FLOOD06149

• County: Statewide
• Community: State of Colorado
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Colorado Wetlands Initiative
• Date: 5/1/1997
• Prepared For: State of Colorado
• Prepared By: Colorado DNR
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

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projects attempt to mimic natural!lood
conditions through the application of
irrigation water during the spring. Floodplain
projects onen use meander scars lell by
channel changes of the river. The project
pictured at right is a meander scar wetland
restored with a watcr control structure
installed at the downstream end, This design
allows the use of irrigation water to mimic
spring !looding and to manage water Ievcls to
stimulate growth of desired plants,

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Figure 3: Restored meander scar wetland on the
DPG Farms property

Landowner interest in the program in this part of the
State is increasing. Many more wetland restorations and
native grass seeding projects are expected, Several
ground water recharge projects in partnership with local
water management organizations are in the planning
stages,

The project design shown in Figure 4 is a
restoration a wet meadow near Brush.
Colorado. The project site is a lortner cultivated field that the owner has elected to set aside lor
wildlife and limited grazing, The soils on the site are subject to increasing salt content due to the
application of irrigation water and seasonally high water table, A drainage ditch had been dug
around the south and eastern borders of the tield, Because the ditch serves adjacent landowners
and a county road. backfilling was not an option. The landowner was agreeable to use of his
irrigation water to reestablish native vegetation in the
field, The field had been leveled to increase irrigation
ef1iciencyand this allowed the construction of small
dikes to !lood the field seasonally, Native tall grass
prairie and wetland vegetation still grows along the
drainage ditch and will recolonize the lield, The site will
.00.0'
provide nesting and leeding habitats lor many species of
birds including waterfowl and shorebirds.

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Southeast Colorado Projects

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Figure 4: Wet meadow restoration design for
the Treadway Project. Brush. Colorado

The Colorado Partners lor Wildlife Program expanded into the southeastern counties of Colorado
in 1996, The Playa Lakes Joint Venture contributed $60.000 toward Partners lor Wildlile
projects within southeastern Colorado, Matched with Ii.mds Irom the FWS , NFWF. and a
separate challenge grant from the FWS. $120.000 was available lor project work. Twenty,four
agreements have been signed with landowners in that part of Colorado, An informal team of
FWS. Natural Resources Conservation Service. and Colorado Division of Wild lite staff has

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