Montezuma County Publishes Myth vs. Fact Clarifying Dolores River NCA Impacts

Montezuma County on Jan. 15 released a Myth Vs. Fact document from the Dolores River Working Group aimed at correcting misinformation about the proposed Dolores River National Conservation Area (NCA). The county framed the release as a local effort to explain what an NCA designation would - and would not - mean for landowners, recreation users, and water management along the Dolores River.

The working-group summary lists the proposal’s stated goals, including protection of identified Outstandingly Remarkable Values (ORVs) along the river, respect for water rights and private property rights, and efforts to develop alternatives and mitigation to preserve historic water uses, including Dolores Project allocations. By emphasizing those points, the document seeks to ease concerns that a designation would automatically change land ownership or existing water allocations.

Local stakeholders figure prominently in the document’s presentation. The county described the proposal as the result of local cooperation and positioned the working group as the forum for balancing conservation objectives with downstream water uses and private property interests. For Dove Creek residents and irrigators, the reference to preserving Dolores Project allocations is significant: those allocations underpin irrigation and municipal supplies in parts of Montezuma County and inform long-standing local water operations.

For the recreation and tourism economy that relies on river access, clarification matters because uncertainty can affect outfitters, guides, and seasonal visitation planning. The document intends to spell out how recreational use would be treated under an NCA designation, and to counter claims that recreation would be curtailed wholesale. At the same time, conservation advocates and land managers will be watching how protection of ORVs is implemented in practical terms, including any restrictions tied to specific values the working group has identified.

The working group said it is also working to develop alternatives and mitigation measures to address potential impacts. That signals an ongoing process rather than a finished plan. Residents should expect additional technical materials and policy proposals as the group refines how an NCA might operate in concert with existing water rights and private landholdings.

What this means for Dove Creek and neighboring communities is continued engagement in a process that touches daily life - property rules, irrigation schedules, and river recreation. The county’s Myth Vs. Fact document seeks to narrow misinformation, but it also opens a window for residents to follow the working group’s next steps and weigh in as alternatives and mitigation measures are developed.