On March 11, Colorado Headwaters Chapter President, Kirk Klancke, and chapter board member, Anna Drexler-Dreis, joined Good Morning Grand County to talk about water. Klancke was joined by Grand County Water and Sanitation District Manager, Bruce Hutchins, Klancke and Hutchins talk about the issues facing the water supply in Grand County and how the Learning by Doing initiative will help protect stream flows and temperatures of the Fraser River.
Klancke also speaks about the Fraser Flats River Enhancement project. Part of this project will include revegetation along the Fraser as well as stream channeling. Stream channeling will create a smaller river bed within the natural river bed to keep water consolidated during the low flow periods. This will keep the water moving faster, colder, and provide holding areas for trout.
Part of the project will also include a half mile of the river being open to the public for fishing. "We can improve the stream sections of the Fraser and its tributaries to the point where it will be healthier now than it was when I started fishing there 46 years ago," said Klancke.
Drexler-Dreis talked more about the Fraser Flats project, the first Learning by Doing project since its inception. The first step in the Fraser Flats project will entail planting willows along the Fraser River for just under a mile in an area that was heavily overgrazed. With willows in place, the river will experience more stable conditions and improve the stream banks to provide more trout habitat. Volunteers will help with the harvesting and planting of these willows.
The segments below were from the Good Morning Grand County episode on March 11, 2017. If you wish to view the whole episode, you can check out their YouTube channel!
