As crews continue fighting the Ferris Fire northwest of Dolores, some local river advocates are also looking at what the fire could mean for the Dolores River Canyon.
The fire is mapped at about 63,270 acres and remains 19% contained as of Friday, July 10th at 4:30pm. Evacuation orders, road closures and firefighter safety remain the immediate public safety concerns.
But the fire is also burning through steep canyon country along the Dolores River, an area known for red rock walls, old-growth ponderosa pines, wildlife habitat and limited access.
Rica Fulton, Advocacy and Stewardship Director for Dolores River Boating Advocates, said the canyon is one of the most important ecological corridors in western Colorado.
The Dolores River is a tributary of the Colorado River. Fulton said it provides important aquatic connectivity and creates a ribbon of habitat in an otherwise dry landscape, supporting birds, mammals, reptiles, fish and riparian plant communities.
The stretch affected by the Ferris Fire is downstream of McPhee Dam, where the river runs through steep, rugged canyon terrain. Fulton said access is limited, with only a couple of accessible entry points.
That remoteness is part of what makes the canyon special, but it also makes it difficult to know exactly what has burned and how severely.
Fulton said she is especially concerned about old-growth ponderosa pines in the canyon. Some of those trees may be hundreds of years old. She said some also show signs of cultural use by Ute people, including peeled trees where bark was historically removed.
Ponderosa pines are adapted to fire, and lower-intensity burns can be part of a healthy forest system. But Fulton said the current fire is burning during severe drought, with extremely dry vegetation and very little water in the river.
McPhee Dam is currently releasing about five cubic feet per second, according to Fulton. She said that means the Dolores River below the dam is closer to a series of pools than a flowing river.
That could make post-fire impacts more serious. Fulton said ash, sediment and burned wood may wash into the river during future storms. Some sediment and wood can benefit a river system, especially below a dam that traps those materials upstream. But with so little water moving through the canyon, Fulton worries remaining pools could be overwhelmed.
She said native fish in those pools are already stressed by low flows and may have nowhere to go if ash and sediment enter the water.
Future recreation may also look different. Fulton said boaters could eventually encounter changed campsites, unstable slopes, burned trees, new debris in the river or altered rapids.
Dolores River Boating Advocates will likely work with the Bureau of Land Management and other partners to assess conditions before future boating releases, Fulton said. She said drones, agency surveys or search-and-rescue-style scouting could help identify hazards before people return to the canyon.
For now, much remains unknown. Fulton said some areas may burn more lightly than others, and fire can also clear dense vegetation and create space for renewal.
She said she is trying to hold both grief and hope. The canyon’s old trees, native fish and plant communities have endured harsh conditions for a long time. But she said the scale and intensity of the Ferris Fire mean the river corridor may be changed for years.
Fulton said the Dolores River Canyon is part of the identity of Montezuma and Dolores counties. While the fire’s impacts on homes, roads, power lines and evacuations remain urgent, she said the canyon’s ecological and cultural losses also deserve attention.
Closures remain in place around the Ferris Fire. Officials are asking the public to stay out of closed areas while crews work.
