Agro Engineering, Inc. teamed with Montgomery Watson HARZA, was selected by the San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District and Colorado Water Conservation Board to prepare a plan for enhancing 90 stream miles of the Rio Grande river in southern Colorado. The river is an important source of agricultural water supply, and has over 60 points of diversion. It is also strategically located on a major waterfowl migration route, and supports important wetlands, state wildlife areas, and two federal wildlife refuges. The purpose of the restoration plan was to develop acceptable approaches for enhancing the value of the river corridor according to six objectives:

· Improve the efficiency of irrigation diversions

· Improve the habitat values in the riparian corridor

· Improve the ability to convey Rio Grande Compact flows to New Mexico

· Maintain flood-carrying capacity

· Protect floodplain areas from flood damage

· Improve streambank stability

The project involved preparing a detailed GIS inventory of existing conditions (land use, diversions, channel conditions, water rights, problem areas, etc.). Existing conditions were assessed based on parameters related to hydraulics, geomorphology, vegetation, and other components. Problem areas were identified and prioritized. For high-priority problem areas, specific recommended solutions were developed. For low-priority areas, a menu of feasible solutions was prepared from which specific solutions can be selected at a later date. Structural alternatives included bioengineered bank stabilization measures, improved irrigation headgates, re-establishing historical meanders, creating dedicated overflow areas, combining irrigation headgates, and local levee projects. Non-structural recommendations included establishing a River Task Force (watershed group), riparian corridor buffers, grazing management, improved floodplain management ordinances, flood hazard mitigation plans, and upstream watershed management practices.

The final project report can be downloaded as a .pdf document from the SLV GIS/GPS Authority Board website at http://www.slvgis.info/past_proj.htm (69Mb - LARGE!!). The Executive Summary can be downloaded here as a .pdf document (344Kb). If you’d like a copy of ArcView GIS coverages that were developed for the project, please contact Kelley Thompson at Agro Engineering .