RGBRT Minutes 4-8-08 FINAL

• Basin Roundtable: Rio Grande
• Title: Rio Grande RT Minutes 4/08
• Date: 4/8/2008
• Basin Roundtables - Doc Type: Minutes

RGBRT - April 8, 2008 - Minutes
Discussion: There is a write-up available. It's a long process and a new one for this agricultural
community and also relatively new for Colorado. Congress is finally understanding the need for
CREPs.
• The Romero Irrigation Company & Guadalupe Main Ditch Company -
Conejos River Channel Rectification Project - $83,700
Sam Vance - The project is about 60%-70% complete. Currently hoping to hold the runoff back to
keep going. Big snow year causing difficulties; first it didn't freeze enough to be able to haul the
rocks, then the river froze. Planning started in December `06. In March '07 Sam got lots of help
from the Rio Grande Roundtable Technical Assistance Subcommittee. Nicole Langley came in
as grant writer. Made presentation to the Roundtable in May of '07. It was approved pending
some suggested modifications. Went to CWCB Board meeting of CWCB in September '07 in
Grand Junction and it was approved. Sam expressed appreciation for Travis' strong support.
When one of our Roundtable proposals comes up, people have high expectations. NRCS drew
up the plans and a licensed engineer approved them. By December '07 purchase orders were
issued and the project began in March `08 with the dirt work, hauling in the rocks, building the
head gates. The Romero site is finished. A great economy was gained because Robins
Construction is only 2 miles from the rock supply and because the 6x6 truck was able to put the
rocks directly into the river instead of piling them and moving them in a separate operation. Sam
showed a PowerPoint of the project -- photos and an explanation of how the J-hook technology
works, the sluice gate being installed, rocks being placed for the rock weir and the finished rock
weir. Contractor has not submitted any bills yet. Will submit the bills to Hecox office.
Discussion: Travis, Mike, and Sam - Comments on high quality of work being done by certain
local contractors on the river. Suggestion of getting these equipment operators certified, as they
have some training and know what they're doing. Sam made the point that yes, our contractors
are excellent, but please, don't make it too difficult for projects to hire them, since they already
have to deal with CO Works Compensation Insurance and insurance, and often small contractors
can't afford to bid against competing huge businesses. Agreement: Yes, we want qualified,
insured contractors, and with good supervision we can keep it simple without sacrificing quality.
• SLV Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) & Alamosa River Watershed Restoration
Foundation - Completes 15,000 linear feet of restored, stabilized channel from County Road 8 to
County Road 10 in Conejos County - $104,000.00.
Jim Mietz - RC&D is in the process of finalizing their application, particularly the Statement of
Work (SOW), to meet requirements of the Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment (CDPHE), who are providing EPA 319 funds. Other funds for the project include
$500K from the Natural Resource Damage Claim re: Summitville settlement. Applied for
$104,000 from the State SB179 Water Supply Reserve Account. The Roundtable approved the
application in July '07 and it went to CWCB in September '07. Was tentatively approved, subject
to some needed modifications. The SOW has been re-worked numerous times but "it is still not
in the right format for an employee of the State." Status: Finalizing the SOW which will be
submitted to the CDPHE. Progress: Anticipate start stock piling the rock by mid-May to the end of
May; stream work will start early July. Money from the Roundtable will be used for equipment
($104,000). This project will finalize a three phase project that was started in 2004 and is the
culmination of the Alamosa River Watershed Restoration Project. Contractors: Bids received
back in late 2006 for the project and one of the bidders, Capulin Construction Company, or CCC,
a newly formed business, was pressing for the job. Felt it was a risk, so RC&D asked CCC for a
business plan, had them answer some stringent questions about the capabilities of the company,
and required them to post a 20% cash bond. They didn't have the wherewithall to do that, so it
was negotiated between RC&D and CCC that the hydrologist Steve Belz would train CCC and be
responsible for work done in the stream. We feel comfortable with his credentials. That's our
comfort level for dealing with the risk.
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