Boulder Reservoir

Boat Permits and Lake Patrol

• ANS Protocol for Boaters - UPDATED May 26, 2009 47.36 Kb
• Boater Information Packet 1.33 Mb
• Boating Permit Agreement and Application 133.18 Kb
• Power Boat Insurance Requirements 72.86 Kb

Information on 2010 boat permits will be posted here in early February, 2010.

Boat permit news for the 2009 season

• New in 2009: All watercraft including canoes, kayaks, wind- and kite-surfers will require a boat permit to launch on the Boulder Reservoir. 2009 season use permits for human- and wind-powered watercraft are available at the boat house for $10 per craft. (The reason for this new requirement is to allow better communication with all boaters around special events, water safety and aquatic nuisance species issues.)

• Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS). The reservoir will be implementing new protocols this season in an effort to protect against the introduction of aquatic nuisance species (ANS). ANS have already been detected in other Colorado and western waterways and bring the threat of potentially devastating environmental, economic and recreational impacts.

ANS can be transferred to the reservoir via any size or type of watercraft. You will be receiving more information about our 2009 ANS protection procedures soon. These protocols, developed in conjunction with water quality officials and other regional waterways, will help protect the reservoir against the introduction of non-native, aquatic nuisance species. Please email with questions or comments: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

• Rez Entrance. Major enhancements to the Boulder Reservoir entrance area are planned for this fall. Improvements will include a dedicated turn lane off 51st Street, new entrance buildings and a boat inspection area. Work is anticipated to begin after Labor Day.

New boating changes

Effective immediately, the City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department will implement the following boating changes at the Boulder Reservoir in an effort to prevent the introduction of aquatic nuisance species and improve boater safety:

• Water craft (of any kind) may only be launched from the south shore of the reservoir (within the front gate). Kayaks, belly boats or other water craft may no longer be launched from the north shore of the reservoir to ensure compliance with reservoir policies regarding proper cleaning and disinfecting of vessels.


• The sale of one-day power boating permits has been suspended until adequate standards to prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species by day-use boaters can be developed. Reservoir staff is currently researching best practices and cooperating with other regional waterways to develop effective and uniform standards for day-use boaters. Practices currently under consideration include requiring boaters to thoroughly clean and allow crafts to dry for at least 10 days following use in a different body of water.

More information on aquatic nuisance species

Last Updated on Monday, 28 September 2009 07:57