How muddy is it? That was the question this past Tuesday as one of our Norwegian Elkhounds, Peach, took me for a great hike. We could have sent a couple of kids to check out the mud situation.

It’s much more gratifying, however, to get in trouble for tracking mud through the house ourselves, rather than getting in trouble for letting kids track mud through the house for us.

Our destination was the Pollock Bench Trail in the McInnis Canyons Conservation Area southwest of Fruita, but we ended up hiking along the Colorado River. We trekked on property owned by the Bureau of Reclamation and managed by the Colorado Division of Wildlife as the Horsethief Canyon State Wildlife Area.

The area is much larger than it appears on a map. That’s because a long stretch of the wildlife area parallels the south bank of the Colorado River from Horsethief Canyon to the new City of Fruita Open Space Park (formerly known as Snooks Bottom), a distance of about 2.5 miles.

Granted, it’s a narrow stretch of property between the road and the river, but it’s a fabulous place to walk the dog. What’s more, it’s muddy enough to track prints across the carpet right now, but not so muddy you’ll get stuck.

To reach this area from Grand Junction, take Interstate 70 (or Highway 6 & 50) west to Fruita (Highway 340/Exit 19 off the interstate).

Travel south across the river for 1.3 miles to Kings View Estates Subdivision. Turn right (west) and go through the subdivision.

When the pavement ends, veer to the left around the gravel pit and past Fruita’s Open Space Park, then follow the signs to Horsethief Canyon State Wildlife Area. It will be on the north, or right side, of the road.

Property on the left, or south side, of the road lies within the McInnis Canyons Conservation Area once you pass Devil’s Canyon. Prior to Devil’s Canyon, property on the south side of the road is private and well-marked as such.

The Horsethief Canyon SWA property was acquired and developed to partially replace wildlife habitat lost as a result of construction of the “Grand Valley Unit of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Project.”

The purpose of the Grand Valley Unit was to reduce the estimated 580,000 tons per year of salt added to the Colorado River as a result of irrigation system seepage and agricultural practices in the valley.

Studies indicate that salt loading to the Colorado River occurs when seepage from irrigation systems, such as canals and laterals, irrigated fields, and irrigation return flows pass through highly saline soils and the underlying Mancos Shale Formation in the Grand Valley. By reducing the amount of groundwater percolating through these saline soils, salt loading to the Colorado River is decreased.

As canals and laterals were improved in the Grand Valley, scattered wetlands and other wildlife habitats were dried up and lost. To compensate for this loss, the Bureau of Reclamation worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Colorado Division of Wildlife to acquire, develop and preserve permanent wildlife habitats along the Colorado River.

Horsethief Canyon SWA is managed for the primary purpose of replacing wildlife habitat.

In the long term, this area is vital in preserving the rapidly disappearing Colorado River riparian habitat from expanding growth and development in western Colorado.

Actual construction of the first phase of the Grand Valley salinity project began in October of 1980. Construction of the final phase was completed in 1998.

The Grand Valley Unit now removes 115,700 tons of salt per year, nearly one-fifth of the salt we’re adding through our irrigation practices yearly.

That’s a lot of salt!

The 2,000-plus acre Horsethief Canyon State Wildlife Area provides habitat for deer, coyotes, bobcat, doves, ducks, geese, quail, pheasant and numerous other bird species.

It’s located at the mouth of Horsethief and Ruby Canyons as the river flows out of Colorado and into Utah.

The area receives about 1,500 visits per year, mostly hunters during waterfowl season in late fall and early winter. Most of those hunters use designated blinds within the main section of Horsethief Canyon. Few venture where Peach and I traveled the other day.

Because this area follows the Colorado River and its primary function is for wildlife habitat, insects can be a nuisance, especially during the spring and early summer. Insect repellent, hats, long-sleeve shirts and long pants are recommended.

Right now, though, all you need is a good pair of boots. While there’s still plenty of snow in the high country, mud season is nearly upon us in the happy valley.

That has our dog Peach happily wagging her tail and tracking mud across the floor.

She loves getting muddy. She just doesn’t like getting stuck.