Roaring Fork Conservancy's mission is to "inspire people to explore, value and protect the Roaring Fork Watershed." One way that Roaring Fork Conservancy strives to accomplish this mission is by protecting and preserving critical habitat throughout the watershed. Placing a conservation easement on a piece of property ensures that the land will not be developed. Roaring Fork Conservancy currently holds about 265 acres in conservation easements.

Map of RFC Conservation Easements | What is a conservation easement?

Acres: 21.00
Date Acquired: October 31, 2002
Feet of Riverfront Protected: 1,410
Owner: Blue Creek Ranch Homeowners Association

The Blue Creek Easement is located on the bank of the Roaring Fork River, near Catherine Store Bridge. Pictured are some of the towering cottonwoods and ponderosas that make the easement unique. The property offers public fishing access along the river trail and carry-in boat access from a parking lot off County Road 100.

Brooks
Acres: 0.29
Date Acquired: December 31, 2001
Owner: Privately Owned

Although a small parcel of land, the Brooks Easement connects open space to part of a migration corridor for deer and elk. In the picture below you can see a line which elk have chewed the bark off of the aspen trees. The Brooks Easement is our first easement in the Crystal Valley and is located in the Crystal River Park Subdivision.
 
Burry
Acres: 8.07
Date Acquired: December 31, 2005
Feet of Riverfront Protected: ~1,370
Owner: Privately Owned

Burry conservation easement protects important riparian habitat along the Roaring Fork River below Carbondale. Encompassing stands of narrowleaf cottonwoods and an understory of river hawthorn , Rocky Mountain juniper, river birch, alder, buffaloberry, and sumac, this property provides habitat mammals and an estimated 110 bird species. The property also provides winter habitat for migrating deer and elk populations.

Cardiff Township
Acres: 7.95
Date Acquired: August 30, 1999
Feet of Riverfront Protected: 1,820
Owner: Park East Homeowners Association

The Cardiff Township Easement is located in Glenwood Springs along the banks of the lower Roaring Fork River. Named for the historical township which once thrived on coal production in the area, 7.95 acres of riparian hillside land have been protected for perpetuity. Located near the easement is the restored historic Cardiff Schoolhouse, which RFC will use for future educational programming. 

Cattle Creek Confluence
Acres: 53.60
Date Acquired: February 3, 2000
Feet of Riverfront Protected: 6,865 (combined with Heron Point Easement)
Owner: Related WestPac

Once known as Sanders Ranch, the Cattle Creek Confluence is a 53.61 acre parcel located on the banks of the Roaring Fork. The namesake of this easement: Cattle Creek, flows through the easement joins the Roaring Fork at the north end of the easement. This property consists of wetlands, upland hillsides, pastures and riparian corridor that are home to an active great blue heron rookery as well as mule deer, elk, osprey, bald eagles, trout, mink, beavers, bobcat and even an occasional mountain lion. The photo is of the main beaver dam on Cattle Creek that was erected in the fall of 2001.

Crystal River Confluence
Acres: 6.29
Date Acquired: February 7, 2000
Feet of Riverfront Protected: 800
Owner: Coryell/Midland Point Homeowners Association

The Crystal River flows through the Crystal River Confluence Easement before joining the Roaring Fork River below Carbondale. This easement consists of 6.29 acres of wetland and riparian habitat. Mule deer, bald eagles, great blue heron, coyotes, gamble oak, Rocky Mountain Juniper and wild rose are some of the species found on the Crystal River Confluence Easement. This property provides healthy wetlands which are critical for wildlife habitat, improving water quality, and absorbing spring runoff.

Emma Open Space
Acres: 73.40
Date Acquired: June 21, 2000
Feet of Riverfront Protected: 3,000
Owner: Pitkin County

The Roaring Fork Conservancy coordinated the purchase of Emma Open Space in June of 2000 with help from Pitkin County, Eagle County, Colorado Division of Wildlife, Town of Basalt, Trust for Public Lands and Great Outdoors Colorado. This easement is 73.4 acres and is critical to deer and elk migration. A wildlife underpass crossing Highway 82 was installed on the property in the late 1980's which we recently restructured with funds from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation making it more "user-friendly" to deer and elk. Today we monitor the success of this project by tracking deer and elk traffic through the underpass with a motion detection camera. The Open Space contains wetlands along the Roaring Fork River, agricultural land that continues to be used for haying and grazing, as well as fishing access.

Filoha Meadows
Acres: 50.00
Date Acquired: November 8, 2002
Feet of Riverfront Protected: 2,750
Owner: Pitkin County

The Ethiopian word for hot water is Filoha, hence the name of this easement located on the Crystal River between Carbondale and Redstone. Filoha Meadows is unique because of the hot springs and thermally heated meadows found on the property, creating rich wildlife habitat and thermally heated meadows. Bighorn sheep winter in the warmth of the meadows and there is even an endemic population of fireflies taking advantage of the hotspring's warmth. The back drop for Walt Disney's "Tall Tales" movie, Filoha Meadows is now owned by Pitkin County and is a beautiful addition to the Conservancy's easements. 

Grange
Acres: 13.00
Date Acquired: September 7, 2007
Feet of Riverfront Protected: ~2,659

The Grange Ranch Conservation Easement protects about a half mile of prime Roaring Fork River habitat, wetlands and river bank just west of downtown Basalt.

Heron Point
Acres: 7.11
Date Acquired: December 4, 1998
Feet of Riverfront Protected: 6,865 (combined with Cattle Creek Confluence easement)
Owner: Ironbridge Homeowners Association

This easement is bordered on the east by the Cattle Creek Confluence Easement and to the west by the Roaring Fork River. While Heron Point Easement is only 7.11 acres it is a critical piece of property that is important wildlife habitat. Because of the conservation efforts on the Cattle Creek and Heron Point Easements more than 1.25 miles of river corridor has been protected in this area!