprieve after historically low water levels brought the reservoir within just a fraction of a foot of closing its boat ramps.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife had projected the ramps would close for the season Aug. 16 as drought and hot weather continued to push the reservoir lower. The closure would have come roughly two months earlier than some boaters are used to and would have been the earliest boat ramp closure in Cherry Creek State Park history.

Instead, a weekend of torrential rain sent water flowing into the reservoir and pushed the water level high enough to keep the ramps open.

"We were a day away from closing it," Cherry Creek State Park Manager Michelle Seubert said.

Seubert said the park planned to close the ramps if the reservoir reached an elevation of 5,546 feet. Before the rain, the water had fallen to about 5,546.1 feet - roughly one-tenth of a foot from the cutoff.

"This is the lowest that it's been in the history of Cherry Creek, and we're lucky that it came up quite a bit this last weekend with our big rains," she said.

Few people were happier to see the rain than longtime fisherman Jerry Stigall.

"We were panicky. I would say a little bit panicked, because we really do like to get out here and fish," Stigall said. "We're tickled to death every time we get some rain for a lot of reasons, not just this reservoir, but for our forests and everything else."

Keeping the ramps open does not mean conditions have returned to normal.

During especially hot stretches, Seubert said the reservoir can lose roughly two inches of water per week to evaporation. Low water has also exposed hazards that boaters may not normally see.

"The biggest thing is that we need to make sure that we are still able to have our boats on the water," Seubert said. "Visitor safety is our number one priority. So we've got to be able to respond to emergencies."

The concrete launch ramps only extend so far into the reservoir. Once water falls below a certain point, trailers can reach the end of the concrete and encounter sand, rocks, or an underwater drop-off.

Seubert urged boaters to slow down, pay attention to changing conditions and ask park employees about potential hazards before launching.

"Go slow and don't be in a hurry," she said. "Ask our staff if you want to know if we know where some other hazards are. Just be prepared."

For now, park officials believe the rain bought boaters several more weeks.

"We can project out," Seubert said. "Right now we're projecting that we'll probably be fine through Labor Day."

Beginning Sept. 12, the park plans to reduce operations to one open boat ramp because of the low water. Cherry Creek State Park has an east and west ramp, and Seubert said officials have not yet determined which one will remain open.

The goal is to keep at least one ramp operating through the fall, but much will depend on precipitation, temperatures, and evaporation.