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... T TilE DENVER POST COLORADO Working the kinks. back into river '.. Returning the AIamosa to its natural course will curb floods, erosion By Mark H. Hunler Special 10 The Denver Post o CAPULIN - Farmers and ranchers who live along the Alamosa River have, for many years, battled spring flooding and erosion, but this year . they're hoping things will be dillerent. After several months 01 work, a por- tion 01 the river that was straightened by the U.s. Army Corps 01 Engineers in the I970s has heen rechanneled. The corps project, residents say, allowed the last-running liver to scour its ler- tile banks, as well as wash away irri- galion headgates and occasionally a local bridge. During the first phase of an eslimat- ed $I million project, hundreds of tons 01 rock were put into the streambed and shaped into weirs - formations designed to slow the river's flow and channel it back into its historic mean- ders. The work was lunded by a S300,000 grant lrom the Colorado Wa. ter Conservalion Board to the Alamo- sa-La Jara Conservancy District. Total restoration 01 a i2-mile stretch Irom Colorado IS, oear Capu- Mother Nature knows best A section of !he A1amosa River near Capulin hos been rechanneled to restore n. natura' oourse. Aner being stmlghteoed by the U.S. Army Corps of engineee.., tho rlvar ffowed faster and Increased Ooodlng and erosion. Thl'Denvp.rPosr Iin, to U.S. 285, near La Jara, will take several more years and more money, said John Shawcrofl, Iile-Iong area rancher and district board presidc"lt. "We put an awlullot 01 rock in the river," Shawcrolt said. "Hopelully it will do its job." He credited.. the political ellorts of lormer state legislator Lewis H. Ent., Colorado Attorney Genera' Ken Sala- zar, conservailon board-president Pe- ter Evans and John Van Seiver, a pr<>- _ressional~ water engineer, for -'arranging the funding. . But putting tbe bends back In the river will solve only one 01 its prob- lems. At times, the water is as acidic as vinegar Irom Summitville Mine run- off, high up on South Mountain at the top 01 the watershed_ In 1992, the mine's Owner closed the open-pit gold mine and declared bankruptcy. The next spring, millions 01 gallons of tainted water poured over 8 mine con- tainment dam and killed all the river's lish. Since then, the Environmentai Pro- tection Agency has spent more than S125 million reclaiming the Superlund site, but acidic runoff continues. "We have some really tough chal- lenges ahead 01 us," Shawcro!t said. "Not only do we have terrible prosion, but we have terrible water quality, too. We're hoping lor the day we will be ahle to pul fish back in there." Thursday, Februarv 3, 2000 .