Eagle River Watershed Council Inc

MESIC MEADOWS AND RIPARIAN AREAS OCCUPY A SMALL PROPORTION OF THE SAGEBRUSH ECOSYSTEM IN THE MIDELEVATIONS OF NORTHERN EAGLE COUNTY, YET THEY PROVIDE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT HABITAT FOR MANY SPECIES, INCLUDING GREATER SAGE-GROUSE, BIG GAME, BIRDS AND DOMESTIC LIVESTOCK. THESE AREAS ALSO SERVE AS NATURAL SPONGES TO HOLD WATER IN THE SOIL, SLOWLY RELEASING IT AFTER RUNOFF EVENTS, ENSURING CONTINUED BASE FLOWS AND MAINTENANCE OF WATER TABLES THROUGHOUT THE GROWING SEASON. HOLDING WATER IN THESE SYSTEMS LATER INTO THE SUMMER SEASON AND DURING DROUGHTS BENEFITS PLANTS, WILDLIFE AND RANCHERS. WITHIN THE GREATER CASTLE PEAK AREA, MANY OF THESE CRITICAL AREAS HAVE BEEN DEGRADED BY PAST LAND USE AND SUBSEQUENT EROSION, RESULTING IN INCISED GULLIES AND LOWERED WATER TABLES.THE GOALS OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO IMPROVE HYDROLOGIC FUNCTION OF PRIORITY WET MEADOW AND RIPARIAN SYSTEMS IN THE GREATER CASTLE PEAK AREA TO BUFFER AGAINST EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ENHANCE HABITAT FOR GREATER SAGE-GROUSE AND OTHER WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK FORAGE, AND ENGAGE AND EDUCATE THE LOCAL COMMUNITY ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY AND RESILIENT WATERSHEDS.

THE PROJECT GOAL IS TO IMPROVE THE RIPARIAN AND AQUATIC HABITAT RESILIENCY OF THE LOWER EAGLE RIVER THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED BY RE ESTABLISHING FLOODPLAIN CONNECTIVITY, IMPROVING IN CHANNEL FISH HABITAT AND ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY IN UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF WATERSHED RESTORATION AN EARLY ASSESSMENT OF THE LOWER EAGLE RIVER BY THE PROJECT PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING THE EAGLE RIVER WATERSHED COUNCIL, BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT BLM , COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE CPW AND A WATER ENGINEER, IDENTIFIED THE PROJECT LOCATION AND ITS CONTRIBUTIONS TO WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY ISSUES AND LACK OF PROPER WILDLIFE HABITAT THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE PROJECT REACH, WHICH LIES FROM THE EASTERN BLM PROPERTY BOUNDARY NEAR THE GYPSUM CAMPGROUND TO THE BLM PROPERTY BOUNDARY DOWNSTREAM, THE FLOODPLAIN HAS BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM THE RIVER THE PROJECT S OBJECTIVES, TO RECONNECT THE FLOODPLAIN AND IMPROVE INCHANNEL HABITAT, WILL PROVIDE HABITAT FOR NATIVE WILDLIFE AND FISH SPECIES TO THRIVE, WILL IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY AND CAN HELP MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

ABRAMS CREEK CUTTHROAT HABITAT FLOW RESTORATION & IRRIGATION EFFICIENCY PROJECT

BLM-CO UPPER COLORADO/EAGLE RIVER INVASIVE VEGETATION MITIGATION PROJECT