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<br />L <br /> <br />Over the last five years there has been a growing interest in stabilizing the very erosive and <br />destructive North Fork River from above Paonia to Hotchkiss Colorado. This interest has been <br />spawned by a group known as NFRIA, or the North Fork River Improvement Association. This <br />Group has gained allot of popularity both from the North Fork Community, and several <br />Government agencies who are willing to help with the restoration process. <br />Some people interested in the North Fork River restoration would like to see the river restored <br />to a natural environment; similar to the environment that the river was in long before white <br />settlers even looked upon the North Fork Valley. Other people in the community would like to <br />see the river restored in a fashion that no longer poses a problem to the residents along the river. <br />Many people even feel it may be necessary to channellize the river in a very channeled, and <br />stabilized environment that has little or no possibility of flooding. <br />I have researched the river and questioned if it is possible from a historical, and practical <br />view to restore the river. I have completed this research using very limited personal equipment, <br />and on my oWn time. The extent of my research is limited'to these boundaries, <br /> <br />A summary of the research completed from 1996-1999. <br />The question my research poses is what is a stable reach along the North Fork River? What <br />is the difference between the current stable and unstable reaches of the North Fork River? Are <br />the river side land owners in the stable reaches of the river just smarter than there neighbors on <br />the unstable sections of the river? Does the river take on different dimensions in stable, and <br />unstable conditions? And the biggest Question of all: Can the river in the unstable sections be <br />helped to follow the example of the more stable sections of the river, or are the variables that <br />separate the stable and unstable sections of the river to great for man to overcome. <br />The approach I have elected to look at the river from is a historical and scientific perspective <br />ranging through the last century. Unfortunately, there is little if any documented evidence of the <br />river prior to the settlers arrival to the North Fork Valley in 1882. Information is very limited up <br />to 1912. 1912 is the year of a 100 year, or possibly a 50 year flood event. The flood of 1912 <br />was the first time that most of the settlers in the valley had ever seen the potential of the North <br />Fork River, and many ofthe settlers were caught off guard. Many of the river-side landowners <br />lost property, including entire orchards and even homes. <br />It is documented in the May 23 1912 issue of the Paonian Newspaper that several houses were <br />swept down river. At 3:00 am on the 22 of May 1912 an alarm was sent to all of the business <br />men ofPaonia that there was great fear the section of the town located north of third street and <br />west of Grand A venue would be washed away if immediate action was not taken. <br />The writer for the Paonian said it very well: <br />After hours of hard labor <br />working on the river <br />. an alarm was turned in at 3 a.m. today. <br />A battle royal <br />was waged against the <br />suddenly changed current <br />The businessmen again came to the assistance <br />of those in charge <br />of the work, and efforts are <br />