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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Area volunteers plan to work on portions of public land along the Colorado River Aug. 13 and 14 to improve environmental quality and user experience west of Loma.

Colorado Canyons Association in partnership with the BLM will hold a two day cleanup on BLM managed lands along the Colorado River in McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area.  Organized by CCA and the BLM, up to 25 volunteers plan to clean up the river corridor and examine restoration efforts on Dog Island. 

Their efforts will focus on the popular 25 mile stretch of the Colorado River beginning in Loma, CO flowing through Ruby and Horsethief canyons and ending in Westwater, UT which is commonly referred to as Ruby-Horsethief.  Nearly 15,000 people from across the nation visited this stretch of river in 2015, which is also home to the Dog Island campsite that was devastated by a human-caused fire last year.

“There’s a certain responsibility that comes with enjoying public lands so close to our own back yard,” said Ryan McConnell, NCA stewardship coordinator with CCA.  “By cleaning up the Ruby-Horsethief river corridor, our volunteers are not only connecting to their public lands, they’re also protecting the beauty and the experience that draws visitors to our region from all over the country.”

McInnis Canyons NCA encompasses more than 123,000 acres of BLM managed public lands on the western slope of Colorado including more than 75,000 acres of the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness.  The area holds the second largest concentration of natural arches in North America with valuable habitat for wildlife such as desert bighorn sheep, collared lizards, mountain lions, many species of raptors, and river otters.