BOARD00217

• Board Meeting Date: 1/26/2000
• Description: CF Section - Non-Reimbursable Projects - Alamosa-La Jara Water Conservancy District
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conse17Jation Board
Department of Natura I Resources
13]3 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone, [phone] M E M 0 RAN DUM
FAX, [phone]

Q

TO:

Bill Owens
Governor

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

John Van Sciver, P.E. ~ITS
Mike Serle!, P.E., Chief Y'I.
Water Project Planning an inance Section

FROM:

Greg E. Walcher
Executive Director

Peter H. Evans
ewes Director

DATE:

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

January 14, 2000

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 12b., January 26-27,2000 Board Meeting
Alamosa-La Jara Water Conservancy Dislrict

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Introduction
The Alamosa-La Jara Water Conservancy District (A-LJWCD) has applied for a Grant of
$300,000 for continued restoration of the Alamosa River. This portion of the project includes
Phases 1 ,2, and 3 engineering and construction of 37 sub-projects. The estimated total cost of the
entire project is $931,000 over a 4-year time period. Please see the attached project summary
and map.

History
In the early 1970s the Army Corps of Engineers engaged in a flood control project on the
Alamosa River that entailed channel straightening, channel excavation, and levee construction.
(Figure 1 is taken downstream from the Road 8 bridge where straightening in the 1970s
occurred.). Not only has the morphology of that three-mile section of river changed, but over
time the downstream morphology has been adversely affected and the banks have become
unstable. Straightening of the river cut off meanders and deepened the main channel.

Figure 1: Downstream from Road 8 Bridge