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Section 1.0 -Introduction <br />The Alamosa River ~Xlatershed Restoration Master Plan and Environmental Assessment (Master Plan) <br />summarizes current environmental conditions and develops solutions for identified problems that will <br />lead to a healthier watershed. The incentive for the Master Plan was provided by a legal settlement over <br />impacts of the Summitville Mine Superfund Site. That settlement also provided funding for the study <br />and mitigation measures to be developed by the Master Plan. The scope of the Master Plan includes the <br />entire watershed (not just the area directly affected by Summitville Mine), and covers a broad array of <br />natural resources and watershed functions and values. The result is amulti-disciplinary approach to <br />watershed assessment that has produced a prioritized plan for watershed restoration and enhancement. <br />Specific projects are identified, along with potential financing sources, including funds from the <br />Summitville legal settlement. <br />This section provides a brief overview of the Alamosa River watershed, and outlines the goals and <br />objectives of the master planning process. A glossary is provided in Appendix H for technical terms. <br />1.1 Overview of Alamosa River Watershed <br />The Alamosa River watershed comprises 148 square miles in the San Luis Valley of south-central <br />Colorado (see Figure 1-1). The mainstem of the Alamosa River is 51 miles long, extending from near <br />the Continental Divide to east of La Jara. Elevations vary from over 13,000 feet to about 7,600 feet <br />where the river ends at the Lowland and Head Overflow ditch headgates just east of Highway 285. <br />Primary tributaries to the Alamosa River include Treasure Creek, Iron Creek, Alum Creek, Bitter Creek <br />and ~Xlightman Fork. Several smaller tributaries also drain into the Alamosa River. <br />Some of Colorado's oldest communities are located in the Alamosa River watershed, including La Jara <br />and Capulin. The economy in the watershed currently is supported primarily by agricultural and <br />recreation-oriented tourism. <br />Key features in the watershed include: <br />• Summitville Mine, a gold mine that operated most recently from 1986 to 1992 using <br />open pit and cyanide leach methods but which is now a Superfund site; <br />• Terrace Reservoir, a storage impoundment for irrigation water; <br />• Extensive irrigated agriculture in the lower watershed; <br />• Extensive forested areas and hydrothermally altered geology in the upper watershed. <br />Alamosa River Watershed Restoration Master Plan and Environmental Assessment Page 1-1 <br />