About

The Animas Watershed Partnership and Mountain Studies Institute are working to update the 2011 Animas River Watershed Based Plan in an attempt to utilize new water quality data to better understand current conditions, identify data gaps, and develop a comprehensive plan that considers both water quality and quantity concerns in the watershed. 

These efforts are being completed in conjunction with the Animas River Plan and will be used to help identify projects that can be implemented to improve Animas River water quality and water resource resiliency for the watershed and communities that depend upon it.

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Task Include:

• Addressing data gaps by implementing new data collection efforts
  • Riparian condition surveys
  • Understand risk to aquatic life from aluminum exceedances
• Use spatial analysis to identify potential non-point source pollutant sources
• Conduct outreach in tandem with the Animas River Plan
• Complete an updated Watershed Based Plan
  • Incorporates new data
  • Identify nonpoint source pollution impairments in addition to nutrients
  • Identify and develop a plan to address data gaps
  • Develop a list of technical assistance, monitoring, and education/outreach needs, suggested activities, timeline, and cost estimates

Geographic Scope:

Lower Animas River, from Bakers Bridge to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe (SUIT) boundary excluding SUIT waters as SUIT is developing their own NPS Assessment and Plan.

Funding:

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Southwestern Water Conservation District.

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Key Resources:

2011 Watershed Based plan

Contact:

• Mountain Studies Institute Water Programs Director, Scott Roberts [email protected] 
• AWP Coordinator, Sensa Wolcott [email protected]  
• Animas Watershed Partnership Chair, Carrie Padgett, [email protected] ​