Projects

Kerber Creek Restoration Project

Contact Information:
OSM/VISTA: Matthew Skarie
Supervisor: Steve Sanchez
Address: 46525 State Highway 114 Saguache CO 81149
Phone: 719-655-6133
Email: mmskarie AT yahoo DOT com
Website: www.kerbercreek.com
US Congressional District: CO-3
County: Saguache

Description and Mission of Sponsoring Organization

The Kerber Creek Restoration Project has been designed as a cooperative project among government agencies, environmental organizations and private landowners to clean up environmental pollution caused by historic mining in the Bonanza Mining District, which the creek flows through. Before large-scale mining in the area came to an end in the 1930s, tailings from several mills were routinely dumped on the ground along the stream. Overtime these tailings have been transported by natural processes throughout the watershed. Consequently, heavy metals leached into the water. In 2007, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) assessed the 17 mile reach of Kerber Creek between Bonanza town site and Villa Grove. From this assessment treatment options on 60 acres of tailings and over 140 instream and bank stabilization projects were established. The stream is listed on the Colorado Clean Water list of impaired water bodies.

Land within the drainage is owned by the Forest Service (FS), BLM, and private individuals. However, along the stream bank and in the floodplain, more than 95% of the land is privately owned, making cooperation by these landowners critical to the project's success. To that end, landowners along Kerber Creek have formed the Bonanza Stakeholders' Group (BSG). Along with these groups, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Trout Unlimited (TU) have also taken an active role in reclaiming Kerber Creek.

Goal of OSM/VISTA in the Kerber Creek Restoration Project:

1. To build the capacity of participating organizations to enable the long-term stability and success of issue related projects.
• Assist in the preparation and submittal of grant proposals to secure future funding.
• Help to create press releases, newsletters, brochures, and fact sheets.
• Attend and help to facilitate relevant watershed and community meetings.
• Assist in establishing and enhancing local and regional partnerships.
• Help to maintain organizational websites.
• Help to create opportunities for community volunteers to serve and participate in organizational activities.
2. To assist their sponsor organizations in conducting watershed research and water quality monitoring critical to future funding, as well as assist with project development and implementation.
• Work with community volunteers to research, inventory, monitor, assess, and/or map local acid mine drainage and mine features.
• Hold training sessions to certify volunteers to perform water monitoring in their watershed.
• Form water monitoring teams that will monitor the local watershed quarterly.
3. To assist sponsor organizations in enhancing community awareness and involvement through education and outreach.
• Create and distribute relevant press releases to publicize organizational activities in local and regional newspapers, etc.
• Research and/or develop educational materials and programs relevant to the watershed and its issues.
• Assist in developing and facilitating outreach activities such as site tours, nature camps, and fundraising and informative events.
• Initiate the creation and presentation of talks and/or seminars regarding the watershed organization and its efforts to churches, local civic groups, schools, etc.
• Assist with development and distribution of organizational newsletters.
• Work with organizational members to develop informative display boards, flyers, posters, etc. for distribution at local festivals, events, etc.
• Work with watershed group to arrange tours to regional outdoor classrooms and/or assist in the creation of such locally.
• Assist in developing and facilitating outreach activities such as site tours, nature camps, and fundraising and informative events.
4. To assist their sponsor organizations in efforts of community revitalization through economic development projects as well as those that celebrate and increase awareness and understanding of local history and culture.
• Help to coordinate between watershed organizations and other local redevelopment interests.
• Assist, where appropriate, in the development of watershed-based interpretive trails, parks, etc.
• Support and develop, where possible, mining-related history and/or historic preservation projects.
• Support economic development, tourism, and/or other related community projects.