Amid drought, Colorado rafters flock to oases while they can
By BRITTANY PETERSON and THOMAS PEIPERT, BRITTANY PETERSON and THOMAS PEIPERT, Associated Press
Published: July 5, 2021, 6:00pm
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Kyle Lester, a rafting guide for Rocky Mountain Adventures, teaches a group basic safety measures and rowing techniques before floating down the Cache la Poudre River near Fort Collins, Colo., Wednesday, June 23, 2021. The river in northern Colorado is flowing well compared to waterways in the western part of the state, much of which is experiencing extreme drought. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)Photo Gallery
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Across Colorado, parched rivers are at some of their lowest levels on record. But on one still spared by the drought, boisterous children and guides bob along as water splashes into their blue inflatable rafts.
The summer activity on the Cache La Poudre River in northeastern Colorado reflects the precarious situations of rivers and lakes in dry regions, with rafters and boaters eager to enjoy the remaining oases while they can and businesses hoping to eke out a season threatened by drought.
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