The blue river watershed group (BRWG), working in partnership with the town of silverthorne, will complete the engineering and design for a project to repair degraded aquatic habitat in the blue…

The Bureau of Reclamation awarded a $2,748,947 Project Grant under the Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program (CFDA 15.580) to the Blue River Watershed Group (BRWG) and the Town of Silverthorne. The funding will support the engineering and design of a project to repair degraded aquatic habitat in the Blue River downstream of the Dillon Reservoir in Colorado. The project aims to address issues such as low flows, below average water temperatures, and lack of sediment and nutrient transport caused by the reservoir's operations, which have led to the loss of the river's Gold Medal trout fishery status. The design package will include resizing the channel, installing new pool habitat and spawning gravel, removing fish passage barriers, and improving public river access. BRWG will also conduct outreach, stakeholder engagement, and baseline biological assessments to support post-implementation monitoring. The award has a performance period from September 3, 2024 to June 30, 2026.

The blue river watershed group (BRWG), working in partnership with the town of silverthorne, will complete the engineering and design for a project to repair degraded aquatic habitat in the blue river, downstream of the dillon reservoir in summit county, colorado. This reach of the blue river is impacted by its proximity to the outflow of the reservoir, which has contributed to an UN-naturally low flow regime, below average water temperatures due to cold-water releases from the bottom of the reservoir, and a lack of natural sediment and nutrient transport due to sediment entrapment within the reservoir. These issues have led to the reach being stripped of gold medal trout fishery status in 2016. To address these issues, BRWG will produce a 100% restoration design package that includes resizing a new channel within the historic footprint to match the contemporary hydrograph, installation of new pool habitat and additional spawning gravel, removal of barriers to fish passage, and improvement of public river access locations. BRWG will continue outreach and engagement efforts and develop biological assessments and fish population estimates to serve as a baseline for monitoring improvements following project implementation. The project is supported by a diverse stakeholder group representing agriculture, recreation, government agencies, water managers, landowners, and individuals.