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. Alamosa-La Jara Water ConselVancy District January 26.27, 2000 Agenda Item 12b. ... , Proiect Area Description The project area is the 18-mile stretch of the Alamosa River from Terrace Reservoir, through the Town of Capulin, ending at highway 285 near La Jara. Land use in the project area is predominantly agricultural and 98% of the land is privately owned. Approximately 100 owners along the river run small farming operations that combine cropland, range, and pasture. e Certain sections of this stretch of river will have to undergo reconstruction, as set forth in the Conceptual Design by Dave Rosgen. Priority areas are those "locations that pose the greatest threat to land loss and downstream sedimentation (large sediment source)." These areas of the river have severely eroded stream banks and show lateral migration of the river, resulting in: Reduction of bedload transport Reduced water quality Loss of property Lowered water table Bridge scour The need to reconstruct irrigation diversions Loss of wildlife habitat Proiect Description Desiqn The ARWP committee will implement the Conceptual Design for the Alamosa River. This design uses rock structures and channel shaping (which involves re-establishment of existing e meanders and reconnection to the floodplain). Also included is the promotion of re-growth of woody vegetation through plantings and cooperative efforts of river landowners to implement grazing best management practices. Stream bank erosion near bridge structures will also be addressed during river restoration. The design calls for reconnection of the river to its original floodplain and stabilization of the river in either the same location or a suitable location. Oxbow lakes will be constructed to prevent floods from re-occupying the previous down-cut channel, and to increase the height of the water table (see Figure 3, from Conceptual Design). Figure 3: River retumed to original channel, and oxbow lake construction. e 4