Laserfiche WebLink
<br />5. RECOMMENDATIONS <br /> <br />The study recommendations are as follows: <br /> <br />. No further reduction of the current 3, ODD-eft jloodway capacity. Past reductions <br />already have exacerbated water conveyance, sediment transport, flooding, and <br />groundwater problems. Catastrophic floods can result from storms downstream of John <br />Martin Dam. Floods originating upstream, and of a magnitude similar to the May 1999 <br />event, could likely result in reservoir discharges substantially greater than 3,000 cfs if <br />sufficient storage is not available in the reservoir. <br /> <br />. Extensive channel improvement through excavation is not recommended due to high <br />implementation costs and significant adverse environmental impacts. <br /> <br />. Smaller-scale channel modification techniques cannot be approached generically. <br />Specific points along the river may benefit temporarily from channel modification to <br />avoid or reduce structural damage. Existing erratic hydraulic and sediment transport <br />characteristics demand site-specific design, determination of upstream and downstream <br />effects, and consideration of overall channel stability. Because of the widely varying <br />hydraulic characteristics throughout the study reach, a generic channel configuration <br />addressing conveyance, sediment transport, and vegetation encroachment on banks <br />could not be identified. <br /> <br />. Inundation of agricultural fields by river jlows can be addressed in various ways: <br />- Structurally, through rehabilitation of existing berms by local authorities; <br />- Non-structurally, through retirement of lands from production and conversion to <br />pasture or riparian vegetation. This may be pursued individual landowners, or <br />facilitated by the Corps of Engineers' ecosystem restoration authority (Section <br />l135). <br /> <br />. Within the jloodway, cost-effective restoration of native riparian vegetation can be <br />accomplished through the Corps' Section 1135 program. Extensive opportunities for <br />riparian restoration (including salt cedar removal) exist within the study area. Because <br />the majority of these lands are privately owned, this study has not selected specific sites <br />suitable for restoration. Landowners will require the support of a local sponsor to take <br />advantage of the Section 1135 program. <br /> <br />. To prevent further encroachment on the jloodway, coordination and education of local <br />stakeholders is required. The Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Arkansas <br />River Steering Committee can playa crucial role in coordinating these general <br />objectives in addition to facilitating all report recommendations. <br /> <br />45 <br />