Watershed Work Plan for Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention West Cherry Creek Watershed

Home Browse Search

- 8 - EXISTING CR PROPOSED WORKS OF IMPROVE1ENT The West Cherry Creek Watershed lies in the Cherry Creek Soil Conservation District. The District and its cooperators are actively carrying out a soil and moisture conservation program, with technical assistance furnished by the Soil. Conservation Service. There are 32 ranch units in the West Cherry Creek Watershed. Twenty -two ranchers have cooperative agreements with the District and 19 of these have basic farm and ranch plans. There are no existing or proposed works of improvement of other agencies which would affect or be affected by the measures proposed in this plan. WOKS OF IMPROVE24ENT TO BE INSTALLED Land Treatment Measures for Watershed Protection A conservation program is being carried out by the Cherry Creek Soil Conserva- tion District which was organized May 5, 1943. Basic to a sound watershed protection and a flood prevention project is the establishment and mainten- ance of all applicable soil and water conservation and plant management practices. Emphasis will be placed on speeding up the establishment of land treatment practices, particularly those which will have a substantial effect on the reduction of floodwater and sediment damages. The quantities of the measures that will be installed by the landowners and operators and the estimated costs are shown in Table 1. The estimated cost of additional technical assistance needed to accelerate planning and applica- tion of measures over and above the present Soil Conservation District program is $$21,500, of which x$20 to SCS planning and technical assistance and x$1,500 Forest Service to match operational funds of the Colorado State Forest Service. This will provide ample technical assistance to plan and apply a minimum of 75 per cent of the needed land treatment measures above the structural works of improvement. The land treatment measures that will function principally to decrease erosion damage and sediment yields on fields pastures, and ranges by providing improved soil -cover conditions include: vegetative streambank stabilization, range seeding, stubble mulching and strip cropping on cropland, waterway development, construction of ponds - vhich will provide an adequate number of watering places to reduce trail cutting and destruction of vegetative cover, and proper use (controlled grazing) to establish and maintain adequate plant cover for soil protection and a high level of forage production. The land treatment measures that will function principally to decrease erosion damage and sediment yields on woodland and brush covered areas are thinning, pruning, extra - planting, selective cutting, insect and disease control and controlled grazing to prevent soil compaction and permit estab- lishment of Ponderosa pine reproduction. There is a need for "wildlife area improvement" in the watershed. Shelter - belts and other wildlife features will be incorporated as desired by the cooperators.