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3.1.1 Community Outreach and Education Community outreach and education has been identified as the first priority toward resource management and protection. Nothing can be achieved without the full backing ofthe community and the community cannot support the goal if it doesn't understand the problem and the values associated with it. Therefore, a continuation of existing programs and the development of new ones are proposed. The following is a list of tasks proposed to meet this objective: Publication of semi-annual newsletters Sponsor annual "River Awareness Float" and water festival to get the community on the river and experience the need for wetlands Produce educational brochure for basin-wide mailing highlighting the values and functions of wetlands Maintain and improve web site Display exhibits at community events 3.1.2 Monitor and Evaluation 5 The morphological assessment established 12 permanent cross section within a 16-mile reach of the North Fork River. Data has been collected at each of these cross sections annually since 1997. The demonstration project has established 9 more stations for the purpose of monitoring and evaluating the demonstration project. This expanding database will provide valuable information about the dimensions, patterns, profiles, erosion rates, and directional trends ofthe river and its associated wetlands. The following is a list of tasks proposed to meet this objective: Hire a surveyor to measure cross sections Purchase a velocity meter for accurate determination of flows and shear stress Collect fluvial sediment samples during annual peak flows Perform annual vegetative transects for riparian evaluation Perform habitat evaluation studies Record and report annual findings ------.----.---.-. 3.1.3 Research Effects ofPaonia Reservoir The effects of Paonia Reservoir on sediment deposition and restoration efforts downstream are unclear and need to be understood. Annual sediment deposition on the floodplain is crucial to the establishment of a healthy riparian zone and general ecosystem function. The channelization of the river has cut the river off from its floodplain, inhibited the deposition of soil-building silts and clays and dried up high- valued, functioning wetlands. Sediments from the North Fork have been allowed to by- pass this highly productive agricultural valley which owes its existence to that natural process.