Lake Fork of the Gunnison Watershed: Status and Stewardship. Camille Richard, Project Director

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1 Lake Fork of the Gunnison Watershed: Status and Stewardship Camille Richard, Project Director

2 Upper Gunnison Basin

3 Lake Fork Watershed 7,500 14,309 ft Sagebrush to alpine 432 square miles Population % federal ownership Two counties Hinsdale and Gunnison Most remote county in lower 48 Hinsdale One incorporated town Lake City

4 What is a Watershed? that area of land, a bounded hydrologic system, within which all living things are inextricably linked by their common water course and where, as humans settled, simple logic demanded that they become part of a community." John Wesley Powell ( )

5 Lake Fork Valley Conservancy Mission The Lake Fork Valley Conservancy seeks to sustain and enhance the natural environment and rural character of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison Valley through education, restoration and stewardship.

6 Lake Fork Stewardship Plan A dynamic strategic document with the purpose of guiding decision- making by stakeholders living within and managing the resources of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River Watershed over a ten year time frame

7 Management Areas Terrestrial Habitats: Alpine zone Volcanic sub-alpine forests Volcanic mid-elevation forests (montane) Sagebrush parks Water Bodies: Upper Lake Fork and Henson Creek Lake Fork Mainstem Lake San Cristobal Non-riverine wetlands

8 Alpine zone and Headwater Streams

9 Sub-alpine Forest and Streams

10 Non-riverine Wetlands (e.g. iron fens)

11 Lake San Cristobal

12 Montane Forest and the Lower Lake Fork

13 Sagebrush Steppe

14 Habitats and Species of Critical Concern

15 KEY MANAGEMENT ISSUES IDENTIFIED Abandoned Mines Development Altered Hydrologic Regime Recreation Invasive Plants Non-native Aquatic Species Altered Fire Regime Domestic Livestock Grazing Deer and Elk Population Growth

16 Summary of key threats to watershed attributes, affected target areas, condition of the attribute, and probable causes. Threat (Stress) to Watershed Attribute Affected Target Areas Condition of Attribute Probable Causes (Management Issues) Upper Lake Fork/ Henson Fair/Poor in some reaches Abandoned mine waste and draining mine workings; increased housing development Alpine Fair Seeps and springs high in heavy metals with resulting toxicity in ptarmigan, downstream fisheries Declining water quality (heavy metal, organic and biological pollutants) Lake San Cristobal Lake Fork mainstem Fair Good Slumgullion slide sediments; abandoned mines; housing development Exceptional water quality for fisheries; potential impact from increased housing development in future; desire to maintain in current or better condition Non-riverine wetlands (iron fens) Very good Natural mineralization and high acidity maintain this plant community. Protect as is.

17 Top Issues Historic Mining Development along riparian corridors

18 Historic Mining Impacts

19 Colorado and EPA s 303(d) list: Palmetto Gulch (2002) - cadmium, zinc Henson Creek (2008) - cadmium and zinc in relation to sculpin

20 Stewardship: What does the LFVC do? Provides coordination, facilitation, research, outreach and conservation services as part of a broad-based partnership of stakeholders Restore portions of the Lake Fork Raise awareness of watershed impacts and of restoration efforts Promote sound land and water use planning Develop and implement a comprehensive monitoring strategy and database to guide our future actions and to measure our successes

21 Mine Land Reclamation Several sites completed in Henson Creek Watershed (BLM and DRMS) Hough Mine partnership with private land owners, BLM and DRMS (shovel ready) Golden Fleece Mine at Lake San Cristobal (initial planning)

22 Hough Mine

23 River Enhancement Project Lake City

24 Outreach and Education

25 Monitoring Federal agency data ( ) Henson Creek Reclamation Feasibility (2005) Upper Lake Fork Synoptic sampling (2006-7) Henson Creek Watershed Analysis (2007) Macro-invertebrates ( ) Henson TMDL sampling (2008) Baseline characterization of Lake San Cristobal (2010) Lower Lake Fork corridor nutrients (2010) Data Analysis, Summary and Database (2011) Long-term monitoring plan and implementation

26 Water is the most critical resource issue of our lifetime and our children s lifetime. The health of our waters is the principal measure of how we live on the land. Luna Leopold