Loading....

Help Restore and Reconnect the Colorado River!

The Windy Gap Reservoir was placed on the mainstem of the Upper Colorado River in 1984, blocking the free passage of fish and aquatic insects, reducing downstream water quality and habitat, and blocking natural geomorphic processes for the movement of gravel bedload. Retired Colorado Parks and Wildlife researcher Barry Nehring documented impacts through a study of the area just after the turn of the 21st century. The study found that 38 percent of the macroinvertebrate species had disappeared downstream of Windy Gap, including the giant stonefly, along with a 100 percent loss of the sculpin population. Now, Trout Unlimited is working with Grand County and Northern Water on a project to take the Colorado River's channel around the existing Windy Gap dam and reconnecting the river to create positive changes to the river’s health and the entire ecosystem. These efforts will improve downstream fisheries and other aquatic life, enhance riparian condition, and create a new mile of public fishing access on the re-establshed river channel around the reservoir.

The lead federal agency for evaluating and permitting this project is the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) - a key funding partner in the proposed project as well. The NRCS has issued a Draft Plan and Environmental Assessment for the project (to see the full document visit their project website here). They are accepting public comment through March 10. If the project is approved, work can begin this May and be completed by Nov.ember 2023.

Please help support restoration and reconnection of the Colorado River at Windy Gap by submitting supportive comments to the NRCS using this simple form, which allows you to comment via email and use our existing messaging or to edit and customize your comments to include your own added insights and experiences relevant to this project.

Please take a moment - now - to support the Colorado River Headwaters Connectivity Project!

We just need few pieces of information to connect you with NRCS' contractor managing the comments (Adaptive Environmental Planning).

First Name*

Last Name*

Email Address*

Address, line 1*

City*

State*

Zip Code*

I'd like to receive updates from this organization

Take Action

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

Subject: I support the Colorado River Headwaters Connectivity Project

Message:

I am writing in support of the proposed Colorado River Headwaters Connectivity Project, and urge the Natural Resources Conservation Service to finalize approval and move the project forward to benefit the Colorado River. This project will help reverse habitat degradation created when the original Windy Gap Dam was installed in 1984, increasing fine sediment deposition and warming temperatures which in turn led to degraded habitat and the loss of macroinvertebrate species and sculpin from the river. The Connectivity Project will help reverse these impacts by taking the Colorado River channel around the existing dam and resulting in positive changes to the river’s health and the entire ecosystem. Specific benefits of the project will include: •	The existing dam is a fish barrier; the Connectivity Channel will allow fish to freely move above and below the existing dam. Spawning fish will once again be able to return to the headwaters and fish movement during higher stream temperatures will allow fish to find cooler places in a larger river downstream. •	The healthier sculpin populations and macroinvertebrate populations upstream of the reservoir will be able to migrate downstream and repopulate habitats where they were lost. •	The dam has stopped the downstream migration of gravel, an important part of a healthy river ecosystem. The Connectivity Channel will allow gravel to migrate downstream and create healthier stream geomorphology for the aquatic habitat. •	The existing dam is responsible for fine sediment loading below the dam. Moving the Colorado River around the dam will create higher stream flows that will wash out existing fine sediments and reduce future deposition. This will provide needed habitat to support the return of the lost macroinvertebrate species and sculpin. •	The existing dam holds mineral-rich eutrophic water that increases nutrient loading downstream of the reservoir, increasing algae growth. The increased algae significantly reduce much-needed oxygen in the water and can exacerbate whirling disease. The Connectivity Channel will help reduce these water quality impacts. •	The existing reservoir is wide and shallow resulting in warmer water temperatures. The Connectivity Channel will move cooler water to downstream habitat. •	This project will result in restoring a mile of riparian zone that was lost when the reservoir was filled, and it will help to improve the poor riparian vegetation below the reservoir. •	This project will create a mile of new public fishing access on the Colorado River while improving the aquatic health of downstream public fisheries. In light of these many benefits, I urge NRCS to support and advance this important project. Thank you for your consideration.

Characters remaining:

Help Restore and Reconnect the Colorado River!

Sorry, we're not targeting any representatives in your district.

Thank You!