Protecting Long Lake

The Land Exchange

A hiker enjoying a beautiful fall day at Long Lake.

For nearly a decade the United States Forest Service has planned to dispose of the 120 acres that lies on the eastern end of Long Lake. A parcel of this size does not justify being under the jurisdiction of a federal land agency.

A land exchange between the Forest Service and the Crested Butte Land Trust provides the perfect remedy to keeping this land open for public access. The Crested Butte Land Trust will be exchanging parcels of equal value to the Forest Service to secure ownership and access to Long Lake in perpetuity.

Natural History of Long Lake

Meridian Lake was first shown on geologic maps of the Hayden survey in the 1870s, but no name was applied to it. The first official USGS topographic map of the Crested Butte quadrangle was published in 1888 (still available from the USGS map store- https://store.usgs.gov/product/272473), and shows the name Meridian Lake. All official maps have used that name ever since, although locally many people still refer to it as Long Lake. According to Duane Vandenbusche that name has been in popular circulation since the late 1800s. 

Regardless of name, the lake has long been recognized as unusual and enigmatic, due to its shape as well as being perched high on a ridge above the valley floor. The Hayden Survey people apparently used that name in allusion to its long narrow shape resembling a meridian of longitude, although it is not parallel to any specific meridian.

More detailed geologic mapping by David Gaskill, et.al. in 1967 (Geologic Map of the Oh-Be-Joyful Quadrangle, Map GQ-578), and 1991 (Geologic Map of the Gothic quadrangle, Map GQ-1689), has revealed a possible solution and explanation for the origin of the lake. These maps show that, during the Pleistocene Epoch, glaciers occupied both the Slate River valley and Washington Gulch, as well as many other local valleys and high mountains. The Slate River valley is especially large and long, and has a classic glacially carved U-Shape. Its glacier originated at Yule pass, and major tributary glaciers from the Poverty Gulch and Oh-Be-Joyful valleys also added a tremendous amount of ice to the Slate valley glacier. Based on glacial deposits, shown on Gaskill’s maps, the ice in the Slate valley was probably at least 800’ thick. As the glaciers flowed down-valley they rode up and over the lower extension of Anthracite Mesa and covered that part of the ridge with ice, as shown by the glacial moraines on the ridge. The area of Meridian lake is underlain by soft Mancos Shale exposed in a narrow band trending northwest-southeast. As the ice rode over this area, it probably scoured out the shale somewhat, thus enhancing a more basin like form, although this is speculative. At any rate when the ice finally receded some 12-15,000 years ago, it left end-moraine deposits at the southeast end of the ridge which acted as a dam and ponded up the lake. See the map for a more graphic understanding of the situation.

Geological Legend

Bright yellow with small red spots (Qu) is surficial debris, such as slope wash; 

Pale yellow with no spots (Qa) is alluvial sand, silt, gravel, and/or lake sediment; and finally, 

Pale yellow with large red spots (Qm) is glacial moraine. 

Black tick mark lines with numbers next to them indicate the geographic trend of the beds while the short line with a number indicates the dip or slope of the beds, which you can see averages about 30 degree to the southwest. Unless there has been significant erosion of the moraine, the lake appears to have been larger at one time, with a shoreline possibly as much as 40 or more feet higher than at present.

Purple line delineates private property. 

Green color (Km) is the Mancos Shale.

Green line delineates the newly conserved Land Trust property.

Recreational Access

Long Lake is an easily accessible resource that boasts a myriad of recreational opportunities just north of downtown Crested Butte. These activities such as hiking, fishing, stand-up paddle boarding and other water-based activities can be enjoyed by the whole family at Long Lake.  

However, with recreational access comes natural resource impacts. The Crested Butte Land Trust's Stewardship team will be working hard to keep impacts to a minimum. The greater public is encouraged to be good stewards and tread lightly while utilizing this exceptional resource.

Wildlife Habitat

Wildlife depend on connected open space as migration corridors to access seasonally important habitat. The Long Lake property provides critical habitat for mule deer, black bears, elk, and neotropical migrant song birds, among others.

Photo credit: Conni Mahoney

Sustainable Ranching

Ranching is a long standing way of life in the Gunnison Valley. The Crested Butte Land Trust highly values ranching as one of its core conservation values and leases several of its properties to local ranching operations. 

The southern shore of Long Lake provides critical access to water for livestock that graze the area in late summer. The Crested Butte Land Trust will continue lease this portion of the property to the Ralph R Allen and Sons ranch. 

Prior to the Land Exchange

To complete the Land Exchange, three land managing entities are involved in executing the exchange.

US Forest Service

Managed a 120 acre parcel on the east end of Long Lake.

Crested Butte Land Trust

Owned a 15 acre parcel around Copley Lake near the townsite of Irwin.

The Trust for Public Land

Owned 613 acre parcel adjacent to the Fossil Ridge Wilderness, northeast of Gunnison.

Post Land Exchange

Upon completion of the real estate transaction:

The Crested Butte Land Trust now owns the 120 acre Long Lake parcel previously managed by the US Forest Service.

The US Forest Service now manages the publicly owns the 612 Fossil Ridge parcel and the 15 acre Copley Lake parcel.

Zoom in to take a look at each parcel!

Stewarding Long Lake

Upon completion of the real estate transaction, the land simply does not take care of itself. Active management is required protect the land's natural character. A portion of the total amount of funds needed for the land exchange includes a stewardship endowment to provide the resources needed for ongoing stewardship of Long Lake.

The Land Trust's Executive Director, Noel Durant, putting in the work re-routing the trail.

Allen Property Trail Re-route

The Allen family has been gracious over the years to allow access to Long Lake through their property. Land Trust Stewardship staff in partnership with the Allen Ranch, the Crested Butte Conservation Corps, and Vail Resorts, rerouted the approach trail up to Long Lake in September 2019. The purpose of the new trail is to minimize erosion using a sustainable path to gain access to Long Lake. 

Zoning

Long Lake Zoning

Recreation

The northern side of the Long Lake property is delineated by recreational zoning along the northern bank of the lake and the road entering the property. No additional trails or approaches will be constructed on the property.

Seasonal Grazing and Wildlife

The southern side of the property is delineated by seasonal grazing wildlife habitat. The Allen family seasonally graze their cattle on this side of the property. Additionally, this side of the property provides habitat for abundant wildlife. This side of the property is purposed to have limited public access with no additional trails or amenities being constructed.

Judy & Butch Clark and the Valley Housing Fund

This story wouldn't be complete without an acknowledgement to Judy and Butch Clark, for their exceptional dedication to conservation and the betterment of our natural environment.  

Butch was the prior owner of the Fossil Ridge property before he donated it to the Trust for Public Land in 2010. Butch included a stipulation that the proceeds from the sale of the property to the Gunnison National Forest be donated to the Valley Housing Fund. That is exactly what is occurring with this land exchange. The Valley Housing Fund will receive $2.5 million to go towards affordable housing across the Gunnison Valley.  

THANK YOU Judy and Butch!

The Land Trust's Executive Director, Noel Durant, putting in the work re-routing the trail.

A hiker enjoying a beautiful fall day at Long Lake.