Hermosa Creek Workgroup Meeting 5 Summary August 5 2008 Draft

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Hermosa Creek Workgroup Meeting #5 Summary Aug. 5, 2008 (draft) Facilitator Marsha Porter - Norton reviewed the meeting agenda and presented the meeting summary for Meeting 4 on July 1, 2008. Both were approved with no changes. Marsha reviewed handouts available at the meeting, which included a copy of an article from the Durango Herald about reintroduction of the native Colorado River cutthroat trout. Marsha said Win Wright, a Durango hydrologist who attended the first meeting of the Hermosa Workgroup, had e- mailed her in response to questions about erosion and runoff posed by the workgroup, as described in previous meeting summaries. He advised her that when the Animas River runs orange, the source is usually soils in the Silverton area where mining took place in the past. When the river is maroon, the cause is usually mud runoff. He also said that streamflow gauges, such as one that the Hermosa Workgroup had said might be needed just below the National Forest boundary, are indeed expensive but that he could install such a gauge less expensively than others could. The point was made that there are many options for installing a stream gauge both from private businesses and from the USGS. Marsha said that the Hermosa Creek Initial Information Sheet is in its second phase and soon will be available on the Web site, ocs.fortlewis.edu /riverprotection. If there are any changes or additions, let her know. Hermosa Creek Fish Reclamation Project: Jim White, an aquatic biologist with the Colorado Division of Wildlife ( "DOW "), gave a presentation on the Hermosa Creek Fish Reclamation Project. He said the project goal is to restore the native Colorado River cutthroat trout to the headwaters of Hermosa Creek. A very long -range goal is to establish connections with populations of the native trout in the East Fork of Hermosa Creek to create a meta - population of the species. Jim said the Hermosa Creek headwaters where the trout will be restored extend from Grace Hill Mine to the vicinity of Hotel Draw. The native Colorado River cutthroat trout has declined over the years as a result of over - harvesting, habitat changes, and stocking of non - native trout that breed with and /or compete with the native fish. Only 13 percent of the Colorado River cutthroat trout's historic habitat is currently occupied by the native species. A rangewide conservation agreement and strategy for cutthroat trout involving mostly Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, the Tri -State Colorado River Cutthroat Trout Conservation Agreement, was signed in 1999 to ensure long -term viability of the species and to head off any federal listing under the Endangered Species Act. If the fish were listed as an endangered species, it could mean that Hermosa Creek would be designated as critical habitat, which could affect ranching, recreation and other uses in the area. Jim said the Colorado River cutthroat trout are the fish that were here 200 years ago, and the DOW would like to see them restored. Hermosa Creek was chosen for a restoration effort for a number of reasons. It is historic Colorado River cutthroat trout range, although non - native fish or hybrid trout now occupy the stream. It has a unique drainage pattern ringed by limestone outcroppings that create waterfalls so there are remnant native populations in some headwaters reaches. Also, Hermosa Creek is "productive" water that grows large fish because the