Pagosa Springs San Juan/Delores River Div 7 Response Letter

Home Browse Search

Arv4.61 .I -c1) Ira I e(01. Recreation Engineering & Planning 485 Ampullae Avenue boulder, Colorado S o:.;o2... (303) 545-5883 Phone/Fax June 26, 2005 • Za°0.4101 Kara A. Hellige Chief, Durango Regulatory Office United States Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District 278 Sawyer Drive,Suite H Ca1941 Durango, CO, 81303 RE: ID11200575106 Dc ar Ms. Hellige, \P Thank you for your letter of June 16, 2005. would like to reply to concerns identified in both your letter and the attached correspondence that your office forwarded from the Cokrado Department ofNatural Resources,Division of Wildlife,written by Patt Dorsey and dated May 3 1,2005. Your correspondence related the importance of establishing that our proposed project is the"least environmentally damaging practicable alternative". Issues related to possible impacts of our proposed design are further outlined by Mr. Dorsey's letter. I would like to broadly address your concern before specifically addressing Mr. Dorsey's concerns. The proposed design represents,the least environmentally damaging practical alternative for this reach of the San Juan River given the goals of the Town of Pagosa Springs for this reach of the San Juan River. The project began in March of this year (this refers to maintenance work that was completed in-stream that your office has found to be outside the scope of the maintenance permit)the river has urban development on both sides and the right bank was covered with rip-rap,broken concrete.,sheet-pile and metal rebar netting. The streambed itself included unstable rock structures that represented a hazard to in-stream public use. The Town of Pagosa Springs confirmed that the sharp rocks and unstable status of these structures, as well as unsightly dangerous right bank condition,constituted a public safety hazard and wanted the river restored to a more natural appearing state. The use of II-Structures in the March work and proposed use of U-Structures, single rock deflectors,offset thalweg pools,random boulder in-stream cover and riparian bank terracing/native replanting in future phases is based on an evaluation of this reach of the river and a balanced look at possible alternatives for in-stream rehabilitation. These alternatives include, no-action, restoration of the original W-structures,removal of all structures,and/or use of other types of whitcwateribabitat structures. Following this 1