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This stretch of the Eagle River in Edwards is one of the areas that received funding for renovations from the Eagle River Damage Fund.
EAGLE COUNTY - Decades of gold and silver mining have caused a world of hurt for the Eagle River.
Toxic metals from the Eagle Mine spilled into the stream, killing fish, tainting drinking water and staining the river orange until cleanup efforts began.
Since then, media conglomerate Viacom Inc., which owned the mine, was required to contribute to a National Resource Damage Fund that would be used to restore stretches of the Eagle River affected directly or indirectly by the polluting mine.
Four nonprofit and environmental groups have been competing for a share of the now $2.4 million fund, and now these groups know how much they're going to get.
Projects pitched by the Eagle River Watershed Council and Minturn tied in an advisory work group's final scoring, and they'll get the bulk of the money.
The other two projects, one headed by the Vail Valley Foundation and the other by Colorado Mountain College, were given much lower priority but were still awarded money.
"Every project got enough to do something with," said Wendy Naugle, a member of the damage fund work group.
The work group will make recommendations to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment board of trustees, which has the final say on who gets the money.
Here's a rundown of the projects and how much money they're slated for.
Edwards Eagle River Restoration
Toxic metals from the Eagle Mine spilled into the stream, killing fish, tainting drinking water and staining the river orange until cleanup efforts began.
Since then, media conglomerate Viacom Inc., which owned the mine, was required to contribute to a National Resource Damage Fund that would be used to restore stretches of the Eagle River affected directly or indirectly by the polluting mine.
Four nonprofit and environmental groups have been competing for a share of the now $2.4 million fund, and now these groups know how much they're going to get.
Projects pitched by the Eagle River Watershed Council and Minturn tied in an advisory work group's final scoring, and they'll get the bulk of the money.
The other two projects, one headed by the Vail Valley Foundation and the other by Colorado Mountain College, were given much lower priority but were still awarded money.
"Every project got enough to do something with," said Wendy Naugle, a member of the damage fund work group.
The work group will make recommendations to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment board of trustees, which has the final say on who gets the money.
Here's a rundown of the projects and how much money they're slated for.
Edwards Eagle River Restoration
- Who: Eagle River Watershed Council.
- Where: 1.6 miles of river starting a half-mile downstream of the Edwards Bridge and ending at the Hillcrest Drive bridge.
- Amount requested: $2 million.
- Recommended Award: $1.39 million.
Fish don't like it here. This stretch of river is shallow and widening, with large amounts of silt falling off the banks every year. The sediment piles up, smothering insects and providing a breeding ground for the trout-killing whirling disease. The shallowness also brings high water temperatures, which can break 70 degrees during the summer. That's more than most trout can handle.
The watershed council wants to stabilize the riverbanks and deepen the channel, which will improve water quality by allowing sediment to more easily wash downstream. Added pools and riffles will give trout better places to spawn. Plans also involve restoring the plant life and ecology that once thrived on the riverbanks.
"This big wide stretch in Edwards was never a forest, but it did used to have big willows along the banks, and they kept the banks stable," watershed council Executive Director Caroline Bradford said. "The restored vegetation will shade the water and is expected to lower the temperature."
The watershed council is thrilled with its award, but it still has $600,000 more to raise to fund its full project, Bradford said.
Eagle River Restoration Project, Phase II
- Where: 1.6 miles of river starting a half-mile downstream of the Edwards Bridge and ending at the Hillcrest Drive bridge.
- Amount requested: $2 million.
- Recommended Award: $1.39 million.
Fish don't like it here. This stretch of river is shallow and widening, with large amounts of silt falling off the banks every year. The sediment piles up, smothering insects and providing a breeding ground for the trout-killing whirling disease. The shallowness also brings high water temperatures, which can break 70 degrees during the summer. That's more than most trout can handle.
The watershed council wants to stabilize the riverbanks and deepen the channel, which will improve water quality by allowing sediment to more easily wash downstream. Added pools and riffles will give trout better places to spawn. Plans also involve restoring the plant life and ecology that once thrived on the riverbanks.
"This big wide stretch in Edwards was never a forest, but it did used to have big willows along the banks, and they kept the banks stable," watershed council Executive Director Caroline Bradford said. "The restored vegetation will shade the water and is expected to lower the temperature."
The watershed council is thrilled with its award, but it still has $600,000 more to raise to fund its full project, Bradford said.
Eagle River Restoration Project, Phase II
- Who: Minturn.
- Where: From Dowd Junction to the Saloon in Minturn.
- Amount requested: $1.4 million.
- Recommended award: $932,033.
Early development did a number to the river in Minturn.
Mining operations and building by Union Pacific Railroad distorted the natural shape of the waterway. The high banks didn't have enough plants holding down the soil, which caused erosion and dumped unhealthy amounts of sand and dirt into the river. This also disrupted natural flood areas, which were great habitats for wildlife and helped maintain water quality
The new project aims to return this section of the river to its original, winding condition, which was destroyed by erosion and early development, according to Troy Thompson of Ecological Research Consultants, a consultant for Minturn. The waterway would be narrowed, and riffles, pools, terraces and tributaries would be added to give fish places they can thrive.
The plan includes strengthening the banks and reintroducing native plants to barren areas. This section of the river is popular with kayakers, so access points will be created for boats.
On a side note, Minturn Mayor Gordon "Hawkeye" Flaherty spoke out against the Minturn plan at a public hearing, called it "a joke." He said that the first phase of the restoration stirred up too much sediment and did more harm than good to the fish. "The fishing used to be good," Flaherty said. "All they're doing is making a boat track."
However, two fishermen at the hearing spoke on behalf of the Minturn project, saying it would greatly help fishing on that stretch.
- Where: From Dowd Junction to the Saloon in Minturn.
- Amount requested: $1.4 million.
- Recommended award: $932,033.
Early development did a number to the river in Minturn.
Mining operations and building by Union Pacific Railroad distorted the natural shape of the waterway. The high banks didn't have enough plants holding down the soil, which caused erosion and dumped unhealthy amounts of sand and dirt into the river. This also disrupted natural flood areas, which were great habitats for wildlife and helped maintain water quality
The new project aims to return this section of the river to its original, winding condition, which was destroyed by erosion and early development, according to Troy Thompson of Ecological Research Consultants, a consultant for Minturn. The waterway would be narrowed, and riffles, pools, terraces and tributaries would be added to give fish places they can thrive.
The plan includes strengthening the banks and reintroducing native plants to barren areas. This section of the river is popular with kayakers, so access points will be created for boats.
On a side note, Minturn Mayor Gordon "Hawkeye" Flaherty spoke out against the Minturn plan at a public hearing, called it "a joke." He said that the first phase of the restoration stirred up too much sediment and did more harm than good to the fish. "The fishing used to be good," Flaherty said. "All they're doing is making a boat track."
However, two fishermen at the hearing spoke on behalf of the Minturn project, saying it would greatly help fishing on that stretch.
Eagle River Preserve
- Who: Vail Valley Foundation.
- Where: Between the quarry and the Eagle River in Edwards.
- Amount requested: $100,000.
- Recommended award: $63,000.
The Vail Valley Foundation, along with Eagle County and the Eagle Valley Land Trust, purchased this 72-acre chunk of old ranchland bordering the Eagle River with the hopes of making it a wide-open, natural area that would be different from your average park and baseball field.
While it would have restrooms, fishing and biking and walking trails, the goal here will be to make it look like it once did, before ranching and mines took their toll on the land.
The damage-fund money will be used to create a series of ponds filled with diverted water from the Eagle River. The plan also calls for restoring several acres of wetlands that should attract water birds, elk, deer and other animals.
Gypsum Ponds State Wildlife Area Restoration Project
- Who: Vail Valley Foundation.
- Where: Between the quarry and the Eagle River in Edwards.
- Amount requested: $100,000.
- Recommended award: $63,000.
The Vail Valley Foundation, along with Eagle County and the Eagle Valley Land Trust, purchased this 72-acre chunk of old ranchland bordering the Eagle River with the hopes of making it a wide-open, natural area that would be different from your average park and baseball field.
While it would have restrooms, fishing and biking and walking trails, the goal here will be to make it look like it once did, before ranching and mines took their toll on the land.
The damage-fund money will be used to create a series of ponds filled with diverted water from the Eagle River. The plan also calls for restoring several acres of wetlands that should attract water birds, elk, deer and other animals.
Gypsum Ponds State Wildlife Area Restoration Project
- Who: Colorado Mountain College Natural Resources Management.
- Where: The Gypsum Ponds by the Eagle River.
- Amount requested: $150,000.
- Recommended award: $50,000.
The Gypsum Ponds, the former home of a gravel operation, are a popular place to spend a day - maybe too popular.
Years of public use and the residual effects of the gravel pit have caused severe erosion along the stream and pond banks. The erosion has heavily disrupted wildlife and changed the stream path. The spread of noxious weeds is making things worse.
Colorado Mountain College, along with the Division of Wildlife, plan on doing quite a few things with the money - strengthening the banks with vegetation to reduce erosion, putting in boardwalks to keep people off the land, building jetties to slow the fast-moving stretch and mitigating the noxious weeds in the area.
Staff Writer Matt Terrell can be reached at 748-2955 or mterrell@vaildaily.com.
- Where: The Gypsum Ponds by the Eagle River.
- Amount requested: $150,000.
- Recommended award: $50,000.
The Gypsum Ponds, the former home of a gravel operation, are a popular place to spend a day - maybe too popular.
Years of public use and the residual effects of the gravel pit have caused severe erosion along the stream and pond banks. The erosion has heavily disrupted wildlife and changed the stream path. The spread of noxious weeds is making things worse.
Colorado Mountain College, along with the Division of Wildlife, plan on doing quite a few things with the money - strengthening the banks with vegetation to reduce erosion, putting in boardwalks to keep people off the land, building jetties to slow the fast-moving stretch and mitigating the noxious weeds in the area.
Staff Writer Matt Terrell can be reached at 748-2955 or mterrell@vaildaily.com.
