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, IJ-b . ? I . THE ALAMOSA WATERSHED RESTORATION PROJECT A Historical Summary 1970- 2000 Prepared by Alan D. Miller The Alamosa Watershed is located in Conejos County, in south-central Colorado and encompasses 127,000 acres. The Alamosa River, which drains the watershed, is approximately 72 miles long, reaching west from the San Juan Mountains to the wetlands of the Rio Grande River. It irrigates an estimated 45,000 acres on the San Luis Valley floor. Two small towns, Capulin and La Jara, are included in the A1amosa drainage. Conejos county is considered the second poorest county in Colorado, with a population of 7,700. The economy is based on agriculture, with an unemployment rate of 14 percent. It is estimated that 45.4 percent of the population ofConejos County live within or below the national poverty level. The Alamosa River drainage contributes nearly one third of the county's economy. In the late 1960 and early 1970, leaking outlet gates at the Terrace Reservoir were found to be creating flows of approximately 40 cfs. The State Engineer ordered the reservoir emptied and valves repaired. On September 14, 1970, during repairs, a thunderstorm occurred, creating high flows from the reservoir, peaking at 1190 cfs. This caused a considerable amount of silt to wash downstream, filling the streambed all the way to State Highway 285 (nearly 21 miles of stream). Periodic 12-hour releases through a coffer dam built that winter created a nightly buildup of ice in the streambed near Capulin, Colorado. Flooding resulted, damaging several homes and other . property. At the request of Conejos County officials, the Governor's office, along with the Office of Emergency Preparedness, approached the Army Corps of Engineers for emergency assistance. Twenty five thousand dollars were made available through the OEP. Operating under the direction of the Corps, local construction companies removed a large volume of the accumulated silt, but in the process, also straightened the river channel for approximately eight miles. The channelization set in motion a calamitous chain of events. Stream banks became unstable, sedimentation increased, local water tables dropped and riparian areas were dewatered. Water users found themselves in a never-ending battle (which continues today) to divert water into headgates which had been left high and dry by the down-cutting in the channel. A very significant change occurred to the riparian zone, which now, in many areas, is practically devoid of vegetation and wildlife. In the 1980's, a restoration committee was formed to address these problems and an effort was launched to restore the straightened channel. Colorado State Representative Lewis Entz became very involved in the process, and was successful in attaining funds to restore the damaged sections. However, because of lack of consensus amongst the property owners, the process ended. The restoration effort would not reawaken until nearly ten years later. . In the early 1990's, the mine at Summitville, which was declared an EP A Superfund Site in 1993, spewed toxic chemicals and metals into the river killing the aquatic life from the mine site