The Land

The Westwater Canyon WSA spans the Westwater Canyon portion of the Colorado River with the eastern two-thirds of these protected lands located in the Dolores Triangle. Major tributary canyons on the east side of the river include Little Dolores, Marble, and Star canyons. A short box canyon, Little Hole, and a rincon (Big Hole) are the main features northwest of the river corridor. Up on the highlands, pinyon-juniper woodlands cover over half of the WSA, with the remaining cover consisting of sagebrush and blackbrush. The canyon itself features unique geologic features including black, pre-Cambrian rock, the oldest exposed rock in Utah, which forms Westwater’s inner canyon.

The Work

As river recreation has increased over recent years, so have impacts to natural resources along and within the Westwater Canyon wilderness study area. Achieving camping compliance is a tall order and our service project will support local agency efforts to ensure well-managed wilderness-quality lands.

Our work will focus on campsites along the river corridor where impactful camping has led to resource damage. We will replace signage and remove trash. Work will include: campsite compliance clean-up and manual reclamation of visually disturbed surfaces.

**Note: This project is open ONLY to return volunteers. If you have participated on a SUWA stewardship project between 2016 and 2023, you are eligible to apply!

Volunteers Needed: (16)
Project Lead: Talitha McGuire & Ellie Swanson
Contact: talitha@suwa.org

Itinerary
A comprehensive itinerary will be provided to registered volunteers.

• Sat Sept 21- Sun Sept 22

Project Rating 

Level 2 – Our most common trip incorporates mid- to heavy-lifting, work in remote landscapes at varying elevations, an increased diversity of tool use, and an emphasis on physical fitness and hiking competency.

Camping & Meals

Specific location of camping site(s) will be provided in the Welcome Letter sent to registered volunteers.

SUWA provides select meals, snacks and drinks during the project. Volunteers are responsible for all additional meals not specified in the Welcome Letter during their stay.

Volunteer Responsibilities

Participants are responsible for their own food, water and camping gear as well as transportation to and from the project site(s). Volunteers should plan to be away from camp all day each of the work days. A recommended pack list will be sent along with the project Welcome Letter  (4) weeks prior to the start date.

Registration & Acceptance Timeline

A 2024 General Volunteer Application is required for this project. 

• When we have received your form, you will receive a confirmation e-mail within (5) working days of submission.
• In order to ensure participation by the most diverse applicants, we log all applications until (8) weeks prior to the project. At this point, you will first receive a call from our stewardship team to further discuss the project.
• Following this call, you will receive an e-mail confirming whether you have been placed on the “project roster” or a “waiting list.”
• If you are selected for the project roster, you will then complete a Volunteer Agreement.
• Individuals on the Waitlist List will be contacted if space opens due to cancellation within (2) weeks of the project start date.
• At (4) weeks before the project start date, registered and confirmed participants will receive a Welcome Letter, with a comprehensive itinerary, including: driving instructions, a Project Map for mobile devices (when applicable), a notification about carpools and/or caravans, and any additional information pertinent to the project.
• Within (2) weeks of the project you will receive a direct call from our stewardship coordinator to answer any additional questions you may have.

If you have any questions at any point throughout the process, please do not hesitate to contact us here or by calling  (435) 259-9151.

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