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Tributaries of the Arkansas River
Stream Health Assessments in Chaffee County
In these high mountain headwaters, the Arkansas River and her tributaries are the lifeblood of our watershed. They support us by providing drinking water, irrigating local ranches and farms, sustaining critical habitats, sustaining livelihoods and offering residents and visitors incredible recreational opportunities. However, our rivers face serious threats from the risks of drought, climate change and development pressures. The UAWP has conducted the first regional-scale health assessment of stream corridors in Chaffee County to ensure they remain healthy and provide the multitude of social, economic, and ecological benefits we rely on.
An element of the Healthy River Corridors Project, the UAWP contracted with EcoMetrics to conduct river health assessments to determine the current conditions of four of the Arkansas River’s primary tributaries - Cottonwood Creek, Chalk Creek, Browns Creek and the South Arkansas River. The assessments provide the UAWP with a health snapshot of each stream, and a reach by reach stream health report card.
We evaluated each tributary, along defined reaches, using indicators to assess the health of the stream. We then graded each reach on a spectrum from how natural the state of the reach is, to how altered the reach may be, and why. The outcomes of this assessment will inform UAWP strategies for how we work together to best protect our community’s rivers and streams.
Stream Health Assessments analyzed 9 key indicators of stream health: flow regime, material supply, water quality, landscape support, riverscape hydrology, riverscape dynamics, riparian vegetation, physical heterogeneity, and aquatic biota.
See the UAWP Stream Assessment River Report Cards for Chaffee County here.
For additional questions on these stream assessments, or to use this data in any capacity, please contact the UAWP - info@uawp.org.
In addition to the Stream Health Assessments, the UAWP conducted a Stream Corridor Hazard and Floodplain Connectivity Assessment, also known as Fluvial Hazard Zone (FHZ) Mapping. This study identified geomorphic erosion hazards where public safety should be considered, and opportunities for various FHZ mitigation projects throughout Chaffee County.
Funders
This research funded with financial support from the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), and Trout Unlimited. The UAWP contracted with local experts, Mark Beardsley of Ecometrics, and Michael Blazewicz of Round River Design to complete the stream health assessments.