Rocky Mountain Region funded for projects addressing clean water, roads, trails improvement

Release Date: 

Lakewood, Colorado, Aug. 29, 2022 – On Friday, the Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S. Forest Service learned of projects funded as part of $65 million in investments nationwide to help the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service improve water quality, roads, trails and fish habitat through the new Collaborative Aquatic Landscape Restoration Program and the existing Legacy Roads and Trails Program.

“These funds will address much needed critical road, trail, and stream improvements benefitting local communities and forest visitors in the Rocky Mountain Region,” said Rocky Mountain Regional Forester Frank Beum. “This critical work also creates jobs in communities around the region, providing an opportunity to improve conditions in National Forests.”

Projects funded by the Collaborative Aquatic Landscape Restoration Program within the Rocky Mountain Region:

Pike-San Isabel National Forest and Cimmaron and Comanche National Grassland 

  • Eleven Mile Canyon and Lower Lake George Watershed Health Improvement Program

 

Projects funded by the Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Program within the Rocky Mountain Region: 

Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forests 

  • Mizpah Campground Aquatic Organism Passage: Construction of AOP to access Mizpah campground. Project will protect water quality and maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, or firefighters.
  • Corral Creek Hybrid Aquatic Organism Passage: Replacement of an undersized culvert with construction of AOP that will facilitate fish passage above Corral Creek into the Long Draw Reservoir area. Project will improve water quality, restore habitat for greenback cutthroat trout, and maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, or firefighters.

Pike and San Isabel National Forests

  • Bear Creek Unauthorized Trail Decommissioning: Decommission 11 miles of unauthorized trails. Project will improve water quality and restore habitat for greenback cutthroat trout.
  • Leadville Unauthorized Road Decommissioning: Decommission approximately 8 miles of unauthorized user‐create routes associated with dispersed camping at Turquoise Lake dam, Twin Lakes dam, and along Clear Creek. Project will improve water quality.
  • Buffalo Creek Bridge (#543‐5.3) Replacement: Construction of bridge to replace the existing bridge to allow for full bank to bank stream width and convey 100‐year storm flows. Project will improve water quality and maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, or firefighters.

San Juan National Forest

  • Hermosa Aquatic Organism Passage: Construction of an AOP that will remove a low water crossing on the road. Project will maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, or firefighters.

White River National Forest

  • Red Sandstone Road‐Stream Crossings: Replacement of nine undersized and aging culverts for flood resilience, habitat connectivity, and to maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, or firefighters.
  • Aquatic Organism Passage and Flood Resiliency: Replacement of three culverts with AOPs for flood resilience, to improve aquatic passage, and to maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, or firefighters.
  • Wearyman Watershed Improvement Project: Road improvements include analysis, design & implementation to hydraulically separate the road and stream, improve stream and riparian function, and reduce/eliminate erosion and sedimentation. Project will improve water quality, restore habitat for greenback cutthroat trout, and maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, or firefighters

Black Hills National Forest

  • Glen Erin Culverts: Replacement of three undersized and aging culverts for flood resilience, to improve aquatic passage, and to maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, or firefighters.

Bighorn National Forest

  • Cedar Creek and Driveway Trail Bridge Construction: Reconstruction of two trail bridges above the high-water mark will improve stream functioning and protect the bridges and adjacent trails from erosion. Project will maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, or firefighters.
  • Canyon Creek Road and Channel Improvements: Reconstruction/relocation of approximately 600 feet of road and construction of bridge to an area where the stream crossing is stable. Project will reduce erosion, restore habitat, and maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, or firefighters.

Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest

  • North Savery Travel Management: Decommission 5 miles of road: Project will restore fish and aquatic species habitat and improve water quality.
  • Middle Douglas Priority Watershed Restoration Action Plan Essential Projects: Construction of two AOPs, decommission 5 miles of previously closed roads and 5 miles of unauthorized roads, placing approximately 30 miles of road into long term storage, and relocating approximately 17 miles of motorized trail. Project will improve water quality and maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, or firefighters.
  • Whiskey Creek ‐ Little Snake Watershed Restoration Action Plan Essential Projects: Construction of AOP, approximately 10 miles each of road storage and road decommission, and 5 miles each of road‐trail conversions, road re‐routes, and unauthorized road obliteration. Project will restore fish and aquatic species habitat, improve road resilience and maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, or firefighters.

Shoshone National Forest

  • Road Resilience and Sediment Reduction: Reconstruct roads and crossings to improve water and aquatic habitat. Project will improve water quality, restore habitat for Yellowstone cutthroat trout, and maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, or firefighters.

Additional details are available at the Collaborative Aquatic Landscape Restoration Program and Legacy Roads and Trails Program websites.