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2SUB-WATERSHED SPOTLIGHT Upper Middle Roaring Fork by Sharon Clarke The Upper Middle Roaring Fork Subwatershed covers the area from the Roaring Fork River’s confluence with Hunter Creek to its confluence with the Fryingpan River. The Roaring Fork River flows through distinct, scenic canyons in this subwatershed, including Red Butte and Shale Bluffs, and Snowmass Canyon. State Highway 82 receives major use in this subwatershed as people commute from Basalt and further down valley to Aspen. The highway affects the river corridor through road improvement and maintenance activities. The subwatershed is subject to water quantity issues, given transbasin diversion influences in the headwaters and several large agricultural diversions near Basalt. In addition, the urbanized areas of Aspen and Snowmass Village create UPPER MIDDLE ROARING FORK FACTS Land: 128 square miles (9% of Roaring Fork Watershed) Elevation: 6,586 - 7,834 feet Ecoregions: Crystalline Subalpine Forests, Sedimentary Subalpine Forests, Sedimentary Mid-Elevation Forests and Shrublands, and Foothills and Shrublands Main Tributaries: Woody, Brush, Owl, and Red Canyon Creeks Riparian and instream species of concern: Mountain Whitefish, Northern Leopard Frog, Northern Goshawk, Swainson’s hawk, Bald Eagle, Olive-sided and Cordilleran flycatcher, American dipper, Virginia’s and Wilson’s warbler, Lazuli bunting, Brown-capped rosy finch, pygmy and Preble’s shrew, pine marten water-quality issues for the stretch of the Roaring Fork River in this subwatershed. Located fairly high in the watershed, this stream has less dilution potential than downstream reaches. Some key findings from the State of the Watershed Report include: • Woody, Little Woody, and Collins creeks are often dried up downstream of large diversion structures in the summer and fall, disconnecting them from the Roaring Fork River. • The sub-watershed contains local permeable groundwater systems that can be influenced by surface and/or other groundwater sources. • The Colorado Water Conservation Board’s instream flow right on the Roaring Fork River between the confluence with Maroon Creek and the Fryingpan River is met throughout the year in the upper section. • Although significant channel alteration and riparian degradation occurs in the Roaring Fork River from urbanization and highway construction, the river still maintains a robust population of brown trout popular with anglers. • Brush Creek’s riparian corridor has significant amounts of severely degraded habitat (27% of right bank, 42% of left). • Much of the Brush Creek segment’s stream channel has been altered through straightening, moving, riprapping, and location into culverts. As a result, instream habitat is severely degraded in 51% of the segment. • Beaver activity has improved instream conditions in some areas of Brush Creek. The 2008 State of the Watershed Report (at www.roaringfork.org) has more information on water quantity, water quality, and riparian and instream areas in this and other sub-watersheds. River Protector Larry Ballinger Carbondale Public Works Director Carbondale, Colorado Nearby River: Crystal River Favorite Place in the Roaring Fork Watershed: For me, it’s the Crystal River Basin. The whole thing is the most scenic in the State of Colorado. What is one thing you do to help protect our rivers? Our Carbondale Public Works Department is committed to make sure that we engineer our water treatment and waste water treatment plants to make certain that our drinking water and waste treatment effluent are as clean as we can make it. What is the most important thing RFC does? It’s everything that the organization does for the river corridor. Its technical support to the cities, towns and counties, educational tours and classroom programs, and the collection of research data are all important.
Healthy Poor Poor Examples of healthy and poor riparian habitat. Planting riparian vegetation would improve the river banks in the center and right photos. Roaring Fork Conservancy offers free consultations to riverfront homeowners. Responsibility Along the River Living along the river brings with it an unparalleled lifestyle and experience. From being lulled to sleep by moving water to fly fishing from the back yard or watching dippers work riffles, rivers provide those who live near them with both an incredible experience and an important responsibility. Benefits of the Riparian Zone The area along the river, known as the riparian zone, is critical to wildlife and important to water quality. Plants in the riparian zone take advantage of ample water, which also provides habitat for hundreds of species of wildlife. Although 85% of wildlife in Colorado need riparian habitat, only about 1% of the land in Colorado is riparian. This means that without riparian habitat most wildlife species fail to find food, shelter, or breeding areas. The benefits of maintaining healthy riparian habitat are many: • Food & Cover for Birds - birds use riparian zones as migratory rest stops, breeding grounds, and feeding. • Shade for Trout - trout have difficulty breathing, spawning, and feeding in warm water. • Nutrients - to feed the bugs that feed the fish. • Flood Water Storage - riparian soils and flood plains store flood waters and release them slowly. • Pollution Filtering - riparian plants trap sediment before it enters the river and some plants even absorb and neutralize toxic chemicals. • Bank Stabilization - riparian plants are two to three times more effective than rock and boulder banks at stabilizing riverbanks during floods. • Water Savings - planting riparian species means little to no irrigation use, thus saving money and water. • All the Things You Love About Rivers - scenery, wildlife, water quality, fish habitat, and beauty! Things You Can Do: • Plant, maintain, and encourage native vegetation growth - Native riparian plants provide habitat, stop soil erosion, protect against floods, and may increase property values. • Avoid manicured lawn up to river’s edge - Lawns provide little habitat, no flood control, and filter few pollutants before they reach the river. • Avoid the urge to “clean up” a riparian zone by cutting dead trees or removing woody debris from river’s edge - Trees, shrubs and grasses, alive and dead, provide habitat for wildlife. • Choose and use fertilizers and pesticides sparingly and cautiously - Any chemicals that plants do not absorb end up in the river. • Contact Roaring Fork Conservancy or another expert for information on appropriate practices along a river - RFC will conduct an on-site consultation at no charge. Call us at (970) 927-1290 or visit www.roaringfork.org/riverfront The graphs above show overall riparian and instream habitat health for Roaring Fork River and its tributaries. Stream Health Inititative 3CITIZEN’S GUIDE TO RIVERFRONT PROPERTY
Page 1: RIVER CURRENTS A semi-annual newsle
Page 5 and 6: Greening Riverfront Development by
Page 7 and 8: Why Roaring Fork Watershed Plan Mat
Page 9 and 10: Million Dollar River Center Matchin
Page 11 and 12: y Jeff & Rhonda Fromm In Honor of T

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