One of the great tributaries to the Colorado River is the Gunnison, which is the second largest river in the state. Below dams on its upper reaches, the Gunnison carves the spectacular Black Canyon and then flows north toward its confluence with the Colorado River. Along its lower reaches, the Gunnison sweeps past rocky bluffs, desert slopes and riparian thickets of cottonwood. This is one of few places where the four species of Colorado basin warm-water fish still survive: Colorado pikeminnow, humpback chub, bonytail chub and razorback sucker. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated this lower reach of the Gunnison as critical habitat for these species.

Here, Western Rivers Conservancy has several opportunities to conserve critical habitat. In May 2011, WRC purchased 402 acres of spectacular canyon country along several miles of the Lower Gunnison. The property is surrounded by the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area (NCA), a newly designated region that is home to ancient fossil beds, red rock canyons and desert flora and fauna. Western Rivers Conservancy will convey the land to be part of the adjacent NCA, protecting critical riverside habitat.

Several miles downstream of this property, Western Rivers Conservancy has also purchased several hundred acres of additional inholdings adjacent to the BLM-managed Bangs Canyon Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA).

Together, these acquisitions will enhance what is already being recognized as a critically important landscape worthy of protection for endangered species, historical preservation and public enjoyment.

Critical support for the Gunnison River has been provided by the Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation, the New-Land Foundation and ExxonMobil.