Mancos Conservation District

The Fields Diversion Is an Irrigation Diversion Structure Located on the West Mancos River, in Southwest Colorado. the West Mancos River Provides Ideal Habitat for a Variety of Aquatic Organisms, Including Several Species of Warm Water Fish Including the Bluehead Sucker (catostomus Discoblus), Flannelmouth Sucker (catostomus Latipinnus), Roundtail Chub (gila Robusta), and Mottled Sculpin (cottus Bairdii). These Warm Water Fish Are Highly Vulnerable to Low Summer Stream Flows, Frequency of Drought and Habitat Fragmentation and Rely on Habitat That Is Connected by Flow and Tolerable Water Temperatures. Climate Change Has the Potential to Impact Warm Water Fish Habitat Connectivity as Does Fragmentation Caused by Instream Water Diversions, Such as the Field Diversion. the Field Diversion Is a Significant Barrier to These Warm Water Fish, and the Addition of Step and Ramp Structures Below This Barrier, in Coordination With the Webber Diversion Fish Passage Project, Would Open 15.74 Additional Miles of River Habitat for Warm Water Fish and Help to Stabilize the Diversion Structure and Improve the Irrigation Infrastructure. as Climate Change Continues to Impact Southwest Colorado, It Is Important to Ensure That the 'three Species' Have Access to Tolerable Habitats While Continuing to Support the Livelihood of the Agricultural Producers Who Are Also Affected by Drought. Partnering With Landowners to Eliminate Barriers to Fish Passage for Warm Water Species Has Become an Important Part of the Mancos Watershed Stream Management Planning Effort. the Goals of This Project Are TO:1. to Remove a Significant Fish Passage Barrier to the 'three Species' of Warm Water Fish. These Fish Are Highly Vulnerable to Climate Change and Shifting Water Temperatures, and Removal of This Barrier Would Open Valuable Miles of Stream Habitat for Warm Water Fish in the West Mancos River and Mancos RIVER.2. Provide Stabilization to the Field Diversion, to Ensure Water May Be Efficiently Diverted for Agricultural Use, While Providing Fish Accessible PASSAGE.3. Assessing the Efficacy of the Fish Passage Created by Using Pit-tagging and Edna Analysis as Parts of the Post-monitoring STRATEGY.4. Annual Diversion and Structure Inspections by MCD Technician to Determine Continued Functionality and O&m RECOMMENDATIONS.5. Outreach and Reporting on the Successes of Cooperative Projects for Overall Stream Restoration and Watershed Health.