WSPC00582

• File Number: 8220.106.I
• Description: Colorado River Water Projects - Animas La Plata - Environmental Studies
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/1/2005
• Author: Unknown
• Title: Animas La Plata Project - Mitigation Area - Wetland-Riparian and Wildlife Mitigation - 2004 Annual Report - Reclamation - Managing Water in the West
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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In the 2003 Animas-U1 Plaia (ALP) Project WctlandlRiparian Mitiglltinn and Monitnring Plan
(Planlti'rthc La Plata RivcrC'orridor, Roclamationde!ICribcdlhedetailcdllolllsand ohjoctiv csto
mitillate for "'etllllldlrif'arian imhitat loss in a manncre<>nsi6tcm with an '&:os)'lltcm
~lanallcmcn\' concept. lhe ovcralllloal of Rcdarnation's Plan is to restore a n1lfurally sclf.
sw;taining rijllUian =systcm .....ithin the Mitigation Area (MAl that supports the hc:8t functional
conditions thlll can be f'TaCticably estahlishe..!. Thcobjc-ctives outlined in thc Plan (and this
progress report) focus on thc two management aJ'Cas containing a total of six factors th~t are
alTcctinllwetlandlriparian funcnonal conditions:

Ihdrolol!Vllnllh:
. Mnnitor to ensure adC\:juatc (sullieient 10 maintain the existing and enhanccd arellS)
hydrologic C<lndilioll.~ arc maintained within the MA and ('Ontinue U5C nfwatCf riglilll
associatro with the MA.
. ProlcctorstahiIiT.ccrodingstreamhanksasnecded.
. Restllrcdegradedchannelan<ll1OO<lplllinwilhinstraightcncd.annoreJandlcvCC<lrivcr
rt"aches.
Intl"l!.raltd'''-l'fl'latlnn:'\lanll!tm...nl:
. Remove undcsirahle livestock grazing and the negative afT""I! of liv"IOCk tua.zing.
. Roo.lucepmlifCTationofundesir.lh1cplant5pCCiesandrcplacewilhd<-'Sir:\blcspccies.
. lmpnwe ttle wgetalh'e condItion o(uplllJHI hufTcn adjoining nparillll habitats.

Actions taken by R<<lamation in 2001. 2002, 20(l~ and 2004 have produced solid rrogrcss
IO\larUs the achievement ofti'll.' ALP Project wetland'riparian hahilat mitigation 1l000ls and
objecli\'e5. Reclamation made Ihe mO!J.t progres..~ in \leed ltCatmcnt wbl."l'C nearly 250 Il<:re& have
bcenlrt"lltC\l 00 lCf>Sthan twlcc forlhe control ofC'olorado listed noxious weed sp..: c:iesinc1u,ling
RUS:lianoh\'eand lamari~k.

In 2004 Reclamation completed the channel re~lOration of a seclion of the l.a Plaia River (Kl:
.0\'([ phololUuJ!h). Reclamation hIlll re.sceJeJ the river restoration area. along with 200 acm of
ur1anJ habitat and iscol1linuing 10 repl:llIt native ltCCS and sbrubs in the reslOTlllh )narea.
Further, R<<lamatlOo began to enhanee their weed manageman efTort with the inclusion of
colllrollcd goat grazing \lith Ii small mi~ed berd heinll applied e~pcrime'lltally in difficult areas.
For the 2005 wetlam1'riparian mitigation outlook. Reclamation plan~ to continuc weed control
and to begin actual Ill.'<tallution of at 1cast 6 milcs of hound ill)' fl.'llcing 10 cnsure IresraSllgraJing
ispn:Vl'llll'<iinlbcriparillntrdCtsoftheMA,

For wildlife milil.!ution, Reclamation is required to replace 27l1O-2<}1)() acres of wildlife hahitat
Iml'llClcd;l$lI result ohhe ALP Project and enhance thc acquired acreage. Roclamation
purchao;cd the M,\ 10 ,;en'c bolh wetland/riparian and wildlife mitigution need~, Enhaneement
was initiated 111 2004. with 200 acres of upland re-seeding for wildlife valucs_ Enhancemem ....ill
"ontioue in 2005 wnh Wilier enhanceml'llts fllr general wildlife bencfil.