Completion Form

2023

ROBERT'S BOTTOM AREA

"Above Robert's Bottom" (River Left):  For site-specific treatment methods please reference the 2022 Fall Dolores 6.0 - CCYC Project Report and 2023 Spring Dolores 6.0 - CCYC Project Report.

STATELINE AREA -- The Western Colorado Conservation Corps (WCCC) Strike Team treated 24.2 acres of Russian knapweed using Milestone applied with backpack sprayers in March 2023.  Knapweed treatments were located immediately upstream of the cottonwood galleries associated with both the "Berm Site" and the "Across from Berm" site.  Knapweed abatement also occurred within the "Across from Berm Site" in support of past and future understory restoration efforts. During this treatment campaign, the WCCC also treated 33.2 acres of tamarisk saplings and resprouts using a Garlon 4 in sites where tamarisk removal treatments were implemented 12-15 years ago by the BLM Fuels program, effectively maintaining these previous treatments. Terra Sophia, a local restoration group, planted 100 willow poles along the bank where tamarisk has previously been removed at the "Across the Berm" site.  Approximately 0.65 acres were thus revegetated in the fall of 2022.

MONITORING:

See Attached AIM Reports, DRRP Monitoring Reports.

This project's scope was smaller than planned because extraordinary high water conditions resulted in the inundation of the project area "Above Robert's Bottom" and river flows that were too high for the youth corps to safely raft herbicide and equipment to the raft-based sites. The youth corps completed 4.1 acres of tamarisk removal in Oct. 2023.  During the high water of spring 2023 the CCYC were diverted to land based treatments accomplishing another 1.5 acres. The Western Colorado Conservation Corp Strike Team, managed by REW, treated 33.2 acres of tamarisk saplings and resprouts and 24.2 acres of Russian knapweed in March 2023. Western Biology, LLC provided SWFL/YBCU clearance surveys to clear the sites for spring treatments. Terra Sophia implemented willow pole planting on 0.65 acres of river bank. The Grand County Weed Department's work was cancelled due to site inundation and the cancelling of the raft-based work but new treatments have been rescheduled for the fall of 2023 and the spring of 2024.

RiversEdge West (REW) staff managed project work including the coordination of strike teams performing tamarisk resprouts and secondary weed treatments, conservation corps raft based and terrestrial tamarisk removal, revegetation efforts by contractors, monitoring, and GIS. REW coordinated with and managed contractor Terra Sophia in the fall of 2022 who planted 100 willow whips in cobble and sand beaches and revegetated approximately .65 acres.

Gabriel Bissonette

09/05/2023 08:26:38