The State of Colorado's Watersheds Report 2005

• Year: 2005
• Title: The State of Colorado's Watersheds Report
• Author: Colorado Watershed Assembly
• Description: 2005
• Publications - Doc Type: Other

ocal watershed reports
Background
Willow Creek is a tributary of
the upper Rio Grande in Southwestern
Colorado, and is located in Mineral
County just west by north -west of the
San Luis Valley. Willow Creek has
impaired water and habitat quality
in its lower reaches due to historical
silver mining, and it is a source of zinc
and cadmium contamination to the
Rio Grande River. The Willow Creek
Reclamation Committee (WCRC)
is a stakeholder -based organization
developed to address water quality
and habitat issues in Willow Creek in
ways that are practical, cost - effective,
and beneficial to the economic
and environmental objectives of
the community. The Committee is
also committed to preserving and
maintaining the historical integrity of
the Creede mining district. Funding
for the activities of the Committee
has come from EPA 319 and 104(B)3
grants, the State Historical Fund, the
US Forest Service, the CO Water
Conservation Board, CO Div. Minerals
and Geology, El Pomar Foundation,
and FEMA. The Committee has also
received extensive support from more
than 15 other Federal, State, and
local agencies, and a wealth of local
volunteers and organizations.
2004 Activities
In 2004, the WCRC hosted a
Community Tree Planting Day and
the 2nd Annual Community Clean Up
Day. These projects focused on the
highly visible, yet highly degraded
floodplain downstream of Creede.
In April, citizens and a school group
planted 150 shrubs along Willow
Creek and the community walking
trail. In May, the WCRC, with heavy
equipment provided by the town of
Creede and Mineral County, cleaned
up one -half mile of floodplain. The
WCRC assisted a private landowner in
implementation of a Voluntary Clean
Up Plan (VCUP) and collected soil
samples to complete another VCUP
application by the Mineral County
Fairgrounds Association.
2005 Activities
In May, Willow Creek experienced
high flows, and flooding forever
changed the appearance of the Creede
mining district's most famous mine,
the Commodore. The WCRC worked
quickly with the NRCS to do several
streambank stabilization projects
to prevent further damage to roads
and buildings, but much more work
lies ahead to reduce the interaction
of the stream with the waste piles at
the site. A watershed management
plan is currently being developed to
prioritize projects in the watershed. The
WCRC completed a Feasibility Study
for the treatment of drainage from
the Nelson Tunnel, the largest single
contamination source in the watershed.
As part of a new 319 grant, the WCRC
will be conducting additional studies
on the Nelson Tunnel this fall, and will
work with the Forest Service to design
the reclamation of two mine sites slated
for earthmoving next year. Through the
EPA Brownfields program, the WCRC
is coordinating the clean up of 46 acres
for redevelopment as the Mineral
County Fairgrounds.