Fred Rasmussen
The Kerber Creek Restoration Project in the San Luis Valley of Colorado was recently given two prestigious awards one from the US Forest Service (USFS) and one from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). From the USFS the Kerber Creek Project was given the “Water Partner of the Year” for the Rocky Mountain Region and the from BLM Director Bob Abby the 2010 “Hardrock Mineral Environmental Award” for implementing principals of sustainable development.
Kerber Creek originates high in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado and flows south and east through the towns of Bonanza and Villa Grove for 25 miles and ends at San Luis Creek. Ore was discovered in Bonanza in 1880 and mining in the watershed continued up to the 1970’s. Mine tailing accumulated and high flows and destruction of tailing dams caused acidic mine wastes to be deposited on the stream banks for 19 miles downstream. A massive cleanup began in 1993 and is still ongoing. Trout are reproducing throughout most of the creek.
Trout Unlimited through Elizabeth Russell the Mine Restoration Project Manager and the Collegiate Peaks Chapter of TU are major stakeholders in this project. Elizabeth helped procure a $413,000 319 Non Point Source Grant for the project and Collegiate Peaks volunteers have been active in bank stabilization, tree planting and phytostabilization work along the creek. Other stakeholders are the Bonanza Stakeholders Group, The Bureau of Land Management, National Resources Conservation Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, Americorp/Vista Team, Environmental Protection Agency, Colorado Water Conservation Board and Saguache County.
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