The South Arkansas River Restoration Project

By Nathan Ward, Upper Arkansas Watershed Partnership Coordinator

In 2009, a private landowner in Poncha Springs recruited the Central Colorado Conservancy (Conservancy) and the Collegiate Peaks Chapter of Trout Unlimited (CPCTU) to partner on a small river restoration project on the South Arkansas River. Together, we removed old cars from the water, repaired an irrigation diversion, created improved fish and wildlife habitat, added deeper holes and riffles, and replanted native vegetation. All these years later, this restored area looks natural and continues to function very well. It’s been a few years, but this early work and partnership inspired us to pursue more projects on the South Arkansas River.

In 2020, the Conservancy and CPCTU joined efforts and conducted the first South Arkansas River Stream Health Assessment (SHA) of the 1.2 mile reach of the river on the south side of Salida from County Road 107 downstream to the confluence with the Arkansas River. We contracted local companies EcoMetrics and Round River Design to execute a holistic riverscape health assessment with the end goal of exploring and documenting conservation and restoration opportunities along this reach. Click here to see the in-depth SHA.

After analyzing the stream health assessment, we decided to focus on this reach which we’re calling the South Arkansas River Restoration Project (SARRP). It's a true multi-partner, multi-benefit endeavor as this stretch of river includes several private landowners, businesses, water rights holders, and a piece of the former Vandaveer Ranch, now owned by the City of Salida.

The goal of the SARRP is to enhance ecological function of the river corridor by planting native riparian species, reconnecting the river to the floodplain where possible, removing construction debris, upgrading irrigation infrastructure, revitalizing wetland areas, improving fish habitat, and protecting the wildlife corridor. The City of Salida property is one of the only parts of the South Arkansas River open to the public, and in this section we will be working with the City to protect the riparian corridor, create a multi-use access trail with environmental education activities, suggest design ideas for the open space in the Vandaveer Regional Park, and integrate the river with the forthcoming South Ark Neighborhood development.

The Conservancy and CPCTU are again taking the lead on this project, this time as part of the Upper Arkansas Watershed Partnership (UAWP), which also includes the Upper Arkansas Conservation District (UACD), Greater Arkansas River Nature Association (GARNA), and the Arkansas River Watershed Collaborative (ARWC). Other stakeholders include the private landowners, City of Salida, Colorado Department of Transportation, Two Rivers Homeowners Association, Southwest Conservation Corps, Faricy Boys Automotive, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and more. 

Over the next few months, we will be working directly with the private landowners, HOAs, and the City to listen to their ideas and concerns and learn what type of work they would like to see on their property. A local engineering firm, WaterVation, has been brought on board to develop the initial technical river restoration plan for the reach. Part of this process may also be hosting public meetings and surveys to learn more about what they'd like to see on the Vandaveer Ranch property. 

Between now and the end of May 2025, WaterVation will be doing the initial design and engineering work for what restoration could look like on this 1.2 mile reach. At that point, we plan to have met with every landowner multiple times to seek their input and approval of the proposed stream restoration work on their land, and the design will be considered sixty percent complete. Sixty percent is the level of design needed to pursue larger federal grants from agencies like the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The initial planning work has been funded by a Water Plan Grant that CPCTU secured from the Colorado Water Conservancy Board (CWCB). During this initial time period, we will also start the work to secure matching grant funds. 

Even though it’s just over a mile of river, projects like the SARRP are expensive and take several years to complete. We believe the time and expense are worth it. In the future, the Conservancy and our UAWP partners all hope to continue restoration work on other sections of the South Arkansas River and other tributaries in our watershed as needed.