DENVER - University of Denver law students filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday to block the "Over the River" temporary-art installation.
The art project proposes hanging aluminum-coated material totaling 5.9 miles over a 42-mile stretch of the Arkansas River.
Construction of the project will take 28 months to complete and another three to 12 months to take down. It could involve drilling 35 feet deep into bedrock to anchor around 9,000 industrial bolts and anchors.
The suit contends that the construction will prevent fishermen and visitors to access the river for recreational use.
The project will be constructed in the federally-designated Arkansas Canyonlands Area of Critical Environmental Concern which is the key habitat for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep.
BLM claims this is estimated to generate $121 million in economic output and will draw 400,000 visitors during construction and display. The construction is anticipated to begin in 2012.
"Drawing visitors to Colorado to see this work will support jobs in the tourism industry and bring attention to the tremendous outdoor-recreation opportunities in this area," Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said.
Lena Howland contributed to this report.
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