Sweetwater Lake area to become next Colorado state park in federal-state partnership
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced Wednesday that the land surrounding Sweetwater Lake will become the newest state park through a partnership between Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the U.S. Forest Service.
Sweetwater Lake is simply gorgeous, and has great potential for even more recreational opportunities like a campground, Polis said in a statement. This is the first of its kind partnership in Colorado to create a state park on U.S. Forest Service land, and we look forward to working with our partners and Coloradans with the ultimate goal of adding Sweetwater Lake to Colorados world-class state park system for fun, conservation, education, and to support job growth for the region.
In August, the White River National Forest acquired the 488-acre Sweetwater Ranch near the border of Garfield and Eagle counties through a federal Land and Water Conservation Fund purchase after the land was identified as a top 10 priority purchase for public recreation opportunities. Before that it was owned by The Conservation Fund, a nonprofit organization the works to protect land.
This new partnership will allow for infrastructure updates and increased public access. Improved facilities, including a new boat launch, are expected to open next summer.
Read more: https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/sweetwater-lake-colorado-state-park-federal-partnership/
Sweetwater Lake will become the newest Colorado state park. (Courtesy of the governors office)