Arkansas - Non-native Phreatophyte Mapping_BRT Approval Letter

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S O U T H E A S T E R N C O L O R A D O Water Conservancy District ?Your Investment in water ? January 11, 2007 Mr. Rick Brown Intrastate Water Management and Development Section Colorado Water Conservation Board 1580 Logan Street, Suite 600 Denver, CO 80203 Dear Mr. Brown, The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District is requesting a $50,000 grant from the Water Supply Reserve Accountto fund the development of a Strategic Plan for the Long- Term Management of Non-Native Phreatophyte Trees and for a mapping project for the Arkansas River Basin. Non-native phreatophytes trees (Tamarisk, Russianolive and Siberian elm), have infested much of the riparian lands and are moving into the upland areas within the Arkansas River Basin. These invasive trees are causing serious impacts to our limited water resources. In addition, dense stands of the non-native trees have restricted recreational accessibility, negatively impacted wildlife habitat, and increased the risk for wildfires and flooding. To compliment the Plan a comprehensive data base will be developed that will assist property owners and land managers in determining proper control, restoration, monitoring, and long-term maintenance methods for a particular infestation level and land situation. This data base will be available on a website and it will enable the District and agencies to track the progress of projects and evaluate the methods that are implemented. Another extremely important element of the project is to map the entire basin to provide a clear understanding of the extent of the problem. The Tamarisk Coalition, with funding from the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the District and the Purgatoire River Water Conservancy District, recently mapped the lower portion of the main stem of the Arkansas River and several of the major tributaries. Unfortunately, the mapping project is incomplete because it does not include the upper basin from Pueblo Reservoir west to the headwaters, small reservoirs, lakes and ponds, nor the hundreds of miles of creeks, ephemeral streams, canals, ditches, and dry washes that harbor these thirsty invaders. This type of information is invaluable in determining the total acres of infestation and average density, estimate of current and future water losses, as well as the costs associated with control, revegetation and long-term management. 31717 UNITED AVENUE PUEBLO, CO 81001-4817 PHONE (719) 948-2400 FAX (719) 948-0036 1