DENTRY: Let's torpedo rumors

By Ed Dentry, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published March 18, 2008 at 12:02 a.m.

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Photo by Ed Dentry / The Rocky

Hearsay that Chatfield Reservoir will ban most watercraft is just that - hearsay. Also, there is no truth to rumors that swimming no longer will be allowed there. Lifeguards are being sought.

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Rumors. Where does this stuff come from, anyway? Chat rooms? Wharf rats?

I'll repeat this fat one about Chatfield Reservoir only to nip it in the bud and squash it in the mud.

Rumor has it that managers are conniving to ban virtually all motorized watercraft at Chatfield State Park. The buzz says larger, four-stroke outboard engines and personal watercraft will be forbidden. Water skiing is out.

Two-stroke engines, 20 horsepower and less, would be allowed. So would electric trolling motors and hand-propelled craft, so you could still troll for walleyes.

Here's the punch line - which, along with the rest, should be taken with a large block of livestock salt: Chatfield will be converted to a no-contact reservoir.

Which, of course, means no swimming at the swim beach.

When Chatfield spokeswoman and Park Ranger Michelle Brand heard that and finished laughing, she offered the following statement.

"You can publicize that we're looking for lifeguards right now. That should put the rumor to rest."

The rumor wafted to this column on a bad wind, starting with a horrified source thrice removed, who heard it from a horrified source twice removed, who wanted to lease a season slip for his boat at Chatfield's marina.

"You'd better think twice about it," a root source allegedly told the boater seeking the slip. "You might not be able to launch that boat."

Jackie Schneider, who operates Chatfield's marina, is not amused.

"It's just me and my husband here, and we wouldn't say anything like that," she said. "There've been some bizarre rumors this year, especially from slip renters."

Maybe the idea of scuttling Chatfield's infamous motorized mayhem was wishful thinking from some frustrated summer angler.

Part of the rumor suggests Denver Water is behind the "new rules." That's because the agency, in fact, owns a top layer of water at Chatfield.

The theory goes that Denver Water might want to toughen rules to minimize the chance of a spill or bacterial infection at Chatfield. Think again.

"I have never heard anything along those lines," said Neil Sperandeo, Denver Water's recreation manager.

"I think the state would go ballistic if that were the case. That's one of their real moneymakers."

In fact, Chatfield State Park is the top moneymaker. Each year, it draws 1.6 million visitors and grosses $2.3 million for State Parks, said Ken Brink, Chatfield's park manager.

"I can't even imagine a scenario where we would keep people from playing here," Brink said. "It's the No. 1 piece in the whole (state parks) fleet."

Brink said no new restrictions on boating, swimming or water-skiing are in the works. He thinks the rumors might be worst-case speculation about how State Parks might someday have to stem the spread of Zebra mussels, larvae of which have been detected at Pueblo Reservoir.

But, no. Go ahead and dewinterize the boat.

Meanwhile, it is true that boating is currently not allowed at Chatfield State Park. But that is Mother Nature's fault and is temporary.

While boats have launched at other parks, a huge ice platform is lingering at Chatfield Reservoir. The watery margin near shore is still.

But the calm will end soon. When the ice melts, Chatfield's usual marine pandemonium season will commence.

Swimming will be allowed when the lifeguard turns up.

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