• Seaplane pilots in Colorado are pushing to loosen strict restrictions on landing and taking off on many of the state’s lakes and reservoirs. Currently, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) enforces a long-standing ban on seaplane operations on most of the roughly 3,200 waters the agency manages, meaning pilots have very limited legal places to use seaplanes in the state.
• Advocates say Colorado ranks near the bottom in the nation for seaplane access. Local seaplane pilots — including Niwot resident Jeremy Rogers — argue that pilots should have similar water access that other states allow, especially given Colorado’s reputation as a premier outdoor recreation destination.
• The restrictions stem from concerns about safety and recreational conflicts. Officials from the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and CPW cite possible safety issues between seaplanes and other water users, limits on capacity, and the risk of spreading aquatic nuisance species as reasons for the tight rules.
• Aviation groups point to additional benefits of seaplanes. The Seaplane Pilots Association notes that retrofitted seaplanes can provide useful services — for example, scooping water to fight wildfires — and that Colorado actually has a sizable number of certified seaplane pilots (about 8,000, ranking ninth nationwide).
• Lawmakers may take up the issue in 2026. Colorado State Rep. Naquetta Ricks said it’s possible she’ll introduce a bill in the next legislative session to address the access restrictions.
Bottom line: There’s a growing push from Colorado seaplane pilots and aviation advocacy groups to relax current bans on seaplane activity on state waters. They argue it would align Colorado with other states, expand recreational and utility use, and benefit pilots and the public — while state officials remain focused on managing conflicts and protecting natural resources.
To read the full article, please visit: https://www.denverpost.com/2025/12/28/seaplane-access-colorado-lakes-cpw-recreation/