Outdoor recreation impacts related to drought and fire risk continue to grow, from campgrounds with no water for campers and state parks turning the water spigots off to boat ramps shutting down and entire reservoirs closing for the season to likely fire bans across large swaths of the state during peak camping season. The impacts of the dangerous conditions this summer will be far-reaching, indeed.

Most recently, a new impact comes in the form of a shooting range closure at Eagle County’s Basalt State Wildlife Area due to extreme fire risk. The closure took effect on June 26 and will be in place until further notice.

The rest of the state wildlife area remains open, but officials have warned the public that recreational shooting outside of the range is prohibited.

Eagle County and the White River National Forest have implemented stage two fire restrictions with Eagle County being the epicenter of some of the worst drought statewide. The entire county is at drought stage four (of four) with its drought severity and coverage index (DSCI) score at 500 – the maximum possible score.

This is just another example of how dry conditions are impacting recreation this summer. Per this week’s U.S. Drought Monitor Report, roughly 97 percent of the state is experiencing drought with the statewide DSCI score climbing to 329. During conditions like this, always check a park’s official page to see what impacts may be present while planning your trip.

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