Colorado Parks and Wildlife is closing the boat ramp at Cherry Creek State Park today, Aug. 16, cutting the boating season short by roughly two months as drought continues to drain reservoirs across the state.
The closure affects motorized watercraft access at the Arapahoe County park, where water levels have dropped to 5,546 feet.
The reservoir entered 2026 at the same level where it ended 2025, and low snowpack has prevented any meaningful refill, according to the Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority.
Donn Botzum, who has been visiting Cherry Creek for 40 years, said the early closure has prompted him to consider selling his jet skis.
“The thought has come across my mind because you know you we pay for storage and it just sits there and if you can’t take it anywhere, it doesn’t really do you a lot of good,” Botzum said.
Visitors noted the boating season at Cherry Creek typically runs from mid-April through early October, making this year’s mid-August shutdown a significant reduction, according to Denver 7.
August McArthur, a 20-year visitor, said he expected the closure but was still disappointed. “We actually feel fortunate that it’s going this long, as low as the water is, but it’s still sad,” McArthur said.
The closure at Cherry Creek is part of a statewide pattern. Rifle Gap State Park shut down its boat ramp earlier this month, and Spinney Mountain State Park’s ramp never opened for the 2026 season.
In an average year, the reservoir loses roughly three vertical feet of water to evaporation, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife acquired additional water this spring in an effort to extend the season, though it was not enough.
Some visitors pushed back on the decision. “I thought it was stupid,” said Al Behaeghe. “We haven’t seen anybody have any trouble launching their boats.”
Behaeghe said he had already adjusted his summer plans due to drought-related closures at other Colorado reservoirs, including Boyd Lake, which closed its ramp, and Chatfield, which he found had a beach that was “too rocky.”
Cherry Creek’s abbreviated season underscores how drought is reshaping the economics of water-based recreation in the West.
State parks that rely on reservoir access for camping revenue, marina fees and concession contracts face shrinking windows to generate income.