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RODTT COUNTY SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT 1475 PINE GROVE R~, STE 201A STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO 80487-8803 970/879-3225 Steve Black State Conservationist Natural Resources Conservation Service 655 Parfet St., Room E200C Lakewood, CO 80215-5517 Dear Mr. Black: This is a formal request for emergency treatment assistance under Section 403 of Title IV, Emergency Conservation Program of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978-SCS 216 Program (Emergency Watershed Protection Program). In the early morning of April 14th a 17 acre mud slide covered a private road and moved toward the Yampa River. The area had received 12 inches of precipitation last fall when normal is 5.2 inches. The extremely wet fall left the soil profile saturated going into the winter. To make this situation worse, the area was covered with snow before the ground had a chance to freeze. This spring when the snow melted, 17 acres of the north slope slid approximately 300 feet, covering a road and creeping slightly into the Yampa River. The emergency situation is located 16 miles west of Steamboat Springs, CO on U.S. Hwy 40. The potential exist for the slide to damage a gas compressor station, a gas well, two buildings of a snowmobile tour business, and a private bridge over the Yampa River. Also, down stream approximately 1.5 miles are three irrigation canal diversions and the diversion take out for the Hayden electric power plant that could receive sediment from slide materials that go into the Yampa River. If the slide moves much more, the Yampa River could be blocked off and water could begin to backup and cause a severe hazard. The Routt County Soil Conservation District will act as a sponsor of this watershed protection project and our responsibilities will include acquiring any permits or land rights needed to construct, operate and maintain the proposed measures. We are prepared to furnish the 25% local cost-share of the construction work.