Swan River Reach B Restoration

Building on the success of the Reach A restoration, Reach B restoration aims to reclaim the immediately upstream segment to a similar naturalized condition. Reach B restoration will naturalize 4,800 lineal feet of channel, 13 acres of riparian floodplain, and 8 acres of upland habitat. The new stream channel will support a thriving population of native mottled sculpin, as well as brook and brown trout and provide terrestrial wildlife habitat as well.

Aerial Image of Reach B prior to the start of channel construction (07/19/2021)

Channel construction is slated for July 26th-October 31st, 2021. We are proud to be partnering with Ecological Resource Consultants and Tezak Heavy Equipment to complete the restoration of the stream channel and the adjacent habitat. The design for Reach B was completed in March 2021 and review by our team of technical advisers from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Trout Unlimited, and the USDA Forest Service. Important elements of the Reach B design include a wider and more linear floodplain than what is found in Reach A, as well as more variability in stream width and depth. These improved restoration methods will build on the success of Reach A and incorporate lessons learned through that process. 

The floodplain design will be more prone to frequent flooding, which will encourage natural morphology, sedimentation, and nutrient deposits in the riparian habitat. Variability in channel width and depth will provide a wider variety of in-stream habitat, stream velocity, and sedimentation patterns within the channel. Additionally, new bank stabilization methods will utilize course woody debris, providing shaded cover for fish while the vegetation becomes established on the banks. The final step of the channel construction phase of the project will include initial revegetation including seeding of the upland and riparian habitats as well as bank stabilizing plantings of willow shrubs. 

A new 50' bridge will be installed on Rock Island Road to provide a seamless connection from the Reach B channel to the downstream channel that restored on Reach A in 2016. The new bridge will allow the stream to pass unimpeded, even at high water, and fish and other aquatic species to move along the stream channel without barriers. Rock Island Road will be open to recreational traffic for the entirety of the construction phase during 2021. 

During the construction phase in the summer of 2021, heavy equipment and a construction trailer will be placed at the intersection of Tiger Road and Rock Island Road to allow access to the site by equipment operators and avoid interference with ongoing gravel removal operations on the upstream end of the site.

In the fall of 2022, the final revegetation effort will be completed, including 68 riparian and 40 upland planting thickets. These thickets will provide microhabitat features for wildlife, while also encouraging natural moisture retention and nutrient cycling. Following final vegetation efforts, the area will be closed to travel as the plantings establish themselves and the newly formed habitat stabilizes. We look forward to opening Reach B to the public, which will likely occur in the Spring of 2024. Until that time, please note that the restoration site will remain closed to the public. 

Reach B restoration efforts are being completed with support from Summit County and the Town of Breckenridge, along with our partners at Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Fish and Wildlife Federation. We would like to extend out thanks to these partners as well as the Blue River Watershed Group, Colorado Trout Unlimited, and the USDA Forest Service who have provided ongoing support and technical expertise for the development of this project.