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Current Conditions <br />The Animas River in Durango <br />The Animas River within the City of Durango is a nearly perfect resource for whitewater <br />recreation in an urban environment. This reach already features two rapids of significance as <br />well as several interesting features that provide an attraction at higher flows. The Smelter <br />Boating Park, which has been enhanced six times in the last 16 years, has hosted numerous <br />national and international level whitewater events, including the U.S. team trials and the <br />Champion International Series. There have also been several freestyle events within that <br />reach in this time period. <br />The Colorado Wildlife Commission has designated the section of river from Lightner Creek <br />to Purple Cliffs a Gold Metal fishery. This designation indicates that improved trout fishing <br />exists in this section of the Animas. The Smelter Site is located in this section of river. The <br />design plans for this site will provide numerous habitat improvements for this fishery <br />including riparian restoration, current deflectors and deeper pools for over winter habitat. <br />The Smelter Site was formerly an industrial site that has been cleaned as part of a superfund <br />project. Currently the site is clean, has been capped, and has recently been developed as a <br />dog walking park. There has been some concern that tailings from the old smelter may still <br />be a toxic issue in the sediment of the Animas River downstream of the site. The concern <br />centers on the issue that any in- stream improvements within this reach may be stirring these <br />sediments and having a negative effect on the habitat within this Gold Medal Water Fishing <br />reach. However, ongoing data collection at the Animas La Plata project indicates that this <br />concern, though valid, is not supported by recent studies. Animas La Plata has found no <br />instance of significant radioactivity or toxicity in the sediment of the Animas River directly <br />downstream from the old smelter. All indications at this point are that any toxic elements <br />that were in the sediment within this reach have flushed downstream (2). <br />A full report on flows in the Animas River is being prepared in addition to this report. <br />However, certain aspects of flow are pertinent to the design of these structures and are <br />11 <br />