9609

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9609
• Author: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
• Title: Ruedi Reservoir 2012 Agreement Final Environmental Assessment Fryingpan-Arkansas Project.
• USFW Year: 2002.
• USFW - Doc Type: Loveland, CO.
• Copyright Material: NO

Ruedi 2012 Agreement Final EA Page 3-10
3.3 Recreation
3.3.1 Ruedi Reservoir
Ruedi Reservoir is a developed recreation attraction on the west slope, offering a wide variety of
recreation opportunities. Lands adjacent to Ruedi Reservoir were transferred from Reclamation
to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) in 1968. Today, the USFS operates four campgrounds, two
day-use areas, and the Ruedi Marina as shown in Figure 3.4. Three of the campgrounds, the
Mollie B, Little Maud, and Little Mattie, are located adjacent to Ruedi Marina and offer a total of
68 developed campsites. Ruedi Marina facilities include a boat ramp, day use area and 12
campsites. Dearhamer Campground is located at the east end of the reservoir and includes 13
developed campsites, a day use area, and a boat ramp. Picnicking and beach facilities are
available at the Freeman Mesa day-use area located along the middle of the north shore. The
Black Bess day-use area is located along the south shore just around the corner from Dearhamer'
Campground and offers picnicking facilities.
There is one privately owned facility on the reservoir, the Aspen Yacht Club (Yacht Club). The
Yacht Club maintains a small boathouse, single-lane concrete boat ramp and floating dock on the
north shore. The Yacht Club has 75 family memberships and 45 boat slips (which are usually all
occupied). It hosts at least one regatta every summer; the two-day regatta in the summer of 2001
drew 60 boats and 250-300 people. The Yacht Club hosts youth sailing classes once a week
during the summer season.
There are a total of three boat ramps located at the reservoir: Ruedi Marina, Dearhamer, and
Yacht Club. The Ruedi Marina boat ramp has a toe elevation of 7,704 feet, and becomes
unusable at approximately 51,800 of of storage. Dearhamer and Yacht Club boat ramps are
usable when reservoir levels are at or above an elevation of 7,747.5 feet or 85,000 of of storage.
The general season of use at Ruedi is Memorial Day through the weekend after Labor Day, with
the heaviest use occurring from July 4th to Labor Day. Use of the area decreases after Labor
Day, when campgrounds begin to close and other services end for the season, although use has
been increasing during this shoulder season. Fall/winter recreation activities at the reservoir
primarily include camping (associated with hunting), fishing and, when available, ice fishing
(Keneally, 2001).
Data from the Fryingpan Valley Economic Study (Roaring Fork Conservancy, 2002) indicates
that approximately 72 percent of visitors to the reservoir participate in some form of watercraft-
related activity including motor boating (30 %), sailing (20 %), personal water craft use (10 %),
kayaking/canoeing (7 %) and sailboarding (5 %). In addition, the study indicated that camping
(50 %), fishing (53 %) and sightseeing (35 %) were also popular activities of visitors to the
reservoir. Approximately 65 percent of Ruedi Reservoir use is attributed to local users, many of
whom make multiple trips during the season of use (Roaring Fork Conservancy, 2002). Forest
Service records indicate that there were a total of 15,306 visitor days at Ruedi Reservoir during
the 2001 summer season, not including use at the Yacht Club.
3.3.2 Fishing
The Fryingpan River between Ruedi Darn and the confluence with the Roaring Fork River has
been designated by the Colorado Division of Wildlife as a Gold Medal Water. This designation
indicates rivers and streams having a greater than average potential in which to catch trophy
trout. Of the over 9,000 miles of streams in Colorado, only 170 miles have been designated Gold

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