BOARD00871

• Board Meeting Date: 9/10/2002
• Description: Watershed Protection Fund
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Paonia, North Fork of
Gunnison River

Pueblo, Arkansas River
Fisheries Habitat
Restoration

Feasibility

May 2003

Plans and Nov 2003
Specifications

tn November 1998, Congressman Scott Mcinnis North Fork
provided a Jetter of support for the project. The River
proposed project consists of various channel and Improvement
river corridor restoration measures at 11 sites Association
within a 12-mile stretch of the North Fork of the
Gunnison River. Likely project features include:
bankfull channel reconfiguration, riverine
wetlands reconstruction, biotechnical bank
protection. removal of exotic vegetation,
floodplain revegetation, reconfiguration of
irrigation diversions, and in-stream habitat
features. The project would enhance fish and
wildlife habitat, expand wetlands, revegetate the
river's floodplain, improve water quality,
conserve water, provide public access for fishing
and boating, and educate the community about
the river.

The project is located along 10 miles of the City of Pueblo
Arkansas River from Pueblo Reservoir to the
Fountain Creek confluence near Pueblo, CO.
The project consists of fish habitat structures,
low-flow channel development, meander
development, exotic vegetation control, native
vegetation establishment, and a fish passage
structure. The feasibility report was approved in
October 2001.

$660,000

Not available

$7.2 million Feasibility Study in
Progress

$6.6 million The peA was signed in
April 2002. The
construction drawings!
specifications and real
estate acquisition is
underway. Construction
funds have been
committed to the project
and construction is
scheduled to begin in the
fail of 2003.