Snake River Watershed Plan
The Snake River Watershed Plan (SRWP) is a living document to be continually updated as new information becomes available.
The Blue River Watershed Group turned the final version under the EPA 319 grant in April, 2009.
The Snake River Watershed Plan is now available to download:
Final Grant Report for the Snake River Watershed Plan (1.9 MB pdf)
Additional reports you may find of interest:
Snake River Watershed Plan semi-annual report (pdf)
List of resources for the Blue River Basin (61 KB doc)
The Blue River Watershed consists of three major streams: the Blue River, Ten Mile Creek and the Snake River. All three currently drain into Dillon Reservoir and the Blue River continues below the reservoir. Dillon Reservoir was built in the 1960′s by the Denver Water Board, at the confluence of these three streams as a water storage reservoir for diversion of west slope water to Denver.
The Snake River flows into Dillon Reservoir from the east, draining high mountain valleys from Arapahoe Basin ski area on the north to Webster Pass on the south. Major upper tributaries include Deer Creek, Sts. John Creek, Peru Creek, Grizzly Gulch, and Jones Gulch. The Snake River flows through the Keystone Resort area on its way to Dillon Reservoir.
The Upper Snake River and much of main tributary Peru Creek are listed by the State of Colorado as not meeting water quality standards. The area drained by the Snake River is an area that was heavily mined in the 1880′s. Sporadic mining has occurred since. Therefore, the Snake River water quality is affected by both anthropogenic (historical mining) and natural (the weathering of disseminated pyrite) sources of acid rock drainage. Water quality is typically acidic with elevated heavy metal concentrations and streambeds are coated in hydrous metal oxides. As a result, aquatic biota is severally limited.
Efforts have been underway in Peru Creek to cleanup anthropogenic sources of acid mine drainage since the 1970′s. The Snake River Task Force was formed in the 1990′s to coordinate cleanup efforts among various local, state and federal agencies. Progress has been limited, because much of the problem comes from leaking mine adits and the Clean Water Act presents liability issues for “Good Samaritans” trying to clean up these water discharges. However, significant progress has been made in understanding the water quality problems in the basin
While much effort has occurred in the Peru Creek basin, little work has been done in other parts of the Snake River basin. The Blue River Watershed Group received a grant in 2008 to develop a watershed plan for the Snake River basin. This plan will address the entire upper basin (above Keystone Resort) and will develop specific cleanup plans for the major anthropogenic water quality problems. Once such a plan is approved, groups and agencies will be able to apply for grants for specific clean-up projects addressed in the plan.