Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project

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    • Projects
      • Current Projects Overview
      • Conejos River Partnership
      • Del Norte Riverfront
      • Phase 5
      • Wet Meadows Restoration
      • Alamosa NWR Restoration
      • RG Boater Safety Project
      • RG Diversion Improvements
    • Programs
      • Programs Overview
      • Streambank Stabilization
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      • Watershed Stewardship
      • Outreach and Education
    • Planning
      • Stream Management Plans
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Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project

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Conejos River Partnership Project

Project Overview

Born out of the Conejos River Stream Management Plan (SMP), the Conejos River Partnership Project has brought together the Conejos Water Conservancy District, Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Colorado Division of Water Resources, ditch companies, and private landowners to address challenges facing the Conejos River between Mogote and its confluence with the Rio Grande. This multi-phased project will meet agricultural, environmental, and water administration needs on Conejos through the rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure, enhancement of aquatic habitat, and restoration of riparian and wetland habitats.  When complete, the project will help ensure the Conejos River continues to support diverse human, agricultural, and ecological communities. 


Objectives:


  • Improve diversion efficiency and reduce maintenance by replacing aging irrigation infrastructure on the Conejos River.


  • Enhance aquatic habitat through fish barrier removal and habitat improvements.


  • Improve floodplain connectivity, water quality and sediment transport through channel shaping and streambank stabilization.


  • Improve riparian condition through revegetation and floodplain reconnection.


  • Support efforts to maintain hydrologic connectivity on the South Branch Conejos River, when possible.

Phase 1

Current Status:

Current Status:

Current Status:

Construction is underway on three diversion structures on the South  Branch Conejos River downstream of Highway 285. This winter the Sabine and Fuerticitos ditches will receive grouted rock diversion dams and the Elledges Ditch a stacked rock diversion. New headgates will be  installed at the Sabine and Elledges and automation will be added to the  Sabine and Fuerticitos in Summer 2022.  These improvements will both improve efficiency and increase aquatic habitat connectivity. Construction at the North Eastern and New JB Romero ditches is scheduled for Fall 2022.

The CRPP is a multi-phase effort to update irrigation infrastructure for improved diversion efficiency, river function, aquatic habitat connectivity, and riparian area health. Phase I includes the sites shown on the project map and listed below.

Current Status:

Current Status:

New JB Romero and North Eastern Ditches

New JB Romero and North Eastern Ditches

New JB Romero and North Eastern Ditches

Needs Identified: diversions and headgates in poor condition, trash/debris build-up, high maintenance, and inefficient infrastructure.
Components:

  • Consolidate the point of diversion for both ditches and construct a new fish-passable diversion structure 
  • New headgates on river and carrier
  • Headgate automation
  • Channel shaping, streambank stabilization
  • Improve riparian habitat

Sabine School Section Ditch

New JB Romero and North Eastern Ditches

New JB Romero and North Eastern Ditches

Needs Identified: Diversion dam and headgate in poor condition, diversion creates fish barrier, streambank instability upstream​.
Components:

  • Replace headgate
  • Replace diversion with fish-passable structure
  • Channel shaping, streambank stabilization
  • Improve riparian habitat

Fuerticitos Ditch

Fuerticitos Ditch

Fuerticitos Ditch

Needs Identified: Diversion dam and headgate in poor condition, diversion creates fish barrier, trash/debris build-up, streambank instability.

Components:

  • Replace diversion with fish-passable structure
  • Replace headgate
  • Channel shaping, streambank stabilization
  • Improve riparian habitat

Elledges Ditch

Fuerticitos Ditch

Fuerticitos Ditch

Needs identified: Diversion dam and headgate in poor condition, diversion creates fish barrier, streambank instability upstream​.
Components:

  • Replace diversion with fish-passable structure
  • Replace existing headgate
  • Channel shaping, streambank stabilization
  • Improve riparian habitat

Phase Two

Phase 2 includes the sites shown on the project map and listed below. 


Current Status:

Funding for Phase 2 of the CRPP is currently being secured. Sources include a Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART grant, Colorado Water Conservation Board Colorado Water Plan grant, and the Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund.


Construction is anticipated to begin in  2022

Mecitos Ditch

William Stewart Co Irrigation Ditch

William Stewart Co Irrigation Ditch

Needs Identified: diversions and headgates in poor condition, trash/debris build-up, high maintenance, and inefficient infrastructure.
Components:

  • Replace headgate
  • Replace diversion with fish-passable structure
  • Channel shaping, streambank stabilization
  • Improve riparian habitat

William Stewart Co Irrigation Ditch

William Stewart Co Irrigation Ditch

William Stewart Co Irrigation Ditch

Needs Identified: Diversion dam and headgate in poor condition, diversion creates fish barrier, streambank instability and lack of riparian vegetation throughout the project area​.
Components:

  • Replace headgate
  • Replace diversion with fish-passable structure
  • Channel shaping, streambank stabilization
  • Improve riparian habitat

Project Partners

Project Partners

Project Partners

Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project

Conejos Water Conservancy District

Trout Unlimited

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Colorado Division of Water Resources

Southwest River Engineering

Robins Construction

Bureau of Land Management

Ditch Shareholders

Project Funders

Project Partners

Project Partners

RESTORE Colorado Program

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Colorado Department of Agriculture

Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area

National Wetland Conservation Act Grant Program

Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART Program

Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund

Colorado Housing and Finance Authority


623 4th Street, Alamosa, CO 81101

719.589.2230

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