Rio Grande - Manassa Conejos River & N Branch Stablization_Application

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Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant Application Form Form Revised May 2007 Gates. This Project is seriously needed to improve Colorado's ability to divert into the North Branch and to ensure the state's ability to meet its Rio Grande Compact obligation. q. The water activity assists in the recovery of threatened gild endangered wildlife species or Colorado state species of concern. • John Alves, Colorado Division of Wildlife, has observed an increase in trout populations which use the J-hook vane as cover on the Conejos, on the Rio Grande and on the South Fork of the Rio Grande. MLI expects to obtain similar results from the use of J-hooks in this Project. • Restoring river stability and maintaining channel capacity will help to protect the riparian habitat conservation focus area below Antonito, identified in the Rio Grande Habitat Conservation Plan. • It will protect riparian communities along the Conejos River which are documented to provide habitat for the southwestern willow flycatcher, the bald eagle, and the yellow-billed cuckoo, bird species which are listed under the Endangered Species Act or otherwise protected. r. The water activity- provides a high level of benefit to Colorado in relationship to the amount of funds requested. As described above, this Project provides a high level of benefit to Colorado and to its downstream Compact neighbors by repairing structures which have failed to function as originally designed. The most significant and valuable benefit of this project, in addition to those listed above, is its ability to support Colorado in meeting its Compact obligations. The amount of funds requested, $383,700, includes a continuing commitment by MI,I to monitor and to maintain these installations for decades into the future, with the support of twelve ditch companies. s. The water activity is complementaiy to or assists in the nnplementation of other CWCB programs. • This water activity supports the Rio Grande Basin's emphasis on sustainability and on recharging the Basin's aquifers. • In general and specifically, this Project supports many other CWCB programs, as follows: o The Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project has made one of its objectives the maintenance and improvement of water quality in the Rio Grande. This Project, therefore, directly contributes to the success of that initiative by reducing the sediment loading at the bifurcation point of the Conejos River. o This water activity is another beneficiary of the Rio Grande Roundtable's efforts to provide technical assistance and funding support to its members, assisting them in plaiming and funding projects which might otherwise be beyond their scope. Although not directly related to each other, each project benefits from the Roundtable's collective wisdom, quite often sharing technical advice and expertise across our network. Resolving the long- standing problems at this bifurcation point on the Conejos will represent an important milestone in forwarding the objectives of the Rio Grande Interbasin Roundtable, the needs identified in SWSI, and the objectives of CWCB's Water Supply Reserve Account. 14