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<br />I <br />I <br />,I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I' <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />include the Rio Grande National Forest, the Great Sand Dunes National Monument, the <br />Alamosa and Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuges and extensive tracts of land <br />administered by the Bureau of Land Management. <br /> <br />3.2 The Alamosa River Watershed <br /> <br />The Alamosa River Watershed comprises 127,000 acres in Conejos County in the San <br />Luis Valley of south central Colorado (Figure 1). The mainstem of the Alamosa River is <br />53 miles long. There are several high elevation tributaries on the east side of the <br />Continental Divide (above 12, 000 feet elevation) that make up the headwaters of the <br />river. The Alamosa River flows to the east and dissipates in wetlands near the Rio <br />Grande River at an elevation of 7,000 feet. The main tributaries to the Alamosa River <br />are Iron Creek, Bitter Creek, Alum Creek, and Wightman Fork. These tributaries heavily <br />influence the water quality of the Alamosa River. Many of these tributaries have <br />naturally high concentrations of metals and high sediment transport due to the geology <br />of the area. <br /> <br />The Conejos County Soil Conservation District with the support of the Natural Resource <br />Conservation Service (NRCS) developed the Management Plan for the Alamosa River <br />Watershed in 1997 (6). The watershed plan was initiated due to watershed problems <br />from mining, channel straightening, and overuse of riparian vegetation. The former <br />Watershed Coordinator, Jeff Stern, started acquiring the information for the watershed <br />plan in 1995 and developed the final report in 1997. This document is an excellent <br />resource toward understanding the basic watershed conditions that are still relevant in <br />2003 and the problems and challenges within the watershed. <br /> <br />The 1997 watershed document provides information on the watershed problems as they <br />existed in 1995-1997. In many respects, the problems really have not changed much in <br />the past several years. Many problems have become more pronounced due to the <br />drought conditions that have been experience in the San Luis Valley. It is recommended <br />that the future watershed restoration plan take full advantage of the watershed insights <br />and natural resource information compiled by Jeff Stern. <br /> <br />The 1997 watershed study identified fourteen key issues of concern during the <br />development of the document: <br /> <br />. River restoration <br />. Water quality <br />. Spring flooding <br />. Irrigation diversion structures <br />. Plant quality <br />. Wildlife habitat <br />. Riparian areas <br /> <br />. Economics <br />· Noxious weeds <br />. Water storage <br />. Bank erosion <br />· Roads and traffic <br />. Fisheries <br />· Dewatering of spring (for livestock) <br /> <br />3.3 Watershed Public Involvement <br /> <br />The Alamosa River Watershed contains several organizations that are interested in the <br />management of the watershed and improving the water quality of the river. These <br /> <br />3-2 <br />