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den in the steep banks of the forested section immediately after construction activities <br /> ceased. <br /> The contractors did an outstanding job minimizing impacts and implementing stringent <br /> BMPs.A USFS official walked the new channel one week before the flow was redirected and <br /> asked how the crew managed to refill and re-vegetate the area used to excavate the new <br /> channel. He had not seen excavation done from within a channel before.We are <br /> encouraging the USFS to hire ERC and team for their restoration/remediation project <br /> immediately downstream. <br /> Time will unveil the long-term benefits of this project, but all involved are confident that <br /> we will continue to see strong results within the project area and beyond. In addition to the <br /> Valley Floor Integrated Monitoring Plan activities,the Town contracted with ERC for a <br /> three-year Reach One Monitoring Program intended to satisfy CWCB's monitoring <br /> requirements and the project's US Army Corps of Engineers 404 permit.Annual reports <br /> will be provided to CWCB. Regular use of winter trails along the new channel and existing <br /> trails near the old channel, as well as regular visits by the project team and Telluride Open <br /> Space Commission members, ensure constant feedback and public monitoring of the <br /> project. <br /> Although the Town had developed a strong working relationship with ERC through the <br /> implementation of previous projects and development of the Valley Floor reports,the <br /> importance of having a familiar, experienced and multi-disciplinary team of professionals <br /> involved with both the design and implementation of this complex project in a high <br /> scrutinized and very environmentally sensitive area again became apparent. ERC principals <br /> Troy Thompson and Dave Bauch were instrumental in taking this project successfully <br /> through conception (with a thoroughly informed design) to completion (with a <br /> knowledgeable on-site,hands-on approach). <br /> The process of carefully designing the project and challenging assumptions along the way <br /> and was another factor leading to successful implementation. Modification to the staging <br /> approach was example of this flexibility, as was active consideration of feedback from a few <br /> long-time residents who were skeptical about the project.While we were confident in the <br /> expertise of the engineers involved in the design team,we directed concerns expressed by <br /> the public back to project engineers to make sure all potential outcomes were considered <br /> and assumptions were double-checked with independent experts. <br /> Telluride is an international destination. Scientists from around the world were and <br /> continue to be excited about the project and have contacted us with various research <br /> proposals. In the end,there is one additional analysis that could have been included pre- <br /> construction: A team from CSU working on a river and wetland restoration project in Rocky <br /> Mountain National Park suggested we use a technique they developed called Historic Range <br /> of Variability (HRV), see Attachment C,to"determine baseline conditions and provide <br /> context to researchers and land managers seeking to understand and enhance ecological <br />