Lake Pueblo to switch to longer summer boat ramp hours, 5 a.m.-midnight, on April 1
Bill VogrinSoutheast Region Public Information Officer
719-466-3927 / [email protected]
March 23, 2022
Lake Pueblo State Park boat ramps operating hours to adjust for summer
PUEBLO, Colo. – Operating hours for the boat ramps at Lake Pueblo State Park, the busiest park in Colorado, will adjust April 1 to the summer schedule of 5 a.m. to midnight.
Ramp hours coincide with the hours of operation for the mandatory inspection station for Aquatic Nuisance Species, or ANS.
Lake Pueblo is open to boating 24 hours a day, but boats can only be launched when the inspection stations are open. When closed, the gates to the boat ramps will be locked and no boats can enter or leave the water.
No boats will be allowed to load or launch when ANS inspectors are not on duty.
“We are committed to keeping Lake Pueblo free of zebra and quagga mussels,” said Becky Buist, Park Operations Manager. “We appreciate the cooperation of the boating public in protecting our waters, and our important drinking water infrastructure, from these dangerous invasive species.”
The mandatory boat inspection program was implemented in 2008 to prevent the spread of ANS, which can destroy water delivery systems and fisheries.
Those hours of operation will remain in effect until Oct. 15 when the fall season for boating begins.
More information on park hours, ANS inspections and boat ramps is available by calling the park at 719-561-9320 or visiting cpw.state.co.us
Colorado Parks and Wildlife manages Lake Pueblo State Park on property owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which controls water levels in the lake.
The bureau built Lake Pueblo in 1970-75 as part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas water diversion, storage and delivery project. It provides West Slope water to upwards of 1 million Front Range residents, primarily in southeastern Colorado, as well as agricultural irrigation.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 43 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.