Chatfield Reservoir is Almost Unrecognizable After Tree Removal

Colorado's Chatfield State Park is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, centered primarily around recreational activities taking place out on the reservoir. The scenic 1,355-acre-surface-area lake draws visitors to boat, fish, jet ski, paddle board, canoe, kayak and water ski, while taking in the beautiful surroundings, including mountains, trees, and an abundance of wildlife.

The reservoir itself offers a variety of features, like large coves, beaches, and pockets of aquatic plants that make boating and paddling extra fun. Up until recently, another favorite feature was the many cottonwoods and willows growing within the water. The trees provided many recreating opportunities to visitors, and were a peaceful and enchanting part about being on the reservoir.

However, a majority of the beloved trees are now gone, giving a much different look to portions of the reservoir.

While the immersed cottonwoods and willows were a popular feature of the park for the past two years, many of the trees were starting to fall over and lose large limbs, especially on windy days and when the water was frozen. This was threatening visitor safety, leaving the park no other choice but to take action.

In October 2024, crews from Chatfield Reservoir Mitigation Company, Inc. began removing dead and dying cottonwood and willow trees from the reservoir. During the first phase of the mitigation project, approximately 2,700 trees were cut down.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife Chatfield Park Manager Kris Wahlers, all options were explored to try to keep the trees, but in the end, they had to do what’s best for visitor safety.

Up to an additional 2,300 cottonwoods could be removed in the next phase cycle, which begins in winter 2025.

This may seem like a drastic amount of trees to be taken out, however in actuality, the trees slated for removal by CRMC represent less than one percent of the overall number of trees living in Chatfield State Park. Once chopped down, the wood will be repurposed for stream stabilization work and mulch.

In anticipation of the potential removal of the trees, CRMC began habitat mitigation work back in 2018 by planting cottonwood and willow stakes and shrubs in other areas of the park that are more suitable for the establishment of healthy and resilient tree stands. Over the past few years, more than 100,000 trees and shrubs have been planted.

In addition to the planting of seedlings to offset habitat loss, CPW has worked with environmental contractors to mitigate impact to bird populations, which could be affected by the trees’ removal. The project is scheduled outside of nesting seasons and will not disturb any active nests.