When the mercury pushes close to the century mark in the summer, Front Rangers and tourists have never been shy about heading to the Colorado high country to beat the heat.
And who among us hasn’t ended up in Summit County, looking out longingly at the inviting — albeit chilly — waters of Dillon Reservoir, dreaming about jumping in?
Sadly, swimming in the Denver Water-owned reservoir has been just that — a dream.
That could soon change — and while we’d like to be among the first to scream “Cowabunga!” at the prospect, it makes more sense to dip a toe into the water first.
By that, we mean swimming should be allowed — with limits.
As the largest reservoir in the Denver Water system, Dillon has been off-limits to swimmers due to health department guidelines that discouraged body contact with a drinking water supply.
But, as the Summit Daily News reported this week, that guidance has since been repealed and, combined with improvements in water treatment, Denver Water no longer has water-quality concerns regarding human contact at the reservoir.
The prospect of swimming is currently being considered by the Dillon Reservoir Recreation Committee. The group, comprised of officials from local government, the U.S. Forest Service and Denver Water, could make a decision on additional activities by July 4.
Currently, the reservoir allows sail and motor boats, as well as smaller water craft such as canoes and kayaks. Windsurfing is allowed with a wetsuit.
The Summit Daily reported that the committee considered allowing water skiing, wakeboarding and jet skis, but those were scratched, as they would require additional environmental study.
Of course, before turning the reservoir into a high-country swimming hole, some very real concerns must be addressed.
First, officials must craft management plans to account for the prospects of crowds and swimming in the very cold water. The devil there will be in the details — but the idea should be to focus on water quality, public safety (do people swim at their own risk and will they be aware of the risks of swimming in snowmelt?) and minimizing conflicts with other users.
Committee members reportedly want swimmers to avoid certain areas such as the dam and parts of the marina, which makes sense.
In our view, a good starting point would be one or two swim beaches that concentrate people in shallower areas during the warmest months of the year.
Done right, limited swimming in Dillon Reservoir strikes us as an idea that will improve the recreational experience for locals and visitors alike.
