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<br />GRANT APPLICATIONS <br /> <br />Policy Evaluation and Workshop <br /> <br />EI Paso County with cooperation from the Fountain Creek <br />Watershed Vision Task Force applied for a grant from the <br />Departmem ofLoca! Affairs (DOLA) Colorado Heritage Program <br />to: <br /> <br />1. Develop a report with technical staff from cities and counties <br />that will idemify potential feasibility, barrierslimpediments, <br />justification and opportunities for improvemenrs in current <br />policies. <br />2. Host a one-day workshop that will provide an opportunity for <br />planncts, developers/builders, enginects and public ofIicials <br />to discuss the findings of the report and to recommend policy <br />changes. <br />3. rormation of individual groups based on jurisdictional areas <br />that will meet on a regular basis to further evaluate and imple- <br />mcnt policies. A follow up workshop will be held to evaluate <br />success and the need for improvement. <br /> <br />'Ihis project recognizes that in ordcr to enhance and protCCt the <br />Fountain Creek Watershed, policies must address the non-point <br />source origins of the problems in the watershed and recognize spe- <br />cific issues related to land use, watershed health, stormwater quality, <br />erosion, sedimentation and flooding. Grants will be awarded by late <br />February or early March. <br /> <br /> <br />Fountain Creek at the ArkaflS(/J River cOl~flllence. Upstream view from <br />HUlY 227 bridge showing sediment deposition at the confluence. Photo <br />courtesy ofURS Corporation. <br /> <br />Colorado Nonpoint 319 Source Grant <br /> <br />11le City of Pueblo applied for a Colorado Nonpoim Source Program <br />grant which consists of three demonstration water quality projects <br />with the City of Pueblo related 10 Founrain Creek. 111e water qual- <br />ity improvements will include thc construction of <In 011' -channel <br />water detention/wetlands basin north of State Highway 47 and west <br />of Fountain Creek, the construction of a wetlands filtration system <br />to reduce selenium from enrcring Fountain Creek, and the construc- <br />tion of a bed load sediment rcmoval system within Foumain Creek. <br />"I he projects will assess the removal of sediment from Fountain <br />Crcek, impacts to sediment, and potential benefits in reduction of <br />erosion and the re-establishment of a stable creek channel. Grams <br />will bc awarded by early February. <br /> <br /> <br />Upper Fountain Creek fmprol1ements near 21st street. <br />Photo courtesy of URS Corporation. <br /> <br />THINGS YOU MAY NOT HAVE <br />KNOWN ABOUT THE WATERSHED <br /> <br />New hydrology and hydraulic analysis indicatc a reduction <br />in flood peaks from prior FEMA hydrology (reference: Army <br />Corps of Engineers Study) <br /> <br />High streamHows were about 5 times greater and low srream- <br />flows wcre from 5 to 10 times greater in the reach of FOUl1lain <br />Creek between Nevada Srreet and Security then othcr rcaches <br />that had incrcasing trends (reference: U.S. Geological Survcy) <br /> <br />'Ihc population within the watershed represents about 12% of <br />the State of Colorado. By 2020, EI Paso County is expccwd <br />to become the most populated county in Colorado (rcfcrcn((~: <br />Colorado Dcpanmelll of Local Affairs). <br /> <br />Military installations represent about 15% of the total land arca <br />in thc watershed (reference: Analysis of land usc data) <br /> <br />Within the watcrshed there are 1 fish, 5 birds, 3 mammals and <br />2 plants identified as 'l1lTeatcned & Endangered Specics (refer- <br />ence: Army Corps of Engineers Study). <br /> <br />. . <br /> <br />'nll~re an: over 200 difT'crel1l soil mapping units idemified in the <br />watershed (reference: Natural Resource Conservation Service). <br /> <br />1here are three sub-basins within the watershed (Jimmy Camp <br />Creek, Sand Creek and Cottonwood Crcek) projected to have <br />more than a 15% increase in impervious surfacc between 2000 <br />to 2025 (reference: PPACG Impervious Surface Area Trend <br />Analysis). <br /> <br />Streams and creeks in the watcrshed havc been historically <br />described as "muddy" and "polluted" (resource: History of the <br />Arkansas Vallcy, A.Z. Sheldon) <br /> <br />111e name of thc Fountain Creek Watcrshed was derived from <br />the words "Fountaine qui Bouit". or boiling founrain, which <br />was the name bestowed upon the creck in the late 1840's by <br />Rufus B. Sage during his visit to the region. (resource: Scenes <br />in the Rocky Mountains, Rufus B. Sage) <br /> <br />Salt ccdar and Russian olive are noxious wecds that are pre- <br />dominately found in the floodplain along Fountain Crcek in <br />Pueblo and southern El Paso COUnty (resource: Army Corps of <br />Engineers Study). <br /> <br />1-"'untll;" {'~"'IJi1'" IP"',/f",..,/lt)..I !\..!omr!,dl.,.,- ,1'ollf'1M...... ')nfHl 1 1 <br />