Eastern Plains
North Sterling boaters need the inspection step before launch
A Porch Note from Colorado Porch — plain-English local details for all 64 Colorado counties.
At North Sterling Reservoir, the ramp is not the first stop. The inspection station is.
Boating here calls for three things before you touch the water: an aquatic nuisance species stamp, current boat registration, and a pre-launch inspection at the park’s station. The ANS stamp is not a North Sterling quirk, either; motorboats and sailboats need it before launching anywhere in Colorado.
The point reaches well past this one reservoir. Aquatic nuisance species hitch rides in standing bilge water, on gear, and on hulls, and a single boat that skips the rinse can carry them from an infested lake to a clean one. Once they take hold, they foul reservoirs, clog irrigation systems, damage boats, and crowd out the fish anglers come for.
None of this asks much of an ordinary boater. Arrive within the posted inspection hours, have the stamp and registration in hand, and keep the boat clean, drained, and dry between waters. The clean, drained, dry habit is the whole defense in three words, and it works only if every boater keeps it. The North Sterling park page lists the current inspection hours, worth a look before you hitch up in Sterling, Merino, or Peetz.
Sources
Official or primary sources used for this note. Local details can change, so confirm before acting.