PUB00093

• Year: 2004
• Title: State of Colorado's Watersheds Report
• CWCB Section: Administration
• Author: Colorado Watershed Assembly
• Description: An Annual Report
• Publications - Doc Type: Other

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Established in 1998, the Coalition
for the Upper South Platte's (CUSP's)
goals are the protection and health of
the Upper South Platte River \vatershcd.
Three quarters of the state's residents
depend on the watershed for at least a
portion of their drinking water. Our
fishery is onc of the most frequently
visited in the state; and numerous
classes of Threatened and Endangered
species claim the watershed as horne, as
does every class of mammal known to
inhabit the state. The watershed covers
approximately 2,600 square miles.

Bigger Than Ever
CUSP has been growing. With the
help of numerous grants, CUSP has
been able to hire additional staff. The
Coalition has added several programs.
which include the following:

. Fuels Reduction Program, including
the purchase of a Morbark
Chipper

. Coordinating volunteers for
Community Collaborative Rain
and Hail Study (CoCORaHS) with
Nolan Doesken. Assistant State
Climatologist

. Fircwisc fairs, working on Park and
Tellcr countywide community fire
protection plans. and forest health
education programs

Ilayman Burn Area

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. Coordinating a cost share program
for the removal of noxious weeds

. Tarryall River restoration

Burn Area Rehabilitaion
CUSP continues its efforts in the
Hayman bum area. These include the
following activitics:

I. Rake, -"ieed, and mulch ill areas of
110 to minimal regrm....th
R~king the soil after aerial seeding
can Increase grass germination.
This is essential in areas devoid of
vegetation. The mulch helps to create
an environment that is more suitable
for seed gcrn1ination.

2. Install erosion ('olltrol check dams/
COIlfOlIf trees
CUSP experimented with different
placements of straw check dams. The
test plots were successful, and CUSP
is now in the process of duplicating the
efforts on a grander scale.

3. Plant nath'e tree."'. (pOIuJerosa
pille)
There arc minimal seed sources
within many areas of the burn.
Pondcrosa pines would take hundreds
of years to naturally come back in
areas if they are not reintroduced
as seedlings. CUSP coordinated

CUSP used grant
money to purchase
20,000 shrubs and trees
that were planted on
private land in
the Hayman
burn area.

several ponderosa plantings with the
U.S. Forest Service. CUSP purchased.
with grant monies. 20.000 shrubs and
trees that were planted on private land
in the burn area.

..t. Creatin!: debris flow deflectors
In areas that have major flooding
problems. many treatments arc not
realistic. In these areas we are often
left with only one solution -- to mitigate
the debris that inevitably will come.
We often build sandbag walls to divert
flows away from structures and wells.

2004-2005 Goals
CUSP will revisit its strategic plan
and forge deeper relationships with
stakeholders and users in the watershed.
Tmil \.....ark to reduce sediment loading in
subwatersheds within the Upper South
Platte is planned in two areas.

Plans also are in the works for
riparian willow plantings in nonburn
areas.