Blue River Watershed Group

THE BLUE RIVER WATERSHED GROUP (BRWG), WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TOWN OF SILVERTHORNE, WILL COMPLETE THE ENGINEERING AND DESIGN FOR A PROJECT TO REPAIR DEGRADED AQUATIC HABITAT IN THE BLUE RIVER, DOWNSTREAM OF THE DILLON RESERVOIR IN SUMMIT COUNTY, COLORADO. THIS REACH OF THE BLUE RIVER IS IMPACTED BY ITS PROXIMITY TO THE OUTFLOW OF THE RESERVOIR, WHICH HAS CONTRIBUTED TO AN UN-NATURALLY LOW FLOW REGIME, BELOW AVERAGE WATER TEMPERATURES DUE TO COLD-WATER RELEASES FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE RESERVOIR, AND A LACK OF NATURAL SEDIMENT AND NUTRIENT TRANSPORT DUE TO SEDIMENT ENTRAPMENT WITHIN THE RESERVOIR. THESE ISSUES HAVE LED TO THE REACH BEING STRIPPED OF GOLD MEDAL TROUT FISHERY STATUS IN 2016. TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, BRWG WILL PRODUCE A 100% RESTORATION DESIGN PACKAGE THAT INCLUDES RESIZING A NEW CHANNEL WITHIN THE HISTORIC FOOTPRINT TO MATCH THE CONTEMPORARY HYDROGRAPH, INSTALLATION OF NEW POOL HABITAT AND ADDITIONAL SPAWNING GRAVEL, REMOVAL OF BARRIERS TO FISH PASSAGE, AND IMPROVEMENT OF PUBLIC RIVER ACCESS LOCATIONS. BRWG WILL CONTINUE OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS AND DEVELOP BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS AND FISH POPULATION ESTIMATES TO SERVE AS A BASELINE FOR MONITORING IMPROVEMENTS FOLLOWING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION. THE PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY A DIVERSE STAKEHOLDER GROUP REPRESENTING AGRICULTURE, RECREATION, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, WATER MANAGERS, LANDOWNERS, AND INDIVIDUALS.

TASK A - WATERSHED GROUP DEVELOPMENT. THE RECIPIENT SHALL CONDUCT WATERSHED GROUP DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. THESE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO GET MORE STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED IN THE WATERSHED GROUP AND INFORM STAKEHOLDERS OF ONGOING WATERSHED GROUP ACTIVITIES. TASK B - WATERSHED RESTORATION PLANNING. THE RECIPIENT SHALL CONDUCT WATERSHED RESTORATION PLANNING ACTIVITIES. THESE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:DEVELOP SCIENTIFICALLY VALID RESTORATION STRATEGIES THROUGH EVALUATION OF EXISTING GEOMORPHOLOGY AND STREAM FLOWSSAMPLE DIVERSITY AND BIOMASS OF BIOTIC COMMUNITIES SUCH AS MACROINVERTEBRATES AND PERIPHYTON ACROSS SEASONSEVALUATE TEMPERATURE PROFILES OF THE BLUE RIVER ABOVE, WITHIN, AND BELOW DILLON RESERVOIR AND COMPARE TEMPERATURES AGAINST THE TRIBUTARIES AND TEMPERATURE TOLERANCES OF THE NATURAL FLORA AND FAUNA EVALUATE WATER QUALITY IN THE BLUE RIVER ITS TRIBUTARIES AND COMPARE CONTAMINATE LEVELS AGAINST THE STANDARDS SET BY THE EPA AND AGAINST TOLERANCES OF THE NATURAL FLORA AND FAUNACOLLABORATE CLOSELY WITH STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDING THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND PREVIOUS MEMBERS OF THE BLUE RIVER ENHANCEMENT WORKGROUPINTEGRATE THE FINDINGS OF THE RESEARCH AND ASSOCIATED STUDIES INTO AN UPDATED BLUE RIVER INTEGRATED WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN (BRIWMP)THE MILESTONES FOR COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT ARE AS FOLLOWS:ITEMS EXCLUDED FROM THE SCOPE OF WORK INCLUDE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:DEVELOPMENT OF PLANNING EFFORTS OTHER THAN WATERSHED RESTORATION PLANS. THIS INCLUDES PROPOSALS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DROUGHT PLANS, APPRAISAL INVESTIGATIONS, FEASIBILITY STUDIES, SPECIAL STUDIES, BASIN STUDIES, OR STUDIES AUTHORIZED UNDER THE TITLE XVI WATER RECYCLING AND REUSE PROGRAM, THROUGH P.L.102-575, AS AMENDED (43 U.S.C. 390H ET SEQ.), OR UNDER THE RURAL WATER PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO THE RURAL WATER SUPPLY ACT OF 2006, P.L.109-45.IMPLEMENTING OR ADMINISTERING ANY ON-THE-GROUND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROJECTS. NO FUNDING OF SALARIES FOR WATERSHED STAFF TO OVERSEE ON-THE-GROUND IMPLEMENTATION. ON-THE-GROUND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROJECTS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, REMOVING FISH PASSAGE BARRIERS OR INSTALLING FISH PASSAGE STRUCTURES, STREAMBED AND STREAMBANK MODIFICATIONS, INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL, VEGETATION RESTORATION, INSTALLING FENCES, AND WATER CONSERVATION AND EFFICIENCY PROJECTS (E.G., CANAL LINING AND PIPING).CONDUCTING ON-FARM IRRIGATION EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT.CONDUCTING A PILOT STUDY TO EVALUATE TECHNICAL CAPABILITY, ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY, OR VIABILITY FOR FULL-SCALE IMPLEMENTATION OR TO TEST AN UNPROVEN MATERIAL OR TECHNOLOGYAPPLYING FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDINGGENERAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CITIZEN SCIENCE TRAINING PROGRAMS, OR GENERAL STAFF TRAINING. ALL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES, TRAINING, AND CONFERENCES MUST BE SPECIFICALLY LINKED TO THE WATERSHED GROUP DEVELOPMENT, WATERSHED RESTORATION PLANNING, OR WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROJECT DESIGN ACTIVITIES.

WATERSHED GROUP DEVELOPMENT AND WATERSHED RESTORATION PLANNING FOR THE BLUE RIVER WATERSHED