Management

About Us

Curecanti National Recreation Area protects an abundance of natural, historic, and archeological features in a western landscape encompassing canyons, pinnacles, cliffs, rivers, reservoirs, and mesas, while offering opportunities for recreation, public benefit, and personal reflection.

Curecanti National Recreation Area is administered by the National Park Service (NPS) through a February 11, 1965, Memorandum of Agreement between the NPS and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and is part of the National Park System. The park is composed of a chain of three reservoirs that make up the Wayne N. Aspinall Unit (formerly the Curecanti Unit) of the Colorado River Storage Project, operated by the BOR.

The NPS was designated as the agency responsible for carrying out the provisions of the Colorado River Storage Project Act (70 Stat.105):

Sec. (8) “…the Secretary is authorized and directed to investigate, plan, operate and maintain (1) public recreational facilities on lands withdrawn or acquired for the development of said project or of said participating projects, to conserve the scenery, the natural, historic, and archeological objects, and the wildlife on said lands, and to provide for public use and enjoyment of the same and of the water areas created by these projects by such means as are consistent with the primary purposes of said projects; and (2) facilities to mitigate losses of, and improve conditions for, the propagation of fish and wildlife.”

Park Offices

Curecanti National Recreation Area shares staff and administrative offices with Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The park headquarters is located at Elk Creek along U.S. Highway 50.

 

Superintendent's Office

The Superintendent promotes the effective management of park development, programming, personnel management, finance and property management, protection, interpretation, research, resources management, safety, maintenance, and public relations.

Administration and Concessions

This division oversees human resources, finance and budget, procurement, concessions contracts, housing operations, and information technology.

Resource Management

This division oversees wildlife monitoring, water quality monitoring, archeology, vegetation and ecology, and NEPA and Section 106 compliance.

Visitor and Resource Protection

This division oversees law enforcement operations, search and rescue, wilderness and structural fire, emergency services, and fee operations at entrance stations and campgrounds.

Interpretation and Education

This division oversees visitor center operations, interpretive programs, information requests, social media, bookstores, education and outreach programs, distance learning programs, visual information (exhibits, brochures, graphics, website and NPS app), and public affairs.

Facilities Management

This division oversees roads, trails, and marina maintenance, buildings and utilities, custodial services, fleet maintenance (park vehicles, heavy equipment, boats, etc.), and project and contract management.

 

Superintendent's Compendium

The Superintendent's Compendium lists designations, closures, permit requirements, and other restrictions made by the superintendent.

Foundation Documents

To effectively manage a national park unit and plan for its future, a basic understanding of a park's resources, values, and history is needed - a foundation for planning and management. These are called foundation documents. Foundation documents are at the core of each park's planning portfolio.

• Curecanti National Recreation Area Foundation Document Overview

Other Plans and Studies

General Management Plan
The General Management Plan (14.2 MB PDF) was created in 1997 to provide Black Canyon and Curecanti with a long-range management program.

Wilderness and Backcountry Management Plan
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park/Curecanti National Recreation Area Wilderness and Backcountry Management Plan (8 MB PDF) establishes long-term direction for the NPS to manage and protect the wilderness designated by Congress in 1978 and backcountry lands in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and backcountry lands in Curecanti National Recreation Area.

Cimarron Rail Exhibit Conservation Plan
The purpose of this plan is to create a stewardship guide for preserving the rolling stock assets and railroad bridge located at the Cimarron Rail Exhibit within Curecanti.
Download » (14.6 MB pdf)

Visitor Use Study
In 2010, University of Idaho Park Studies Unit conducted a questionnaire-based survey of recreation area users and subsequent visitor use study (4.62 MB PDF)