Keystone Falls.jpg (3MB) (/images/keystonefallsboulders2) The Nature Conservancy in Colorado Press Releases Search All Press Releases Christine Broda-Bahm Phone: (720) 974-7002 Cell: (303) 910-5427 E-mail: cbrodabahm@tnc.org

Keystone Gorge Waterfall Protected Through Partnership of San Miguel County, The Nature Conservancy and Telluride Citizens

Telluride, Colorado—23 October 2006—Today The Nature Conservancy announced the purchase of 40 acres of crashing waterfalls and meandering river corridor known as the “Keystone Gorge Project.”  The relatively small parcel has tremendous conservation value. It is the only corridor between the Telluride Valley and Ilium Valley that can provide passage for deer, elk, cougar, bear and other native species.  The falls provide water for the main fork of the San Miguel river, and are surrounded by a lush forest of cottonwoods, spruce and alder woodlands that provide habitat for migratory songbirds and rare native fish downstream.

“The protection of Keystone Gorge is a tremendous gift to us all, and it is only possible because of the support of so many people, especially Pamela Hyde Smith and her family,” said Charles Bedford, Director of The Nature Conservancy of Colorado. The Smith Family’s donation, in memory Pamela’s late husband Sydney G. Smith, who passed away in 1998, was the lead gift in the effort to protect the Falls.  “The commitment and persistence of the Smith family was essential to the success of this project,” he continued.

“My late husband loved Telluride and cared deeply about preserving wilderness, so Keystone Gorge is an ideal memorial to him. My family and I congratulate The Nature Conservancy for bringing this complex project to completion,” said Pamela Hyde Smith.

Although close to the town of Telluride, the height of the falls, the crashing water and rising mists combined with the closeness of the canyon walls creates “sights and sounds and smells that are really rare, not just in Colorado but throughout the West,” said Dave Gann, Western Program Manager for The Nature Conservancy. “It is a rare western jewel,” he continued.

Although The Nature Conservancy has purchased the acreage, in the coming months the Conservancy will transfer the property to San Miguel County with a conservation easement that will protect the Falls and river corridor in perpetuity. The County will manage the area for both people and nature, providing hiking and catch and release fishing opportunities while protecting the ecological values of the area.

“The County is delighted to see this critical parcel move into the public sector. Instead of a fishing lodge for the wealthy, we have a riparian reserve for all. Kudos go to The Nature Conservancy and County staff for working so hard to make this happen,” said San Miguel County Commissioner Art Goodtimes.

"The Conservancy's success in preserving Telluride's unique Keystone Gorge is a great example of a conservation minded donor, a private land owner, a government and the Conservancy all working together to protect a beautiful and important gorge and falls," said John Pryor, Mayor of Telluride.