Overview
The South Arkansas River, or Little River, is a tremendous biological resource. From its origins high in the Sawatch Range, the South Arkansas flows along and through public lands, ranchlands, businesses, and residential neighborhoods—providing the primary source of drinking water to the City of Salida and valuable habitat to the many wildlife species that use the river corridor.
While rivers and wetlands make up only 2% of our land cover in Chaffee County, 80% of wildlife species use them at some point in their life cycle. Healthy riparian areas, or the green ribbons of vegetation that line rivers, act as a living filter and help attenuate floods, enhance water quality, and recharge groundwater.
