Dispute between CPW and Fort Lyon Canal Company the reason behind Tackle Box store in Hasty being put up for sale
Barbara Crimond | Jul 28, 2026 | Comments 0
Ron and Karen Moreland own the Tackle Box fishing store in Hasty, which is on the market for $110,000. They say a dispute between Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Fort Lyon Canal Company that has closed public access to two reservoirs people fish in their region of southeastern Colorado could make it harder for them to sell and retire. But CPW says they will do what it takes to keep people on the water. (Provided by Karen Moreland)
Ron and Karen Moreland, who live in a small southeastern Colorado town, are closing in on the age when they want to start thinking about retiring, but a dispute between Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Fort Lyon Canal Company over a new public access agreement threatened to put a wrench in that.
The Morelands own the Tackle Box fishing store in Hasty, a town of around 125 people in Bent County between John Martin State Park, Adobe Creek State Wildlife Area and Thurston State Wildlife Area, all anchored by reservoirs. They sell everything from lures and bobbers to rods, reels, ice and gently used coolers, and they cater to both novice and experienced anglers.
For years, they’ve done solid business during the months they’re open — from May to October — as people come to fish the reservoirs CPW has consistently stocked with warm water species like catfish, crappie and walleye. The photo gallery on their website shows old and young anglers gripping their catches and beaming into camera lenses capturing the clear blue waters of the reservoirs behind them.
The Tackle Box is the Morelands’ sole source of income — “it’s how we pay our bills and stuff,” Karen said. “But we’ve had it up for sale, because my husband and I are getting older, and now we’re going to have an even harder time selling it.”
It’s difficult enough trying to offload a business that relies on water during a drought like Colorado has been locked in for the last two decades. But on July 16, CPW closed public access to Adobe Creek and Thurston reservoirs after the Fort Lyon Canal Company on June 3 refused to renew their public access agreements, according to CPW.
The canal company said in a statement the decision to sever the agreement was made “only after careful consideration of obligations to shareholders, operational needs and long-term management responsibilities associated with these privately owned facilities.”
Adobe Creek and Thurston reservoirs are critical components of the Fort Lyon Canal Company’s water storage and delivery system “and the company’s board of directors has a fiduciary responsibility to operate and maintain them for the benefit of its shareholders and the agricultural communities that depend upon them,” the statement continued.
Those shareholders invested more than $10 million in Adobe Creek Reservoir when the company was told it needed to build a new dam after their old one failed a state inspection — and they pay to operate the facilities and components in the irrigation system.
So even though the two entities were discussing doubling the lease price to $640,000 paid over 25 years, the compensation, Fort Lyon said, “didn’t reflect the value of the properties, the recreational opportunities being provided, or the (Fort Lyon Canal Company’s) operational obligations.”
CPW has invested in recreational amenities, stocked the reservoirs with fish and monitored dispersed camping around Adobe Creek Reservoir for decades. But now the thousands who relied on the reservoirs for affordable fun that didn’t require reservations will have to head to John Martin State Park if they want to keep fishing, Moreland said, and she doesn’t know if they’ll do that or “just quit coming to southeast Colorado.”
The bulk of the Morelands’ customers are headed to John Martin State Park, so they may be OK even if they lose customers who preferred Adobe or Thurston reservoirs.
Archery fishing in Adobe Creek Reservoir. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife photo)
But the situation worries Lincoln County Commissioner Wayne Ewing, who says “economic development is a struggle on the Eastern Plains. Gone are the mom-n-pop clothing, jewelry or specialty shops. The bigger box stores have taken over those markets. We do have some hardware, parts and feed stores that seem to stay afloat. But businesses that take a minimal amount of water are few and far between.”
At this point, anyone who touches the water in either reservoir will be trespassing, so Fort Lyon Canal Company can call either CPW or a local sheriff to issue a ticket.
Hunting access will remain open at Adobe Creek and Thurston state wildlife areas for now, “but we don’t carry hunting supplies,” Karen said.
But not all is lost, because a spokesperson from Gov. Jared Polis’ office Thursday said conversations between CPW and Fort Lyon “remain ongoing, and CPW will work with the company until an agreement is reached.”
And Polis told The Colorado Sun in an email: “I want the Fort Lyon Canal Company and CPW to work together to keep this beloved recreational area open to the public for the long term. If negotiations break down, I’m happy to help mediate to achieve this.”
By: Tracy Ross | Reporter – The Colorado Sun
Filed Under: Environment • Featured • Hot Topics • Politics • Recreation • State • Tourism • Water
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