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<br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br />North Fork Planning and Remediation Grant Proposal <br />North Fork ofthe Gunnison River <br />November 9, 1999 <br /> <br />2.0 Statement of Need <br />2.1 Background <br />The North Fork River Improvement Association (NFRlA) was established in 1996 as a <br />volunteer coalition to investigate the possibility of rehabilitating the North Fork of the <br />Gunnison River and its associated habitat for the benefit of the entire community. The <br />mission of this grassroots, community led, non-profit coalition of landowners and <br />concerned citizens is to maintain the traditional uses of the river while improving stream <br />stability, riparian habitat, and ecosystem function. This organization is a unique <br />collaboration of diverse community interests and government agencies. NFRlA has <br />successfully brought together skeptical riverfront landowners, fanners and ranchers, <br />environmentalists, irrigation companies, recreationalists, in-stream gravel mining <br />companies, and concerned members of the community to discuss solutions to the <br />common problems associated with the valley's most valuable resource - the river. The <br />organization empowers local citizens of the North Fork Valley as the driving force <br />behind restoration efforts. It is designed as an alternative to the traditional "top-down" <br />government regulatory approach. <br /> <br />The North Fork of the Gunnison River watershed drains approximately 986 square miles <br />from the Gunnison National Forest and the West Elk Wilderness. It is located in <br />northwestern Gunnison and eastern Delta counties in west central Colorado. The USGS <br />hydrologic unit code is 14020004. The river flows through the towns ofPaonia and <br />Hotchkiss before converging with the main stem of the Gunnison River north of the <br />Gunnison Gorge and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument. The <br />headwaters begin at the confluence of Anthracite Creek and Muddy Creek in the <br />Gunnison National Forest at an approximate elevation of 6200 feet. The river flows 33 <br />miles in a southwestern direction through a valley of multiple river terraces positioned <br />laterally along a highly dissected broad valley with gentle down-valley slope. Much of <br />the rural ambiance can be attributed to agricultural land, which comprise over 80% of all <br />privately owned lands. Land use consists primarily of cattle and sheep ranches, fruit <br />orchards, and cropland, Extractive industries include underground coal mining, gravel <br />mining, and logging. The rich fish and wildlife resources in the upper watershed <br />supplement the general economy with tourism and outdoor recreation. Sustainable <br />agriculture and maintaining the existing rural quality of life are the top priorities for this <br />community. <br /> <br />2.2 History <br />When the Anglo settlers first arrived in the North Fork Valley in the early 1880's they <br />were greeted with a pristine fertile river valley that immediately produced some of the <br />finest agricultural products in Colorado. The prime soil was the direct result of deposits <br />of rich silt from the annual floods of the river. An article in the May 21, 1884 edition of <br />the Delta Chief newspaper reported Indian claims that floods from the North Fork River <br /> <br />/ <br />