2700 Freeway Blvd #1000
Brooklyn Center, MN
55430-1779
763.253.0222

Colorado Conservation Projects

EROSION CONTROL PROJECT STABILIZES BASIN

More than 50 erosion control dams were built in Colorado’s Osier Basin, thanks to support from Wildlife Forever. The small rock dams will control erosion and help keep nearby Osier Creek suitable for trout. The 12- to 18-inch tall dams are spaced every 20 to 30 feet in some gullies. Other eroded areas will be planted with native grasses. The waters are home to native Rio Grande cutthroat trout, a Colorado state sensitive species. The remote area and rugged high-altitude terrain required a four-man crew to move the rocks and build the structures once the stone was hauled to a nearby area. This serious of dams joins a nearby group of dams that were erected 50 years ago and continue to control erosion.

WILDLIFE FOREVER AIDS AILING GUNNISON RIVER

A new irrigation diversion on the North Fork of the famed Gunnison River was the centerpiece of a major fisheries restoration effort. The project improved trout habitat along a 1-½ mile stretch of the river. It all began when a group of citizens concerned about excessive streambank erosion began planning and recruiting support for a comprehensive restoration program. To improve habitat for brown and rainbow trout, the project focused on removing dikes along the channel edge, regarding and replanting the floodplain, and stabilizing existing outside bends with large rocks. Volunteers also planted willows and cottonwoods to provide cover and long-term bank stabilization.