BOARD02157

• Board Meeting Date: 9/13/2004
• Description: Flood Section - Alamosa River Watershed Restoration Master Plan ‎(Information Only)‎
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

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Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

TO:
FROM:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members
Larry Lang, P.E., Chief, Flood Protection Section
Brian Hyde, Flood Protection Section
September 2, 2004
Agenda Item 17, September 14-15,2004 Board Meeting--
Alamosa River Watershed Restoration Master Plan (Information Only)

Russell George
Executive Director

DATE:
SUBJECT:

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

Background

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Introduction
The Alamosa River Watershed Restoration Master Plan is a planning effort to guide the restoration of a watershed that
faces major challenges. The Alamosa River headwaters are on the eastern side of the Continental Divide, just south of
Wolf Creek Pass. The river flows generally to the east, ending as a "conventional" river at irrigation ditches east of
Highway 285 and north of the Town of La Jara. Challenges include the impacts of the Summitville Mine (a Superfund
site), historic channel straightening near the community of Capulin, the need for improvements to Terrace Reservoir,
and the lack of water to meet all demands in the watershed. The master plan will address these challenges and more.
The planning effort is funded by interest accrued on the $5 million Natural Resource Damage Settlement (NRDS)
associated with the Summitville Mine.

eweB is managing the study, which is being performed by a consultant team led by MWH. The study will be shaped
by the NRDS Trustees, with the active participation of the Alamosa River Restoration Foundation. Both MWH and
the Foundation will participate in an informational presentation to the Board..

Similarity to Other Watershed Restoration Activities in Colorado
The Alamosa River Watershed Restoration Master Plan is similar in concept to other watershed restoration master
planning studies that have been previously undertaken by the eWCB. Similar studies aimed at examining a reasonably
large geographic area and at a variety of issues have been conducted or are currently being conducted on the Roaring
Fork River, the Rio Grande, and Fountain Creek, among others. Each of those studies investigated a range of
watershed issues, identified by local interests, in conjunction with the eWCB, the consultant team, and the advisory
committee. In the case of the Alamosa River, specific concerns that will be analyzed and addressed by the Master Plan
include:

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. Poor channel conditions,
. Surface water quality problems,
. Surface water quantity and year-round availability,
. Groundwater quantity and quality problems,
. Terrace Reservoir storage and maintenance problems,
. Sediment problems,
. Damaged habitat and lost biological resources,

Colorado Water Conservation Board
Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning