Powderhorn Addition
3,390 acres (5.3 square miles)
Setting
The most southerly unit in the entire Hidden Gems proposal, the proposed Powderhorn Addition is located in southern Gunnison County, about 12 miles northeast of Lake City. Like most of the 62,050-acre Powderhorn Wilderness that it adjoins (and would be added to), it occupies BLM land.
What’s special about it?
The existing Powderhorn Wilderness Area is an expansive alpine plateau with fish-filled lakes. The Powderhorn Addition would add sagebrush meadows and aspen forests at lower elevations, which begin at about 8,000 feet, to the ecological mix. Spruce-fir forests, ponderosa pine and Douglas fir are more prevalent as elevations climb to 9,500 feet. Several small drainages with riparian complexes provide vital habitat for a wide range of plants and animals.
Elk and mule deer roam the area and find shelter in the deep timber. There are populations of beaver, coyote, bobcat and mountain lion, and moose wander north from the Spring Creek Pass herd. The Powderhorn Addition is a vital piece of the habitat puzzle in this section of Gunnison County.
Potential threats
As a section of public land that brushes up against a designated wilderness area, the Powderhorn Addition faces pressure to build roads and trails for mechanized travel, and remains open to more intensive, industrial development.
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