Rio Grande - 2008 Riparian Stabilization Project - Application

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of the Rio Grande, located near Creede, Colorado. The Willow Creek Reclamation Committee is addressing these specific issues. Human impacts, including development and unrestricted grazing practices, have caused most of the riparian degradation and stream bank instability. The resulting modifications in the river system preclude the river ever returning to a natural stream. These impacts have adversely affected the sites proposed for riparian stabilization. Importance: The importance of the Project is primarily environmental, as it will improve the natural stability of the stream bank and riparian habitat, enhance the fishery, increase capacity of the river to transport sediment, and improve the function of the floodplain. In addition, the Project will reduce the adverse effects of sediment loading downstream of the specific sites, and reduce problems associated with diversion structures and channel capacity. The Project also has an outreach and public education element. Service Area and Geographic Location: In the Project area the topography is gentle, generally less than 2% slopes, elevation is 7,500 feet, land use is mixed, with some parcels associated with private homes and other parcels used primarily as range and pasture for grazing of cattle, sheep, and horses. On a wider scale, irrigated land is used for the growing of alfalfa, potatoes, grains, and vegetables. Precipitation is about 7 inches per year. All the targeted property is privately held, with the exception of one site, which is owned by the City of Alamosa. The Rio Grande is classified as category 1 in the Colorado Unified Watershed Assessment. The watershed project lies within the priority one section of the Rio Grande (cataloguing unit HUC 13010002). The typical bank full flow is 4,130 cfs based on gauging station records, and a recorded maximum flow in 1911 of 18,000 cfs. The Project reach falls into Sub Reaches E4, E5 F1 & F2 of the RGHRP 2001 Study. General Project Area map (Appendix B, Exhibit 1 }, Identified Reaches in Project Area map (Appendix B, Exhibit 2},} are attached. The current Project boundaries and location are the flood-prone area along the Rio Grande (based on the FEMA floodplain map), about 5 miles downstream of the Rio Grande / Alamosa County line to the US Highway 160 Bridge, east of Alamosa (See Map Exhibit B). The length of the actual proposed riparian restoration is approximately 7,750 feet or 1.5 miles. SCOPE OF WORK 5. Please summarize the proposed scope of work. Please refer to Part 2 of the Criteria and Guidance document for detailed requirements. The scope of workshould outline bytask howthe water activitywill be accomplished. It is important that the scope of work detail the specific steps, activitieslproceduresthat will be followed to accomplish the water activity and the specific products/deliverables that will be accomplished. The scope of work should include but not be limited to: task description, key personnel, budget, schedule and deliverables and the final report/project