FLOOD10357

• Document ID: 123
• County: Rio Grande
• Stream Name: Alamosa River
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Sub-Basin: Alamosa - Trinchera
• Water Division: 3
• Title: Alamosa River Watershed Project Literature and Watershed Assesment, Final EPA Report
• Date: 9/30/2003
• Prepared For: Valle del Sol Community Center
• Prepared By: US Environmental Protection Agency
• Watershed Pro - Doc Type: Project Report

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· The Summitville Project Permit Application documented the presence of migratory
birds in the watershed including Wightman Fork and the Alamosa River downstream
of the Wightman Fork confluence. Many of these birds require riparian and wetland
habitats for nesting, cover and foraging. These vital resources were eliminated by
SCMCI.
· Potential river miles injured in the upper watershed are 19 miles and approximately
310 acres.

The purpose of the MOU is to provide a framework of cooperation and coordination
among the Trustees in using the funds acquired from the Friedland settlement in order to
restore, replace, or acquire equivalent natural resources in the Alamosa River
Watershed. Under this agreement, the Trustees will coordinate the development of
projects that will fulfill this purpose due to the release of hazardous substances at the
Summitville Mine Site. The Trustees expect and encourage the development of
watershed based projects by local citizens in the Alamosa River Watershed to restore
the local area. The Trustee encourages proposals for projects that include matching
funds from other organizations. Projects are expected to restore and protect aquatic and
riparian habitats and compensate for lost land.

2.2 Natural Resource Damage Trustees

A MOU between the Federal and State Trustees for the Summitville Mine Site was
developed in May 2002 (3). The agreement stated a willingness among parties to
coordinate and cooperate in carrying out their responsibilities to restore, replace or
acquire the equivalent of the natural resources injured as a result of the release of
hazardous substances from the Summitville Mine Site. The Natural Resource Damage
(NRD) trustees and agency representatives in this agreement are as follows:

· Douglas Benevento, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment (CDPHE),
· Ronald Cattany, Deputy Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources,
· Ken Salazar, Attorney General, State of Colorado,
· Ann Morgan, U.S. Department of Interior, and
· Rick Cables, Regional Forester, US Department of Agriculture, US Forest Service.

These parties are designated as natural resource trustees to the Comprehensive
Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) within the National
Contingency Plan (40 CFR Parts 300.600-615), Executive Order 12580 and appointment
by the Governor of Colorado.

To implement the MOU a Trustee Council has been established by the State and
Federal Trustees. Each of the six Trustees appointed one primary representative and at
least one alternate to the Trustee Council. The Trustee Council appointed one Federal
and one State member to serve as Lead Trustees to handle administrative matters for
the Trustee Council. Specific roles and responsibilities for these Lead Trustees are
detailed in the MOU. The members of the Trustee Council are as follows:

· Daniel Scheppers, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment,
· Ronald Cattany, Deputy Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources,

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