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1.2 Project Objectives Many years of mining activity has seriously impacted the Willow Creek watershed. Excavation of adits, deposition of waste rock piles, and significant disturbance of the stream and watershed have had, and still are having, a negative affect on water quality, stream function, wildlife habitat, esthetic, and recreational values. The Willow Creek Reclamation Committee (WCRC) was formed in late 1997 by a group of citizens in Creede, Colorado that were concerned about problems with Willow Creek and also had a vision of what the Creek could become. The officially adopted goals of the Willow Creek Reclamation Committee are: 1) Protect the Rio Grande from future fish kills associated with non-point source releases during unusual hydrologic events. 2) Improve the visual and aesthetic aspects of the Willow Creek Watershed and its historical mining district. 3) Implement appropriate and cost-effective flood control and stabilization measures for non-point sources. 4) Protect and preserve historic structures. 5) Reclaim the Willow Creek floodplain below Creede to improve the physical, chemical, biological, and aesthetic qualities of the creek as an integral part of the local community. 6) Continue to improve water quality and physical habitat quality in the Willow Creek watershed as part of a long-term watershed management program. The Upper Willow Creek Watershed Flood Control and Stream Stability Study was envisioned to explore strategies to begin the implementation of many of these goals. The study reach was limited to the portion of Upper Willow Creek and its associated watershed above the masonry flume in downtown Creede. The primary goals of the study were to: 1) Quantify the risk of flood damage from Upper Willow Creek 2) Examine problems related to debris and sediment transport in Upper Willow Creek 3) Develop strategies to reduce the risk of property damage and destabilization of potential pollution sources during flood events and improve the aesthetic qualities, habitat conditions, and physical functioning of Upper Willow Creek One can note the direct relationship between the adopted goals of the Willow Creek Reclamation Committee and the goals of the Upper Willow Creek Watershed Flood Control and Stream Stability Study. The fourth goal of the WCRC, to protect and preserve historic structures, definitely encompasses the protection of downtown Creede and other historic buildings in the Willow Creek watershed from flood damage. The first three and the sixth goals of the WCRC are also directly related to the current study. The fifth goal of the WCRC is related in a more indirect way, although some upstream efforts could have positive effects on downstream areas. 1-2