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II. INTRODUCTION <br />The Lefthand Off-Highway Vehicle Area Restoration Project focuses on non-point sediment <br />contamination that is impacting the biological and chemical integrity of Lefthand Creek. This <br />project engages the community, stakeholders, and partners in the reclamation of land within the <br />OHV area in order to decrease the sediment loading into Lefthand Creek. This multi-year project <br />was chosen by the State of Colorado's 319 Nonpoint Source Grant for funding in 2006. The <br />grant funding from Colorado Water Conservation Board is used as a cash match toward the 319 <br />State funding. This report includes the work that has been completed between September 2007 <br />and March 31, 2008 and funded by the Severance Tax Grant. <br />Water Ouality Problem <br />Lefthand Creek is a source of drinking water for the Left Hand Water District and the City of <br />Boulder. The Left Hand Water District (LHWD) serves a population of more than 19,000. In the <br />winter months, Lefthand Creek is the sole supply of water for their customers. The LHWD <br />experiences ongoing problems with sediment deposition at its water intake on Lefthand Creek. <br />This District has recently spent thousands of dollars on efforts to mitigate the impacts of these <br />sediments, and annually expends man and equipment hours removing sediment from intake <br />structures. In 2004 the LHWD installed a turbidity meter at the Haldi water intake in order to <br />monitor increases in sediment loading and prevent uptake of this sediment into the water <br />treatment system. Sedimentation from nonpoint source pollution in the Lefthand Creek <br />Watershed is affecting the drinking water treatment capabilities for the Left Hand Water District. <br />The Lefthand Watershed Plan, completed in 2005, has identified sediment as a water quality <br />concern and the Lefthand OHV Area as the main sediment loading site in the watershed. The <br />Lefthand OHV Area is located on the north-east portion of the U.S. Forest Service Boulder <br />Ranger District. The OHV area is located below the confluence of Left Hand and James Creeks <br />and is 2,544 acres in size. The intake for the Left Hand Water district is approximately 5 miles <br />downstream from this drainage area. <br />Motorized recreation along this 36 mile OHV road system area has dramatically increased in the <br />past several decades, but Forest Service budgets have not been able to keep pace with the <br />excessive use. This has led to extreme resource damage and watershed degradation. The <br />nonpoint source pollution is the result of runoff over non-maintained compacted dirt roads, <br />poorly functioning road drainage, devegetated hillsides, and severely degraded riparian <br />corridors. The Forest Service estimates that based on the size of gullies and eroded areas, <br />there has been 18,207 tons of soil loss in the OHV area over the last 10 years or an average of <br />1,820 tons annually. <br />