7796

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7796
• Author: Burdick, B. D.
• Title: Conceptual Management Plan for Habitat Enhancement in Flooded Bottomlands, Escalante State Wildlife Area, Gunnison River Downstream of Delta, Colorado.
• USFW Year: 1994.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

' the Gunnison River upstream from Redlands Diversion Dam, and 2) to restore
connectivity of the former floodplain to the river as habitat for the endangered
fishes. Habitat restoration of the two bottomland habitat sites described in
this conceptual management plan will provide food that should increase survival
of larval and juvenile endangered fishes as well as provide resting and feeding
' areas for adults. Before razorback sucker are reintroduced into historical
reaches of the Gunnison River near Delta, reconnecting the river with bottomlands
is essential. Additional bottomlands upstream of the Escalante SWA will be
needed to develop and to maintain self-sustaining populations of endangered
fishes.
The specific purpose of this plan is to describe potential habitat
restoration of two sites at the Escalante SWA, Hamilton Tract, on the Gunnison
River downstream of Delta for adult razorback sucker and Colorado squawfish.
Site 1 is a former channel that is separated from the river by a man-made dike
' that restricts interaction with the floodplain. It is apparent from the advanced
succession of vegetation and filling of this channel that this area has not been
connected to the river for some time. In 1954, the main channel of the Gunnison
River was located at this site. Site 2 is a backwater that was the former
' channel. This site is now connected to the river only during high spring flows.
Both sites comprise only a small portion (about 88 acres) of the total floodplain
in the Hamilton Tract of the Escalante SWA.
SITE DESCRIPTION
General
The Escalante SWA is located on the Gunnison River downstream of Delta,
' Delta County, Colorado between river mile 51.0 to 53.0 (Sections 16 and 17,
Township 15S Range 96W, 6th P.M.; Figure 1; Appendix A: Photos 1, 2, and 3). The
Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife (CDOW) owns and
' manages the land. The two proposed sites are within the 100-year floodplain.
The total area of Site 1 is approximately 46 acres; the estimated surface area
that could be inundated during high flows at Site 2 is about 42 acres. A man-
made dike was reinforced and extended at Site 1 following the high flow years of
' 1983 and 1984. The dike protects an agricultural area on the north side.
Dominant vegetation in this area consists of Fremont cottonwood (Populus
fremontii) and tamarisk. At Site 1 some hardstem bulrush (Schoenop7ectus acutus)
' and broadleaf cattail (Typha 7atifo7ia) occur in the two lowland depressions.
Saltgrass meadows also occur at Site 1.
The floodplain within the Escalante SWA is at the terminus of a 16-mile
long riparian corridor that extends from Austin, Colorado downstream to Roubideau
Creek. This is the last major floodplain until the Gunnison River flows into the
Colorado River near Grand Junction.
1
Criteria and Rationale for Site Selection
' The following criteria and rationale were used in selection-of these two
sites: