Floodstage Spring 2002 Issue - Laserfiche WebLink

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State News _] II Governor Owens meets with Corps Officials On July 10, 2001, Governor Bill Owens, Greg Walcher —DNR Executive Director, CWCB and Natural Resources staff met with U.S. Amy Corps of Engineers Division Commanders, General Carl Strack of the Northwest Division and Colonel Peter Madsen of Alamosa River Restoration Project ect On January 3 an approved contract for $450,000 was sent to the Alamosa River Watershed Restoration Foundation by the CWCB. The funds will be used to design and construct river restoration improvements on a 4 - 5 mile reach of the Alamosa River in and around the community of Capulin. In theory, the Alamosa River is a southwest bank tributary to the Rio Grande. However, due to local geology and irrigation diversions, the river essentially ends at U.S. Highway 285, approximately 20 miles south of Alamosa, near the town of La Jara. While there is flow associated with the river through various irrigation canals and through a groundwater network, there really isn't a continuous river downstream of the highway. The Alamosa River only reaches the Rio Grande through surface flows during years of very high runoff. The entire reach being examined for possible restoration efforts extends 18 miles from Terrace Reservoir to Highway 285. The CWCB funds will help restore the Capulin sub -reach of 4 - 5 miles the South Pacific Division, about Corps program opportunities and the Colorado Service Office. The Corps presented the Governor with a Memorandum of Commitment. The visit was a continuation of efforts to work cooperatively and efficiently with the Corps. in the middle of the 18 mile reach. The upstream limit of the Capulin sub -reach is about seven miles downstream of Terrace Reservoir, and the downstream limit of the sub - reach is about six miles upstream of Highway 285. Approximately 30 years ago much of the reach was straightened in response to concerns about possible flooding. The straightening led to severe erosion and destabilization of the river channel. The riparian corridor adjacent to the channel was also severely impacted. Irrigation structures have experienced problems from erosion and from channel migration. In short, the Alamosa River does not look or function like a healthy river. Since the channel straightening, property owners and others have been working to develop a restoration plan and to obtain funding. Obtaining the CWCB funds, and approximately $230,000 in funds from the Department of Public Health and Environment, along with matching funds from a variety of other sources, means that the people of the watershed have assembled a funding package worth approximately one million dollars. The first step in the design process is underway which is to do a detailed topographic survey. The surveying will be complete in late April and will be followed by a reconnaissance analysis of the seven mile sub -reach just upstream of the Capulin sub -reach (between Terrace Reservoir and Gunbarrel Road). The reconnaissance analysis will examine any potential instability that might be experienced downstream in the restoration sub -reach due to upstream channel deficiencies. Once that analysis is complete design will begin. Construction should begin mid to late summer. Besides interest in the restoration of the Capulin sub - reach, there is interest among some residents of the watershed in designing and implementing restoration work on other sub - reaches of the Alamosa River. Floodstaae will provide future updates on this work. Summitville 10 wmtw/men Alamosa �' ism WVGE — Alum a cut 370 . Y� I Platotfl 14aur ;& 371 ZeSS R x. IVi[ 15 - Currentrestoration prtrjtact 5�ae suture restoration project �mosa River_; Rome l.. (,0N1 10's ass Anwito