Rio Grande - 2008 Riparian Stabilization Project - Application

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ensure that all technical, scientific, and engineering resources for this Project benefit from a consistent approach to the restoration work on all reaches of the Rio Grande. This proposal reflects a coordinated approach to funding as well, with the Foundation seeking matching furls to those obtained from the 2008 EPA 319 Funds. In addition, the Foundation is combining the contributions of landowners with external technical and funding sources to implement the Project. This results in a very strong likelihood that this water activitywill be implemented, providing a greater than 1:1 leverage of the funds requested. • This Project therefore demonstrates a creative and proactive funding strategy in which the Foundation's request for SB-179 funding plays a vital and enabling role. • If this proposal is not funded, the Project will not happen. d. Urgency of need: This Project addresses the high priority mitigation measures identified in the 2001 Study to improve the historical functions of the river. These functions include: • Maintenance of channel capacity and overbank capacity • Protection of channel and floodplain from damage by flooding • Maintenance of riparian habitat and fisheries • Delivery of Rio Grande Compact commitments • Access to river for water diversion If mitigation measures are not taken to address these issues as the opportunities present themselves then the condition of the Rio Grande in Colorado will continue to deteriorate. The 2001 Study has determined that the deterioration in water quality and fishery conditions is due to increased sediment loading. These increased sediment loads are caused by unstable stream banks, resulting from a deteriorated condition of the riparian zone of the river. The 2001 Study divided the river into thirty (30) sub-reaches. The location of the potential project sites for this Project lie within the E4, E5, and F1 sub-reaches (See Appendix A, for a more detailed description of the condition of these reaches). The condition of the riparian corridor was analyzed with respect to vegetation, re-vegetation, human impact, agricultural disturbance, terrestrial wildlife habitat, and aquatic habitat. Results from the analyses gave the three sub-reaches scores of 15/30,13/30, and 7/30 respectively, indicating that riparian zone conditions in these sub-reaches is categorized as "poor." • Human impacts, including unrestricted grazing practices, have contributed to instability in riparian zones and stream banks, resulting in a significantly modified river system which precludes the river ever returning to a natural stream. These impacts have adversely affected the sites proposed for riparian stabilization. • Due to riverbank instability and poor riparian conditions, the historical functions of the Rio Grande is undergoing deterioration which must be remedied as soon as possible by implementing the measures described in this Project. • Unless the projects proposed in the 2001 Study are implemented there will be continued deterioration in all the functions of the Rio Grande, diminishing the Foundation's capacity