Mission

Take to the skies with 350 Colorado to educate and advocate for the protection of one of Colorado's last free-flowing rivers, the Crystal!

The Crystal River is one of the last undammed and undiverted rivers in Colorado, and it is a major tributary of the Roaring Fork River which provides between 6-12% of the Colorado River's annual flow. In early 2023, the Crystal River Wild and Scenic and Other Alternatives Feasibility Collaborative Steering Committee convened to consider how best to protect a 39-mile segment of the Crystal River, from its headwaters to just above Carbondale, now and into the future.

At a meeting on Feb. 29th, 2024, the Steering Committee reached a consensus on the next steps for three potential protection tools for the Crystal River: the use of an intergovernmental agreement, a "peaking instream flow" right, and a Wild and Scenic designation. Subcommittees were formed to explore the specifics of each of these tools and report back to the Steering Committee.

EcoFlight has been providing overflights to Steering Committee members, press, local government representatives, students, and experts to share the big-picture perspective on the necessity of protecting the Crystal and its local character. EcoFlight's Conservation Program Manager, Lea Linse, has been a member of the Steering Committee since its inception and is now a co-chair of the Wild and Scenic Subcommittee.

EcoFlight's founder Bruce Gordon has flown beautiful and wild rivers all over the Western U.S. and the world, and he says that the Crystal is one of the most spectacular he has had the pleasure to connect with from above. In an era of over-allocated rivers, political division, drought-stressed ecosystems, and high tensions around water in the West, we must identify and protect those places that are too special to develop and find common ground to advance durable protections. The Crystal River Wild and Scenic and Other Alternatives Feasibility Collaborative Steering Committee, and now its 3 subcommittees, are leading this charge on the Crystal.

EcoFlight is pleased to provide you with these aerial images from the flights, geo-referenced photos, and this collection of Crystal River photos.