Last Wednesday, members of the Watershed Committee got the chance to visit the Paonia Reservoir Dam and portions of Fire Mountain Canal.  Steve Fletcher of Fire Mountain Canal and Mark Smith of the North Fork Water Conservancy District took the group on an extensive tour of  the dam infrastructure.  The group descended 200’ to see the internal gates and structure of the dam.  Steve explained the history of the Paonia Reservoir and the water it supplies to Roger’s Mesa and others throughout the North Fork Valley.  He also explained what needed to take place this fall to make repairs to the bulkhead within the reservoir intake.     The group then traveled down river to see the Fire Mountain Canal Diversion below Somerset. Steve explained the function of the diversion and also the improvements they have made to reduce the amount of debris that can get caught in the trash rack.  The group was able to see the bear creek gate that allows Fire Mountain Canal to make fine adjustments to the volume of water flowing through the canal.  The tour ended at Terror Creek where the canal makes an impressive dive under that creek, using a siphon to return the canal back above ground to the open ditch before continuing down to Roger’s Mesa .  Interested in how you can be a part of water quality monitoring that is going on this fall as part of the Paonia Reservoir draw down?  Contact Jake@theconservationcenter.org.

BACK ONCE AGAIN BY POPULAR DEMAND…..Come join locally famous geologist and WSCC Board Member Dr. Dave Noe for a journey into Delta County’s celebrated and sometimes-berated ‘Dobie badlands! This guided hike will ascend Petrie Mesa to Devils Thumb, where we will enjoy an eagle’s-eye view of Delta and the Gunnison/Uncompahgre River valleys. Dr. Noe will regale us all with the geologic history of this fascinating area, including a tale about a monstrous volcanic explosion in Yellowstone and how it figures into the 640,000-year history of Petrie Mesa! Date: Saturday, August 26, 2017 Meet-up time: 9:00 am Meet at the eastern edge of the City Market parking lot, in Delta We will car pool to the trailhead at 9:15 am, using high clearance vehicles Hike duration: about 4 hours Limitations:  No children under 10 years of age In the event of rain and mud, hike is subject to postponement The hike is only a few miles round trip, but the route follows an unimproved path that is quite steep and arduous in places. What to bring: Hiking shoes, plenty of water, snacks, sunscreen, a sun hat, sunglasses, camera A hiking pole is optional but strongly recommended

Changes are coming to the Paonia Reservoir. The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), Fire Mountain Canal Company, and North Fork Water Conservancy District (NFWCD) will host a meeting at Memorial Hall in Hotchkiss on August 15 at 7pm, to explain the work that needs to be accomplished at the Paonia Reservoir this fall. The meeting will also outline the drawdown schedule and procedures for the reservoir so that work can begin in mid-September. This drawdown is designed to drain all water from the reservoir, which will expose the outlet structure and thereby increase sediment flushed into the North Fork. Constructed in 1962, Paonia Reservoir supplies agricultural water to the North Fork Valley by capturing and storing spring runoff and snow melt. Paonia Dam releases stored water into the North Fork of the Gunnison River where 12 diversions transfer water through hundreds of miles of pipes and ditches to orchards, pastures, and organic farms across the valley. Unfortunately, the intake structure for the dam outlet has sustained significant damage over time and needs to be repaired to allow the dam to function properly. Additionally, the tributary to Paonia Reservoir (Muddy Creek) has deposited enough sediment over time to fill the reservoir to the top of the intake structure and render its additional water storage capacity to be null. In the fall of 2016, the BOR completed an Environmental Analysis on the Paonia Dam Intake Structure Repair. The report reviewed the many options, ecological impacts, and public comments surrounding the drawdown of the reservoir and the process of repairing the damaged bulkhead. The most critical concern to watershed health with this upcoming project is the potential impact to fauna and fisheries from the release of excessive sediment downstream into the North Fork of the Gunnison during the fall season when the river experiences it’s lowest flows. Significant amounts of sediment are expected to persist within muddy creek just below the dam to the confluence of Anthracite creek. Increased turbidity is likely to persist as far down as Hotchkiss through the construction window ending in November 2017. Sediment deposits will remain within the river channel until flows are high enough to move them downstream in the spring of 2018. Additional sediment amounts released are anticipated to be anywhere in the range of 45,100 CY to 137,105 CY to the North Fork of the Gunnison. This could have a potentially negative effect on fisheries especially in the potential event of insufficient snow totals resulting in low spring flows. The BOR plans to release sufficient flows to aid in flushing the deposited sediment during the spring runoff. WSCC will continue to conduct water quality monitoring throughout the construction window. We will also be conducting macroinvertebrate sampling at three sites near Paonia Reservoir in October. We have recently become the recipients of a very generous donation of water quality testing equipment which will allow us to increase our suite of sampling analytes and site mobility in the future. Please contact Jake Hartter, Watershed Coordinator to learn how

It’s obvious in rural regions like the Western Slope that non-profits, businesses, and governing bodies work together to get things done. The understanding of the network of partnerships, however, is often anecdotal.  In order to get a more accurate understanding of partnership networks here on the Western Slope, The University of Colorado – Boulder conducted research that included surveying over 40 entities who serve Delta County. The Western Slope Conservation Center is thrilled to see that the CU survey indicated that we were at the very center of the partnership network: on a scale of 0-100% on relative connectivity, we scored a 100%! On all four measures of centrality, WSCC was at the top. Our staff, board, and members should certainly view this news as recognition of the 40 years we’ve been prioritizing real-world partnerships and solutions for our public lands, watersheds, and education needs. You can download the full report here.

If you are anything like me, you may be overwhelmed with the amount of planning processes, comment periods, and public open house meetings currently underway across the Western Slope. From the US Forest Service and BLM to Delta County to the City of Delta, Master Plans are apparently the hot new trend in 2017. Since these plans will likely effect our home for years to come, it is critical for our community to be involved, engaged, and provide robust, substantive input. While it sounds like a lot to keep track of, have no fear – WSCC is here to help. Here is your guide to what’s going on, what WSCC is working on, and how you can get involved! What’s Happening with Our Public Lands – Summer-Fall 2017 USFS GMUG PLAN REVISION – https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/gmug/landmanagement/planning Forest Plans guide the management of our National Forests. They are usually updated every 15-20 years. The last completed Plan for GMUG was in 1983. So it’s time for an update! There are three phases to a Forest Plan: Assessment, Plan Development, and Monitoring. Where are we now? GMUG is currently in the Assessment phase – As described by the USFS, “During this phase the forest managers evaluate broad topics such as air, soil, and water resources; recreation opportunities; and historical resources and uses. We collaboratively will identify and evaluate existing economic, social, and ecological conditions of your forest.” In this phase the public has the opportunity to provide input on the state of our forest. How can I learn more? GMUG will host 8 public open house meetings in separate locations across the region. The first open house will take place in Delta on July 25 – join us as we learn more about the Plan Revision process and how you can stay involved! Check out this post on our website for more information. How can you get involved with WSCC? We are currently reviewing areas within GMUG to recommend for potential Wilderness or Special Management designation. If you love Wilderness, we need your help! Contact patrick@theconservationcenter.org.    GMUG OIL & GAS Amendment UPDATE In 1993, GMUG amended the Oil & Gas portion of the Forest Plan. Recently, GMUG has been instructed to update this document as well. While we have very limited details, the GMUG Oil & Gas amendment will be updated in a “separate, but concurrent” process to the GMUG Plan Revision. WSCC will be tracking this process very closely, and will provide more information as soon it becomes available.   GUNNISON PUBLIC LANDS INITIATIVE (GPLI) – https://www.gunnisonpubliclands.org/ GPLI was formed at the behest of Senator Bennet and Gunnison County Commissioners to form consensus on public lands issues. GPLI is a collaborative effort between public lands stakeholders – conservationists, hunters, anglers, water users, ranchers, mountain bikers, OHV users, etc. – to develop a unified, consensus proposal that will  provide long-lasting stability and protections to public lands in the Gunnison County landscape.GPLI released the initial proposal in June 2017 which contains suggestions for public lands

Conservation Colorado released its first ever “rivers report card” this month, an assessment of the health of eight rivers across the state based on several factors including water quality, in-stream flows, and major dams.   The North Fork of the Gunnison is riding in the middle of the pack with a B-.  That sure won’t help our GPA, but will hopefully inspire us to buckle down for next semester!     Click here to read the full report!