The future of more than 3,000 acres of Arapahoe County land on the eastern plains of Colorado is at stake and county officials are asking for the public’s help. 

The land is called the Bijou Basin and officials want to know how to finalize its master plan, and what level of recreation residents want to see there.

As county officials work toward a final plan, they are taking public need into account and are currently asking for feedback on three draft plans — available on the project website.

The Bijou Basin, located about five miles south of Byers at the junction of Quincy Avenue and Bradbury Road, includes thousands of acres of rolling hills, short grass prairie, wildflowers, cottonwood trees, wildlife and 3.5 miles of the West Bijou Creek — which is dry most of the year, according to the county website.

The three plans include a low recreation, medium recreation and high recreation plan.

The low recreation plan would include 4.2 miles of northern trails and 1,851 acres of grazing. Trails would would be accessible to hikers and equestrians only and consolidated to the northern portion of the site. The plan would prioritize natural resource protection and minimize maintenance for staff.

Medium recreation would include seven miles of trails for hikers and equestrians only and 1,614 acres of grazing. The plan would expand trails south for more mileage and provide “medium level” of natural resource protection, according to county documents.

High recreation would include seven miles of trails, expanded to multi-use for hikers, equestrians, bikers and on-leash dogs, with more trail amenities and 1,614 acres of grazing. The plan would increase recreational opportunities and have the highest impact on natural resources.

The county purchased 2,800 acres of the Bijou Basin Open Space using Open Space Sales and Use Tax funds in late 2010. In January, the county purchased several hundred additional acres of the open space and plans to create a public recreation area. 

Based on public input so far, the area may include a trailhead with parking, a picnic area, restroom, and a multi-use trail system, according to county documents. 

Upcoming public feedback opportunities are as follows.

• Public open house: Thursday, March 6 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Kelver Library, 585 S. Main St., Byers
• Virtual public meeting: Wednesday, March 12 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at https://bit.ly/ACOS_BBM
• An online survey opened Thursday and is available through March 16 at surveymonkey.com/r/BijouBasinSurvey2

The final master plan will be presented at the Arapahoe County Fair, then adopted by Open Space and Trails Advisory Board and the Board of County Commissioners later in the summer.

In addition to public outreach, county officials have done a land assessment to “ensure the master plan preserves habitat and connectivity for wildlife, support long-term, responsible land management practices and creates a space where wildlife, livestock and people co-exist.”

The property is not currently open to the public and is being used for cattle grazing.