Projects

A portion of the proceeds from each year’s Dolores River Festival are allocated to fund river enhancement and conservation projects.

Dolores River Coalition

Since 2008, the operation of a U.S. Geological Survey gauge station on the Dolores River near Slickrock, Colorado has been funded in partnership with the Dolores Water Conservancy District, and the San Juan Citizens Alliance. This gauge station provides real-time data of the river discharge in cubic feet per second. This information is critical to scientists and recreational users. Use the following link to see this data http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?09168730

   

In 2008, a volunteer used GPS equipment to map the location of nearly 50 metal hazard sites on the upper Dolores River, for several miles upstream of Town.

A year later, GDA sought permission from the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the Army Corps of Engineers, and local property owners to begin removing metal hazards in and along the river. In October 2009, a team of volunteers, worked with a local contractor to remove hazards like these from the stream bed and river bank.

The crew worked using ample muscle power and heavy machinery to remove concrete abutments, rusted car bodies, and other metal scrap from the river. After more than eight hours, the crew removed 25,040 lbs or over 12.5 tons of hazardous material from the river.

The many benefits of this project include:
- Increased recreational user safety for boaters, anglers, swimmers;
- Improved fish habitat and river ecosystem;
- Restored natural beauty.

Currently, our group is working with the nationally recognized environmental organization, Leave No Trace, to develop signs for the Dolores River Trail. Signs will be designed to increase public awareness and understanding about stewardship practices, and to enhance the responsible enjoyment of the river corridor.