“Reach 13” Phase 2 Design Project: Building Watershed Resilience in the Cache la Poudre

Upstream Reach - 60% design; Downstream reach - 30% design

 

Project Background

CPRW was initially awarded funding from the Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program to continue design work on one of our priority reaches as identified in the Lower Poudre Master Plan. Together with our steering committee, “Reach 13” was selected. The Reach was identified as a prime location for restoration focused on river health, resiliency, and showcasing innovative restoration techniques. The Reach is 1.2 miles long, spanning the Town of Windsor and City of Greeley’s growth management within Weld County.

The overall approach of the Reach 13 design seeks to maximize natural approaches like native vegetation, connecting the river to its floodplain, installing large wood jams, simulated beaver structures, and allowing the river to perform natural geomorphic processes to improve health, resiliency, and function. The proposed techniques will follow two approaches: active and passive restoration. Active restoration will take a direct/hands-on approach to restoring river processes (i.e grading to narrow the channel). Passive restoration will take a hands-off approach, utilizing specific treatments to allow the river to ‘do the work’ (i.e. large wood for sediment deposition).

The 30% design was completed in 2021 by Stillwater Sciences. In 2022, CPRW received funding from Wildlands Restoration Volunteers to complete a 60% design for the upstream half. The 60% design for the upstream half of the reach (~0.5 mi) was completed in 2023 and 60% design for the remaining downstream half is currently in progress. Otak has been selected as the engineering and consultant team to bring the entire reach to 60% design by 2025.

Reach 13 concept plan from Lower Poudre Master Plan

Reach 13 concept plan from the Lower Poudre Master Plan

Project Goals & Benefits

  • Build successful and effective community, landowner and stakeholder relationships to enable watershed restoration planning

  • Use the Reach 13 design and subsequent implementation projects as a template to demonstrate proof of concept to prospective partners and funders in other reaches in Weld County with similar challenges and opportunities

  • Improve floodplain connection and aquatic habitat


Partners

  • Town of Windsor

  • Stillwater Sciences

  • Otak

  • City of Greeley Water & Sewer and City of Greeley Natural Areas

  • Colorado Parks & Wildlife

  • University of Northern Colorado

  • Larimer County

  • Northern Water

  • Private landowners

Funders

  • Bureau of Reclamation

  • Wildlands Restoration Volunteers

  • Colorado Water Conservation Board

  • Colorado Watershed Assembly - CO Healthy Rivers Fund

Completion Date

Ongoing