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Blue River closed to watercraft, rafting until further notice due to “life-threatening” tree across river

Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons said under Colorado law sheriffs have statutory authority to close rivers for safety reasons

A downed tree across the Blue River prompted the Sheriff's Office to close the river until further notice Monday, June 19.
(Provided by Summit County Sheriff’s Office)
A downed tree across the Blue River prompted the Sheriff’s Office to close the river until further notice Monday, June 19. (Provided by Summit County Sheriff’s Office)

A section of the Blue River will be closed to all watercraft from the Dillon Reservoir to about Mile Marker 111, near Boulder Creek, Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons said Monday, June 19, due to a downed tree across the entire river.

At least three rafts have already crashed into the tree, FitzSimons said, adding that no one was injured. He called the downed tree a “life-threatening strainer” and cited the Sheriff’s authority under Colorado law to close the river for safety reasons.

“This is a common occurrence but usually there is a way around it,” FitzSimons said. “This is going all the way across the whole river. A few boats have already been affected by it.”

The river will remain closed until further notice. The Sheriff’s Office will either find a way to remove the downed tree or keep the river closed until water levels go down, FitzSimons said.

Read the full story from our partner at summitdaily.com.

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