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<br />December
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />COLORADO WATER
<br />
<br />2005
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<br />T..ll'kling Tamarisk 011 thl' Purgatuin' ro ImpnJ\,(' rhe \\':II4..'rshl'd
<br />
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<br />'CQIorado
<br />')I.lte
<br />h...,.,]
<br />J "UI'IU
<br />
<br />h)" R.):lll BO:':I-:\, Till' :'\atufl' ClIO\l'nanC)
<br />John IIl'idl'llIan. T:amarhk Coalitiun
<br />Shl'll) \':lnl.andinghalll. Colnradu State FHn,..1 Sl'ni('l'
<br />
<br />Th\: IU\h'r l'urgall1irl' RJ\ l'r \\';Jl.:rshcd :>pan:> 111('rc
<br />Ihan ~O() mile,. Including tl1.: rih'r and lribluary fl'l'J.:l'
<br />slfl':mb. Th.: main 'll'll1 oflh.: Purgatolrl'/luw.. .:ast
<br />fnllllthl' 1-J.Of,9-J(ll)t Cukhra [1l'ak high III the Sangh'
<br />Jl' Cristo mountains III TrinitkiJ. ColmaJll. anJ th':l1
<br />northl'J..! 10 La.. .\nimas. Cl,I.'rad". Whl'H: it eom (T,!!":...
<br />with lh..: Arkans:h Rih'r.
<br />
<br />Thb wall'Tshl'd is h\II11<: to nrw uflhe mosl IlIt;t<:1
<br />natJ\e li...lll'rk's in till' ('t:rltral Shongra.... I'rairi(' e;l...l
<br />..I' thl' Rocky \IOUrlt:llfh. The river's trihularil'... han:
<br />;]Iso ereall'J lu..h silk, l'allYlllb lhal sustalfl ..e\ <?ral rarl'
<br />plan! sp..:.:ies. AI~d;1 dlvl'rse prainl' rnosnie of sh.lk
<br />(lU(('rllppmg:>. pilll1n-jllllipl'r \\ I)odlands. .mJ l'\k'nsi\.:
<br />[Halrie uplallJ.. with narJ\e gras.;l'S and ..hruos is ti'und
<br />ahll\l'lh"'l'anyoll'.
<br />
<br />Dill' to till' del';llk:>-Iong imasitll1 ofaggre~.,ih',
<br />Illln-n:ltL\C \\\llldy planls incluJing ramarisk, Ru,sian
<br />olive. ;lIlJ Sib...rian dill. rhe Purgatl)irl.... gkfoally rarl'
<br />riparian pl;tnt e\ll11J1lllllltles arl' heing threall'nl'd. Tht'sC
<br />pbnt pesl~. paTlk\llarl~ tamarisk, alw mCTCllSl' (Ill' tirl'
<br />risk /tll'llmlllunitks anll wak'rsh...d.~ hl'CJ\l..~. the plant.;
<br />ignite ea'.iJ~ and when IJk'~ hum. (hl'~ eallSl' tirl' to
<br />srreu~1 r'-lpiJly and ereah: lIltl'Jl"l' hcal.
<br />In addiliml. thl'~ l'Ol1lpWrtll'.e h~'allh~
<br />riparian lilresb. and n...gali\dy imp.KI
<br />Ii\l'."hll:k proJUl:tllln and lhl' ~'l:lllltllllle
<br />..u,(ainahililY 'lfetlI1lIllUllirle' thaI rc/y
<br />on a strl'ng agricultural ba.'l'
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<br />Tamarisk j, IWt unique 10 thc Purg;l-
<br />ttlirl'. Thi.l im,hi\c spl'ek,. \\hil:h \\a,
<br />HnpllrleJ ti\IllJ the \liJdk I':ast i11111l'
<br />l'arl~ It)Ol1, ri.'r erllsion (.'nlrl)] and i....
<br />,'mamerltJIl/ualitil's. has l:ll0k~'J Tn;.:-rs
<br />Ihrnughl'ullh~' Slllllh\\eSkm lnitl'.1
<br />Stall.... It ha.. .Lb" Imnsh'Tln...d lllan\
<br />ofColoradt,', l;btel1l Plallll ripari;llI
<br />:Jrl';l" If 0111 h~';lIlhy. nabk' hahltal \\ ilh
<br />JI\l'r"l' plant e(lllll1HlI1iti~'s thai support
<br />'In pcrl:l'nl Ill' thl' ;lr~',j\ wilJIII"" into
<br />l'T!)\\JeJ 1ll0nucultllrJlt...'r....'!s \\ith link
<br />hll.dl\ersllY.
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<br />I ~ _________
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<br />T:lIn..ri,k. which j, :tbo knowll as salt l:~'dar, has a
<br />\or<leiou.. ;Ippelill' for \\,IICI. L\<:ry Yl'ar.tamari,k ill
<br />thl' ,-\rkan."a.. l{l\l'l' dramagl' III Culi'l'aJl' the.. l'rl\lllgh
<br />watl'r 10 supply alll,f I'u.:hlo\ dOIll....'lil. warer for Ihat
<br />~~':tl'. [1 alsl' l.kgraJ...' Cl'llsy..lellls in or her way-so hIT
<br />~'x:\Jnrk, il inl:r....asl'S Ihe ..alinlt~ Ilfth..: "urtal'l' ,,011.
<br />\\ 11Ich r~'ndcr~ it unsuilahk fIll' U"l' by other pIa Ill,,;
<br />il witkll:> Ih'lld plain.., dogging "trl.'am dlalln...b and
<br />mereasing ,,'Jill1l'lll JeplIsits; and it Jiminisll<.'s human
<br />l'njoYllll'lll 01 anJ illt..:raclinn \\'ith the mcr and sur-
<br />rounJing l'O\iror1l111'1l1.
<br />
<br />Thl' unique dlStribulion ()f tallla.ri...!.; III the Purgatllire
<br />RI\';.:-r \\'al..:r"hl'd. \\'hll'h rangl's fmr11 lightll1li:slntions
<br />al1o\ l' th.: TriniJaJ Rcsern,ir III hl';j\il'L lkns..:r ...tands
<br />Jo\\nri\'l'T. makl'.s the al'..:a ideal/l.'r brgl'-scak l:l)l1-
<br />twl. ..\nJ impn.l\ing Ihl' Purg,lloirl' \\'atl'r"hl'll thmugh
<br />largl'+scaiL' l'lll1lrollS l'\;al'lly \\'hal thl' Tal'kJlIlg Tam:J-
<br />fisk lll1 [he PurgalOil'l' f'mJ"'l'I tlf TTI' i.. all abllUl,
<br />
<br />TIP i~ a l'ollabllralih' dlun hl,t\\'l''':n public a.!:!l'l1cil'S.
<br />llon-rwlit tlrgani/atitlns. :lI1d rl'l\atc landtl\\ n..:r~ \\ htl
<br />\\ol'k. lih'+ and play in Ihl' Purgaroir..: Ri\'Cf Water-
<br />slll'd, Th~'y ha\'e Il("l'll working tllgl'lhcr during thl.'
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