Opportunities of the Corps of Engineers' Ecosystem Restoration Program, and Its Application to the City of Alamosa, Colorado

This paper discusses the opportunities and the implementation procedures of the Corps of Engineers' Ecosystem Restoration Program as it applies to the Rio Grande ecosystem within the City of Alamosa, Colorado. The potential components of the restoration project involve connecting one or more isolated wetlands to the river to form a seasonal "flow-through" system to improve nutrient availability and to create fish habitat. Additional wetland habitat would be restored by excavation of low-lying areas. Other aspects of the project include emergent and riparian planting in and adjacent to the wetlands and construction of islands in these water bodies to provide habitat for waterfowl and other avian species. Improvements in the Rio Grande would consist of placement of in-stream structures to increase the sinuosity of the river and improve depth and velocity distribution. The alternatives are analyzed and a plan is selected for recommendation for implementation. Actual implementation depends on national priorities for restoration and the willingness of the non-Federal sponsor to participate in the project's cost sharing requirements.