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<br />_...... .1-).~ <br />.' <br /> <br />APPLICATION FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE <br />through the <br />COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD CONSTRUCTION FUND <br />for the <br />North Fork River Improvement Project <br />September 1, 1999 <br /> <br />1.0 Introduction <br /> <br />The North Fork River Improvement Association (NFR1A) 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. NFRIA 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. Much of the rural <br />ambiance can be attributed to agricultural land, which comprise over 80% of all privately <br />owned lands. Land use consists primarily of cattle and sheep ranches, fruit orchards, and <br />cropland. The rich fish and wildlife resources in the upper watershed supplement the <br />general economy with tourism and outdoor recreation. <br /> <br />Since its inception, the North Fork River Improvement Association has begun a <br />campaign of public education and community outreach through community meetings, <br />newsletters, local radio interviews, educational brochures, and display exhibits at <br />community events. In 1997 NFRIA produced a morphological assessment of the North <br />Fork between Paonia and Hotchkiss. This detailed study was financed through a grant <br />from the EP A and concluded that decades of channelization for agriculture, gravel, <br />irrigation diversions, and flood control cut the river off from its floodplain, increased <br />stress and erosion on the riverbanks, decreased wetland and riparian areas, devastated the <br />fish habitat, damaged important irrigation facilities, and subsequently reduced water <br />quality by increasing sediment and agricultural runoff to the stream. The report <br />recommends a combination of structural and non-structural measures to achieve <br />restoration objectives. <br /> <br />In order to maintain community involvement and momentwn, NFRIA began the planning <br />and design ofa demonstration project in a highly visible reach of the river. This project, <br />scheduled for construction this winter, will reconstruct portions of the channel to increase <br />