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| A Colorado Division of Wildlife backhoe dredges sediment from a beaver pond near Monarch Park. The project is a joint effort between the Division, Colorado Department of Transportation and the U.S. Forest Service.
Photo by Paul J. Goetz
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Joint effort improves trout habitat
by Paul Goetz
Mail News Editor
Habitat improvement near the headwaters of the South Arkansas River began Sept. 22 and will continue into October, closing U.S. Forest Service Road 221 to public use.
U.S. Forest Service fisheries biologist Philip Gaines said Wednesday the closure will prevent dump truck versus passenger vehicle incidents.
Purpose of the project is to improve fishing and benefit wildlife.
Work includes sediment removal from bottoms of beaver ponds east of Monarch Park Campground.
"We will dip the ponds out to 5 feet - the depth trout need to survive the winter," Gaines said.
Ponds don't freeze that deep. Water, most dense at 39.2 degrees, is actually warmer on the bottom during the winter, Greg Policky, Colorado Division of Wildlife, aquatic biologist said.
"As long as there is some flow in the water there will be micro habitats under the ice, or we wouldn't have any fish," Policky said.
Popular with campground guests, the ponds are habitat for brook trout and water fowl. Improvements are a cooperative project involving the U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Division of Wildlife and Colorado Department of Transportation.
About 40 trucks per day, each loaded with 10 tons of sediment, are dumping near the Madonna Mine about a mile east.
Silt eroded from shoulders on U.S. 50, Gaines said. Although CDOT personnel battle to prevent erosion, sediment is washed into the creek.
Sediment has filled three beaver ponds and threatens to fill others.
Gaines said he was part of a similar project at the site during September 1983 when forest service personnel created levies. Levies on the upper pond breached several years ago as sediment filled it.
The next downstream pond filled in turn, cutting a new channel to the south. Pond three is starting to fill with sediment, but some suitable trout habitat remains.
"We lost the opportunity for people to fish the upper two ponds," Policky said. "From an aquatic standpoint, sediment filling the upper two ponds was not good for fish."
In addition to crowding fish out, sediment isn't good for producing fish food.
"Sediment is fairly harmful on the food resource," Policky said. "Insects need aerated habitat between boulders, like you see in the Arkansas River."
Sand suffocates habitat and there isn't as much food produced. Trout can't spawn in sediment and their growth is reduced. Habitat restoration will help improve conditions. However, it's a short term solution, Policky said.
"You can think of this as a Band-aid," Policky said. "The issue is stuff getting in there in the first place."
Nancy Shanks, region 5 CDOT public relations manager, confirmed sediment is caused by erosion.
The three agencies plan to seek a future solution to the erosion-caused sediment. So far, the project has cost little, and is termed a "low-cost" remedy for the problem. Expenses are for man-hours and equipment.
Division personnel used a department track-hoe to dredge the ponds. Cost estimate for four tandem dump trucks, two loaders, fuel and other items is $6,000 a week, Shank said.
Dredging projects such as this can cost more than $100,000, Policky estimated.
"We probably wouldn't get involved if it cost a lot of money to do it," he said.
Forest Service personnel studied project impact before the work began.
Monarch Park Campground is closed for the season. Forest service officials ask visitors to respect road and campground closures.
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