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saturated. Deposit of the sediment and sloughing of the banks causes the river to <br />move laterally and create a new channel. Human impact from development and <br />loss of streambank vegetation from improper grazing management on a number <br />of the sites have also contributed to bank movement and increased sediment <br />loading. This sediment loading negatively affects the condition of the fishery. In <br />localized areas, the depth to width ratio is inadequate to support most macro <br />aquatic life (John Alves, CDOW). Channel movement has resulted in deterioration <br />of the riparian habitat and contributes woody debris to the system through the loss <br />of large herbaceous plant materials. <br />Expectations: An improved riparian area will provide more stream bank <br />stability, reduce sediment loading in the river, and act to filter surface flows to the <br />river. This will reduce sediment and mitigate the effects of possible pollutants. <br />Goals and Objectives: The primary goal of the project is to improve riparian <br />habitat, stabilize stream banks, reduce sediment loading in the river and hence <br />improve and enhance fisheries. In addition, a goal is to increase capacity of the <br />Rio Grande to transport sediment through the river system. Other benefits will be <br />to improve riparian habitat, to create more effective function of the floodplain, and <br />to improve the condition of wet meadows located throughout the riparian area. <br />Amulti-faceted approach will be used. Where livestock grazing is involved, <br />improved grazing management practices will be implemented through public <br />education and land owner cooperation. Cottonwood and willows will be allowed to <br />regenerate, improving the understory vegetation. An improved riparian area will <br />not only provide stream bank stability, but also will filter sediment and possible <br />pollutants before they return to the river. <br />Need: The 2001 Study described and analyzed the condition of specific reaches <br />of the Rio Grande and determined that the deterioration in water quality and <br />fishery conditions was due to increased sediment loading. This was caused by <br />unstable stream banks, resulting from a deteriorated condition of the riparian zone <br />of the river and changing river flow patterns. <br />The 2001 Study divided the river into thirty (30) sub-reaches. The location of the <br />potential project sites for this Project lie within the E4, E5, and F1 sub-reaches <br />(See Appendix C, for a more detailed description of the condition of these <br />reaches}.The condition of the riparian corridor was analyzed with respect to <br />vegetation, re-vegetation, human impact, agricultural disturbance, terrestrial wildlife <br />habitat, and aquatic habitat. Results from the analyses gave the three sub-reaches <br />scores of 15/30,13/30, and 7/30 respectively, indicating that riparian zone <br />conditions in these sub-reaches is categorized as "poor." (See Appendix C for <br />additional information on these specific sub-reaches.) <br />All potable drinking water in the project area comes from both shallow and deep <br />aquiferwells for individual homes, and deep wells in the unconfined aquifer serve <br />the municipalities, including the City of Alamosa. <br />A majority of the water quality issues that are not sediment related have been <br />identified within the headwaters of the Rio Grande and are generally associated <br />with inactive mining sites. A specific example is Willow Creek, which is a tributary