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Final Resort: San Francisco Sedimentation Project <br />The San Francisco Sedimentation Project is a project that was evolved from the <br />board of directors of the Colorado Acequia Association. After much discussion and <br />many conferences about developme~it in the Culebra Watershed its common <br />knowledge there are grave effects frc-m development to our acequias. The CAA <br />board had already been approached by acequia users in reference to sediment loads <br />inundating acequias and with these complaints the CAA Board requested for staff to <br />seek funds to implement a "real" project to help alleviate the sediment loads that are <br />already are occurring in the Culebra v~~atershed. The CAA knew that dirt roads are <br />one of the worst culprits for sediment load in our acequias. The CAA staffwas able <br />to find funding under a program that (:WCB offered and with that information the <br />CAA approached Costilla County Commissioners with the San Francisco <br />Sedimentation Project idea. The County Commissioners agreed to the project and <br />CAA applied to CWCB for the project. As of Dec. 14, 2006 the San Francisco <br />Sedimentation project has officially been completed. From our 2°d progress report, <br />MKEC, our design engineer, was working on completing the design of the sediment <br />catchment device. The design and analysis was completed in late October and work <br />from the Road & Bridge Crew was completed Dec 14a'. There was an important <br />decision made when the estimation to construct the catchment was more that <br />expected. The CAA board gathered with the road and bridge crew, commissioners, <br />and supervisors and it was decided to build only one catchment to see how effective <br />it would work. The catchment was then constructed as the photos in this report <br />indicate. This has been a very valuable project in the terms of education for all stake <br />holders, commissioners, road crews ar~d supervisors. The major lesson learned in <br />pursuing this project is that sediment relief for the acequias is a major investment <br />and a future maintenance and monitoring plan are definitely needed for the Culebra <br />watershed. It important to note, that 'The County Road & Bridge Department has <br />agreed to maintain the catchments annually. This maintenance will reduce the cost <br />for acequias, and Costilla county road .and bridge thus making small farming in our <br />community more viable. <br />Page 2 <br />