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<br />002566
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<br />Private,............,..,......,..,.....31.320 acres
<br />State of Colorado......................33.760 acres
<br />U,S, Forest Service (FS/USDA)..........29.200 acres
<br />Bureau of Land Management (BLM/USDOI)..40,760 acres
<br />
<br />These groups have not been noted for cooperating in the past,
<br />but in Badger Creek where they share a watershed and the
<br />need for enlightened and environmentally sound grazing-land
<br />management, they are working together, In order to treat a
<br />watershed of this size and adequately address the needs of
<br />individual users, land owners and governmental agencies. the
<br />four groups of owners and managers have signed off on a
<br />fonnal memorandum of understanding, This unique agreement
<br />was developed in the last years of the 1980s under the
<br />leadership of the Sangre de Cristo Resource Conservation and
<br />Development Area (RC&D) and BLM,
<br />
<br />The memorandum, among other things, calls for the
<br />development of a four-year program that prioritizes zones
<br />within the total watershed area (regardless of
<br />ownership/management) and identifies site-specific data for
<br />costing out implementation projects, The project looks at the
<br />watershed envirorunent holistically, Its purpose is to protect
<br />and improve the fisheries. wildlife habitat, range resources,
<br />recreation. and water quality of the Badger Creek watershed,
<br />Treatment will also reduce sediment discharge into the Pueblo
<br />Reservoir and downstream water treatment plants and thereby
<br />improve the quality of Arkansas River water,
<br />
<br />The agreement sets up a six-person coordinating team with the
<br />Sangre de Cristo RC&D as project leader, Other members are:
<br />BLM Royal Gorge Area Manager; USFS Salida District
<br />Ranger; State Land Board; State Division of Wildlife (DOW)
<br />Salida Area Wildlife Supervisor. and the Canon City Soil
<br />Conservation Service (SCS) District Conservationist,
<br />Panicipating federal land management agencies have used their
<br />funds to undertake treatment projects on their own land while
<br />EP A Region VIll. through the state of Colorado, has provided
<br />319 (nonpoint source management) funds, In the
<br />Memorandum of understanding. BLM agreed to continue its
<br />watershed precipitation monitoring,
<br />
<br />The Badger Creek project is finishing its second year of a four
<br />year-planned program, As of September 1991. the project has
<br />undertaken three workshops for project participants and three
<br />team building meetings, both led by the Sangre de Cristo
<br />RC&D. In addition, EPA Region VITI led a Holistic Resource
<br />Management Workshop for private ranchers. Trout Unlimited.
<br />Nature Conservancy, FS, SCS. BLM and DOW personnel.
<br />The workshop was developed using EPA education funds,
<br />
<br />Extensive treatment projects have been undertaken on the
<br />ground by the cooperating agencies, On a non-cost shared
<br />basis. 43,478 acres of planned grazing systems have been
<br />installed, The systems rely on the amount of time cattle are in
<br />a pasture rather tllat the numbers of cattle in a pasture, In
<br />addition. two acres of willow were planted on private land,
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<br />BLM has been testing intensive grazing in riparian areas to
<br />demonstrate that time-controlled grazing can assist in
<br />streambank stabilization, Additionally. BLM has constructed
<br />erosion control dams. erected precipitation monitoring stations.
<br />and. with USGS. has installed automated measuring devices,
<br />
<br />SCS has concentrated on riparian planting. with black willows,
<br />buffalo berry and cottonwood planted in BLM riparian areas
<br />to detennine survivability of wood species in the upper
<br />watershed along Badger Creek.
<br />
<br />The Forest Service has built erosion control dams and
<br />installed 200 cubic yards of rock riprap on its lands,
<br />
<br />EPA's 319 funding has been essential in the building of 19.5
<br />miles of cross fencing. 3 miles of pipeline for water
<br />distribution, seven water supply tanks -- 30 foot diameter, three
<br />erosion control dams on private land. two spring development
<br />projects. and two solar systems,
<br />
<br />The Water Quality Control Division of the Colorado Health
<br />Department (with the cooperation of the State Forest Service
<br />and the State DOW) has been concerned with the monitoring
<br />of fish habitat, including streambank analysis. fish counts. and
<br />existing food sources for fish population,
<br />
<br />The Memorandum of Understanding has a five-year term,
<br />renewable at the option of the signatories, Signatories to the
<br />agreement are:
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<br />State of Colorado--Department of Natura1 Resources, Division
<br />of Wildlife. State Land Board, State Forest Service, State Soil
<br />Conservation Board, State Conservationist, SCS
<br />
<br />U.S. Department of Agriculture--Forest Service. Pike-San
<br />Isabel National Forest, Soil Conservation Service
<br />Agricuitural Stabilization and Conservation Service
<br />
<br />U.S. Department of the Interior--Bureau of Reclamation
<br />
<br />Soil Conservation Districls--Sangre de Cristo Resource
<br />Conservation and Development Area, Upper Arkansas Soil
<br />Conservation District, Fremont Soil Conservation District,
<br />Teller-Park Soil Conservation District
<br />
<br />Local and Areawide Govemments--Upper Arkansas Area
<br />Council of Governments, Fremont County. Board of County
<br />Commissioners, Park County, Board of County
<br />Commissioners, Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy
<br />District
<br />
<br />Public Interest Groups--Colorado Trout Unlimited
<br />
<br />In summing up his views on the history and outlook of the
<br />project, John Valentine, Coordinator. Sangre de Cristo RC&D.
<br />observed:
<br />
<br />Ir was felt that rhe most effective approach ro watershed
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