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<br />Action: <br />Date: <br /> <br />Minimum flow recommendations to be validated and refined. <br />September 1996. <br /> <br />Questions? <br /> <br />Please call Pat Nelson at (303) 236-2985, ex!. 226. <br /> <br />Flood plain restoration <br /> <br />Over the past century, the upper Colorado River basin has lost much of its flood plain. Levees <br />have been built to prevent flooding. Rip-rap has been installed to protect property. Dams and <br />water diversions have tamed the high flows that previously were common in the spring. These <br />events have reduced the extent, frequency and duration of flooding. The loss of flood plain habi- <br />tats is believed to have contributed to the decline of the now endangered razorback sucker. <br /> <br />One aspect of endangered fish recovery involves enhancing or restoring natural flood plain habi- <br />tats. An inventory of these habitats has been completed for 869 miles of the Colorado, Green, <br />Gunnison, Yampa and White rivers (a final report available is available from Pat Nelson). Plans <br />are being formulated to restore several areas, including a gravel pit at 29 5/8 Road in Grand <br />Junction, Colo.; a site on Walter Walker State Wildlife Area on the Colorado River downstream <br />of Grand Junction; and an area near Adobe Creek downstream of Walter Walker. <br /> <br />Major components of the flood plain restoration effort include: <br />Screening potential restoration areas to determine levels of contaminants. such as selenium <br />and copper. This information will be used to assess suitability of sites for restoration. <br />Studies and activities to remediate contaminants problems in flood plain habitats. <br />Studies on managing flood plain habitats to benefit endangered fish rather than non-native <br />fish. <br />Analyses of alternatives to restore flows on selected sites. <br />Environmental compliance to secure permits for flood plain restoration. <br />Design, engineering and construction to restore natural flood plain habitats and functions. <br />Acquisition of interests in privately-owned flood plain properties from willing participants. <br />Evaluation ofresults on a site-specific, reach-specific and basin-wide basis. <br /> <br />The flooded bottom lands restoration effort is funded by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and will <br />continue until at least 1999. Success will be measured according to the response of endangered <br />fish populations, non-native fish populations and the river ecosystem. (An annual report for FY <br />1994 is available from Pat Nelson.) <br /> <br />A report describing options for restoring Leota Bottom for use by endangered fish has been devel- <br />oped. Leota Bottom is a flood plain on the Ouray National WIldlife Refuge in northeastern Utah. <br />The flood plain is divided into sections by dikes; the portion that was evaluated for restoration is <br />the seventh of these sections and is referred to as "Leota L-7." Results of this work suggested that <br />highly-engineered sites may be extremely expensive to construct and maintain, and that it may be <br />more cosH:ffective to restore areas in such a manner that they will behave more naturally. <br />Documents required for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act have been com- <br /> <br />3 <br />