Colorado Cave Survey

The previous USFS Forest Service WNS management policy implementation order concerning cave access on National Forest lands in Colorado just expired. The new superseding order has now been released by USFS Region 2. It is now one order covering all caves in R2, not just single states or forests. The new order will be in … [Read more…]

The fungus that causes White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has been detected in low levels in California for the first time. Fungal DNA of Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) was detected in swab samples collected from bats on private land in the town of Chester near Lassen Volcanic National Park in 2018 and 2019.  The announcement from California Department … [Read more…]

The closure order for Spring Cave has been rescinded effective June 28, 2019.  The cave is now open for normal visitation under the same rules as in previous years (permits and decon required).  Reports say that the water level in the cave is dropping rapidly.  Please note that the cave will be closed again after … [Read more…]

The next CCS meeting is scheduled for Cave of the Clouds near Glenwood Springs, hosted by the Defiance Cave Preserve owners, Mike and Donna Frazier.  It will start at 11:00 AM.  Plan on arriving early enough to allow 15-30 minutes to hike up to the cave from the parking lot. Bring a chair or pad … [Read more…]

The Blanco Ranger District of the White River National Forest has issued an emergency closure order for Spring Cave, effective April 2, 2019. The stated reason for the closure is that “the cave and karst system above the cave is being monitored for potential impacts resulting from the 2018 Cabin Lake fire. Due to the … [Read more…]

The next CCS Meeting is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. It will be at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, in the Marquez Building (Room 322) at 7:00 PM. Parking is  free after 5:00 PM.  Food and drink is allowed.

Access to Groaning Cave, Colorado’s longest cave, is managed by the Colorado Cave Survey for the White river National Forest.  A short summary has been prepared of caver visitation to Groaning Cave during the years 2017 and 2018, based on the log entries in the cave register filled out by every caver group.  There were … [Read more…]

Rocky Mountain Resources has proposed a large expansion of the existing Midcontinent limestone quarry near Glenwood Springs.  Many cavers are concerned about the potential impacts both on the popular, wonderfully decorated tourist caves at Glenwood Caverns, as well as other smaller lesser known caves in the area.  There are also concerns about the impact on … [Read more…]

Two recent scientific publications on bats and White Nose syndrome may be of interest to Colorado cavers.  Both provide some evidence that caver visitation will probably not be a primary vector for spreading White Nose Syndrome in Colorado. The first is a Biology MS thesis from the University of Akron, by Charbel Cherfan, entitled “Determining the … [Read more…]

We have a new Memorandum of Understanding with the White River National Forest. See the MOU here.