by Lisa Huynh, Daily Press Writer

MONTROSE — The Gunnison River rangers have enviable summer jobs.

They steward the stretch of waterway that meanders through the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area. It's a landscape of ancient canyons and a river that sustains the myriad wildlife — golden eagles, beavers, mule deer, trout, the list goes on.

"It's a pretty nice place to take care of," said river ranger Rooster Barnhart, who has spent nine summers on these waters. He's one of four Gunnison River rangers who primarily care for the NCA, but also help manage the lower Gunnison and part of the San Miguel River.
Rooster Barnhart, a river ranger for the Bureau of Land Management, looks for golden eagles while floating through the Gunnison Gorge. The river peaked this summer at 7,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). Lately, flows have dropped down to about 900 to 1,000 cfs. (Joel Blocker / Daily Press)