A coalition of aviation organizations is calling on the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) to lift its longstanding ban on seaplane operations at two major Colorado reservoirs.

In a formal letter submitted May 20 to the USBR’s Western Colorado office, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Seaplane Pilots Association, Experimental Aircraft Association, and Colorado Pilots Association requested revisions to the Resource Management Plans for Navajo and McPhee Reservoirs. The groups argue the current restrictions are outdated, unsupported by safety data, and unfairly discriminate against seaplanes as a mode of recreational access.

“Seaplanes have served the public for over 110 years,” the groups wrote, noting their usefulness in firefighting, emergency transport, fish stocking, a

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