Grand County sits at the headwaters of the Colorado River which is the lifeblood of the West. A system of dams, reservoirs, pipelines, pumps, and tunnels divert water from Grand County to the Front Range. This has a significant impact on the water quality in the Upper Colorado River Watershed. Consequently, there are a lot of stream restoration projects taking place in Grand County which show promise to improve the aquatic habitat.
If you're interested in these efforts that take place across Grand County, you've come to the right place. For more information check out the projects that Grand County is a partner of below.
The goal of the Colorado River Headwaters Project is to: 1) create a bypass channel to reconnect the Colorado River (Windy Gap Bypass); 2) make channel and habitat improvements downstream of the bypass (Habitat Project); and 3) improve irrigation, soil, water quality, and aquatic habitat downstream of the Habitat Project (ILVK Project).
The overarching goal for the Grand County Learning By Doing (LBD) is to maintain, and where reasonably possible, restore or enhance the aquatic environment in the Fraser, Williams Fork, and Colorado River basins and their tributaries.
Denver Water and Colorado Parks and Wildlife are collaborating to improve fish habitat by reshaping the channel to enhance habitat diversity for all life stages of trout.
KVERC is a collaborative of agencies and organizations focused on restoration of the Kawuneeche Valley to support its ecological, economic and social well-being.