Crystal Reservoir Conveyance Act
Key claim: The Crystal Reservoir Conveyance Act (HR5911) directs the Forest Service to convey Crystal Reservoir, Full Moon Dam, associated water rights, and surrounding land in Ouray County, Colorado, to the City of Ouray at no cost for public recreational open-space use, subject to reversionary interest and use restrictions.
Abstract
(HR5911 · 119th Congress) Crystal Reservoir Conveyance Act This bill directs the Forest Service to convey specified property and water rights in Ouray County, Colorado, to the City of Ouray, Colorado, for use as open space for recreational activities (such as fishing) at no cost to the public. The property and water rights include the site known as Crystal Reservoir and the associated lake and infrastructure, Full Moon Dam and the associated facilities, and the approximately 45-acre parcel of land underlying and surrounding Crystal Reservoir. The conveyance must (1) convey fee simple title to the land; (2) be subject to existing valid rights and easements; and (3) be completed at no cost to the city, except for costs related to necessary surveys. The conveyance must also be subject to a reversionary interest whereby if the land is used in a manner that violates the conveyance, the land shall revert to the United States, subject to the discretion of the Forest Service. In addition to holding the land open to the public for recreational purposes, the city must assume responsibly for Full Moon Dam and must not conduct unneeded development or commercial operations, nor alter Crystal Reservoir in a manner that would harm wetlands located upstream, subject to certain conditions. After the completion of this conveyance, the Forest Service must recognize a perpetual easement for the site known as Red Mountain Ditch for use by the city for specified activities related to Crystal Reservoir. Latest action (2026-06-03): Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Why this matters
Site-specific Forest Service conveyances like HR5911 shift management of federal land and water assets to municipalities, affecting local recreation access, water rights administration, and the federal estate’s footprint in rural counties. While the individual transfer is minor, the reversionary interest and use restrictions illustrate the standard mechanism Congress uses to ensure conveyed federal lands remain in public-benefit use.