With peak season approaching at Lake Pueblo, CPW stresses importance of water safety

As the weather gets warmer and the busy season approaches at Lake Pueblo State Park, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials are urging people to use life jackets and be safe while boating at the lake.

"Our biggest message, by far, is wear your life jacket," CPW Ranger Erin Steinman told the Chieftain. "By Colorado statute, any vessel — that includes paddleboards, kayaks, canoes — has to have a life jacket for every person on board. Of course, we encourage people to wear their life jackets at all times. And kids under the age of 13 must be wearing their life jacket at all times."

Last year, CPW expanded upon its "Boat Safety Ambassador Program" at Lake Pueblo. The volunteer initiative, which began as a pilot program in 2022, sets up on busy weekends during the summer, mainly at boat ramps, Steinman said.

"But we're going to try to have their booths set up at shorelines too, where they can talk to swimmers and paddleboarders," she said. "Essentially, they are ready to go again this summer, mainly weekends and holidays. They have a trivia wheel to try to engage the crowd and get the crowd to come over and talk to them."

The trivia wheel has questions about boating safety from the Colorado boat safety manual, with correct answers yielding prizes and activities for "people of all ages." Currently, there are 11 volunteers registered in the volunteer database and a group of four or five that are involved every weekend.

If you want to become an ambassador, you can start by going to Lake Pueblo State Park's website and signing up to be a volunteer.

"To be a boat safety ambassador there is a bit of extra training required just so we're getting the right information out there but that's a great place to start," Steinman said.

More on Lake Pueblo: Your 2024 guide of things to do at Lake Pueblo State Park this spring and summer

Beyond wearing a life jacket, Steinman recommends having something buoyant to throw to someone should they fall overboard, a whistle or horn, and a fire extinguisher on your boat where applicable. She also advises boaters to keep an eye on the weather.

"This past year, we posted signs at the boat ramps and all the busy shorelines with a QR code people can scan with their phones to get the latest and most accurate weather updates, and when that weather does start rolling in, definitely don't wait to get off the lake," she said.

Currently, CPW rangers have two patrol boats out on the lake with at least two rangers on each boat who will be out all day during busy weekends, Steinman said.

"Definitely, they stay busy," she said.

Rangers will be watching for safety violations, including capacity violations, intoxication, and others.

"All those safety violations are written into Colorado statute so they are ticketable offenses, but our main goal is, if we come across a boat with a safety violation, we'll make sure that boat gets safely back to shore to get that problem fixed before they're allowed to boat anymore."

Steinman also noted that Lake Pueblo's current water levels are "higher than usual" for several reasons, including runoff and water being held due to "construction downriver."

"It is starting to drop but it is still very high," she said. "With the high water and fluctuating water levels, it creates some problems as far as hazards on the lake. We mark the hazards we are aware of, but with fluctuating water levels, there could be some hazards that are unmarked.

Steinman said the importance of life jackets continues to be CPW's biggest message to lake visitors, but beyond that, she advises people to "know the laws and regulations."

"If you're not aware of them, you can look them up online or stop in at the visitor center and get a handbook with all the Colorado laws and regulations pertaining to water safety," she said.

Follow these tips for practicing water safety at Colorado lakes

Before going onto the water at any Colorado state park, CPW advises you to be mindful of posted rules and carry basic safety gear.

Here are some tips from CPW on how to enjoy the water responsibly:

• Wear your life jacket.

• Put a whistle on your jacket so you can call for help.

• Be aware of your surroundings — the water gets deep quickly.

• Be aware of the weather, high winds and storms can come up fast.

• Check your boat and all required boating safety gear.

• Avoid boating alone and tell someone where you are going and when you will return.

• Boat sober. Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in recreational boating deaths.

• Know that stand-up paddleboards are considered vessels in Colorado and require a life jacket on board at all times.

• Protect yourself from the dangers of cold water immersion and shock. Regardless of your age or experience level, cold water can quickly create a drowning emergency.

For additional information about water safety at Lake Pueblo State Park, visit cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/LakePueblo.

Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formally known as Twitter, @jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: How to be safe on the water at Lake Pueblo State Park this summer