Rio Grande - Alamosa River Watershed Restoration_Application

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. Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant Application Form Form Revised May 2007 Study Area Description The project area of the second phase extends from County Road 8 just north of the town of Capulin (pop. 565) eastward to County Road 10 in Conejos County in south central Colorado. Approximately 15,000 linear feet of river channel will be restored in 2007-8 through a combination of remeandering, channel shaping and structural bank protection and grade control affecting about 12 acres of active river channel. In addition, about 9,000 linear feet of the affected channel will receive shaping and regrading of the adjacent floodplain areas affecting about 13.5 acres of land surface area. Area Climate: . Semi-arid cold desert, mean annual precipitation of 7.08 inches . Sagebrush and other dry site vegetation on nearby unirrigated land . Predominantly potatoes, barley, alfalfa on irrigated lands In contrast, in riparian corridor: . Cottonwood galleries provide habitat for many species of flora and fauna . Temperatures are moderated, humidity elevated, and surface and subsurface moisture more abundant These conditions create the habitat that makes it possible for terrestrial, aquatic, and avian organisms to survive when they could not in the harsh setting only meters distant. e Nearest population centers: . Capulin, a small agrarian community virtually on the banks of the Alamosa River . La Jara, (pop. 831, US Census 2005 est.), approximately 8 miles east of Capulin These communities are generally dependent upon the local agricultural economy, including crops grown and livestock raised using the irrigation water derived from the Alamosa River as well as from groundwater wells that likely have a hydrologic connection to the river. Ownership of the land along the current project segment is very heterogeneous with 10 owners of record participating. In 2004-6 ARWRF obtained written agreements from these landowners and 11 ditch companies for the current restoration project. Two participating landowners have been awarded EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) matching grants totaling $36,300 to assist the river restoration construction effort and implement grazing management practices. Part of the EQIP funding will treat an additional .4-mile reach to the east (beyond the current project reach). The attached map (Map 3) indicates major surface features including ditches and croplands/irrigated areas. In this high desert area the Alamosa River and its source at Terrace Reservoir are the primary waterbodies. La Jara Creek, irrigation ditches, and holding ponds divert a substantial amount of water from the Alamosa River, affecting approx. a 15-mile reach. Local experts believe that the blue clay area/confined aquifer begins within the reaches of the restoration project area (Alan Davie). The stabilization of the riverbanks will increase recharge of the local aquifer through saturation. Description of Need/Importance of Project Along the Alamosa River below Terrace Reservoir, the combined effects of channel straightening in the early 1970s, improper irrigation head gate locations, individual attempts to protect streambanks, stream flow depletion, and overgrazing of riparian vegetation have created a destabilized and highly erodible river channel and substantial water quality problems. Excess suspended and bedload sediments have altered the general morphology of the stream, and, paired with the lowered water table, have removed aquatic habitat and starkly reduced the size and health of the riparian corridor. The severe loss of vegetation has in turn contributed to additional bank destabilization. The continuation of the project is vital to the life and sustainability of the river, adjacent community, and local - 9