The park's creation will have little impact on portions of the river within its boundaries. There, the Gunnison presents a series of Class V+ drops, with a 95-foot-per-mile gradient that is unrunnable to all but expert kayakers. But downstream, the gorge widens and flattens to a 14-mile Class III-IV run that is the heart of the new national conservation area (NCA). Here, the new designations are likely to draw increased attention to a river that currently sees only a few thousand annual visitors.

That attention is a two-edged sword. On the positive side, Paul Tickner, a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) river ranger, notes that NCA designation conveys the agency's highest level of protection, mandating that the area be managed for a near-wilderness experience. In addition, Congress formally set aside 17,700 acres of the river corridor itself as wilderness and prohibited mining and geothermal exploration within the entire 57,800-acre NCA.

Conservationists would have been happier if the entire gorge had been added to the national park, but that was politically infeasible because of opposition from hunters and 4-wheel-drive enthusiasts. Nevertheless, they are pleased with the level of protection conveyed by the NCA. "I think it will work out pretty well," says Mark Peterson, Rocky Mountain regional director for the National Parks and Conservation Association.

Another potential positive is that conversion of the monument to a park may shift the balance of power in an ongoing dispute over water discharges from upstream dams. At issue are four endangered species of fish - now in a park rather than a monument - that biologists believe would benefit from restoration of the river's natural spring flood cycle. "The legislation doesn't touch that," says Peterson, "But within the next year or so I think there's going to be a decision. More water would certainly add to the excitement of the river in early summer."

On the other hand, increased notoriety cannot help a river cherished for its unusual opportunities for solitude. Currently, gorge float trips are limited to two commercial launches totaling no more than 24 participants per day. Private parties are unlimited. But already, thundering herds sound in the distance. "I think the gorge will get more use because the upstream monument has been upgraded to park status," predicts Rick Dudginski, manager of Telluride Outside, a float-trip outfitter. "More people go to parks than to monuments." Within a month of the park's creation, he adds, his own company saw an increase in rafting inquiries.

Tickner says the BLM has already received phone calls from outfitters wanting more commercial launches or permission for new activities such as helicopter flights. But he promises that the BLM will do everything it can to retain the present experience. "The more we can keep it as it's been," he says, "the better."

To some degree, the river will be protected by difficulties in access. Tickner notes that Paddler magazine has rated it as one of the nation's 10 worst shuttles. Low-quality roads end at trails that require horsepacking or at least a mile of kayak dragging to reach the water. "You can't just drive up and unload the kitchen sink," says Dudginski.

Nobody's proposing to flood the canyon with visitors. The primary question is whether ultimately there will be restrictions on the number of private parties. Tickner hopes the BLM won't have to do this, but says the agency will do what's needed to protect the river. Dudginski thinks they are inevitable. "Commercial outfitters are limited now," he says. "I think we're moving toward a day when we see a cap on private use as well." Whatever happens, the BLM has an admirable track record on the Gunnison. "The BLM's always done a great job in maintaining the quality of the experience," says Dudginski. "Few rivers left have that sort of solitude."

It would be ironic if that was lost due to land designations designed to protect the area even further.