Drought and wildfires crippled Colorado鈥檚 rafting industry in 2012. That鈥檚 according by the Colorado River Outfitters Association. The trade group estimates that rafting trips decreased last year by 17 percent.
The year-over-year drop marks the second highest since the Association began tracking trips in 1990. The highest decrease in Colorado happened in 2002, which had similar drought and wildfire conditions compared to 2012.
North of Fort Collins, Bob Klein with A Wanderlust Adventure said he saw a 45 percent decrease in business last summer. That鈥檚 because during the High Park Fire, access to the Cache le Poudre River was cut off for three weeks.
鈥淲e lost a lot of people, and then the phones weren鈥檛 as busy,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e weren鈥檛 as busy in July because people thought the fire was going, they just didn鈥檛 want to go rafting at all.鈥�
water flows in Summit County鈥檚 Blue River so severely that commercial rafting access was cut off entirely. The one bright spot last year for the industry was the Colorado River鈥攃ertain stretches actually saw an increase in traffic.
Looking forward to Colorado鈥檚 2013 rafting season, the report is positive, but there is a caveat:
The outlook for 2013 brightens with consumer spending increases, the stock market at near record levels, and dropping unemployment numbers. Climate change and the potential for drought in 2013 weigh on the possibility of a full recovery.
Despite concerns of mud/ash runoff along the Poudre River and statewide snowpack that is currently 72 percent of normal, A Wanderlust Adventure鈥檚 Bob Klein says he鈥檚 hopeful about 2013. Even if snowpack doesn鈥檛 replenish, Klein says the river will still likely be run-able for customers.
鈥淓ven if it鈥檚 a low water flow year, we鈥檙e optimistic,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e found that even with lower flows, they have a great time up there.鈥�
