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Ponds proposal creates concern
One neighbor says project looks fishy
Herald Staff Writer
The project, called "Little Fishes," would create up to seven ponds on 30 acres of land five miles south of Durango along the Animas River, one mile south of the Weaselskin Bridge. The property is owned by Lonnie and Dena Malouff, who have filed a project application with La Plata County.
Water from the Animas River would be diverted from the north end of the property, flow through a system of channels connecting the ponds and be released back into the river at the south end of the property.
The ponds would support aquatic life, waterfowl and other wildlife, according to an application filed with the county Planning Department for topsoil excavation.
To create the ponds, the Mal-ouffs would excavate 200,000 cubic yards of material - or enough to cover about 40 football fields with a foot of dirt. It would take up to 10 dump truck loads a day for about four years - 300 days a year - to haul the material off site to be sold, according to the application.
All excavation work would be performed by Rock'n 9 Excavation Inc., which is owned by Lonnie Malouff. Proceeds from the sale of excavated materials would be used to pay for improvements to the property.
When reached Friday, Malouff said he wanted to talk to his lawyer and the county staff before commenting, but as of 6 p.m. Friday, he had not returned the call.
Nancy Greif, who lives across the Animas River adjacent to the property, is worried about the dust, noise and road impacts of the excavation. It does not conform to the Florida Mesa Land Use Plan, which designates the area as residential, she said.
"I don't think people should just be able to thumb their nose at the Florida Mesa Land Use Plan and put an industrial commercial operation in a rural residential area, especially a riparian corridor," Greif said.
The Weaselskin gravel pit is nearby, but it is on Southern Ute land.
Topsoil can be sold locally for $18 per cubic yard, she said, which means 200,000 cubic yards would fetch $3.6 million gross.
"I guess my general impression is it's a gravel pit masquerading as a fish pond thing," Greif said. "I think it's a business thing."
The application for a Class II permit for topsoil extraction is being reviewed by the county Planning Department. Early next year, the county will conduct a neighborhood-compatibility meeting.
Meanwhile, the county staff will gather feedback from experts like the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Army Corps of Engineers.
"This is a brand-new project, so we don't have a lot of feedback yet," said county planner Katherine Harrison-Rogers. "We've had a lot of interest from adjacent landowners." Most are requesting more information and are reserving judgment about the project, she said.
Mr. Malouff has been excavating the property for almost a year, Greif said, but he needs a permit to remove the materials.
In his application, Malouff calls Little Fishes a "habitat-enhancement" project. But so far, Greif said Malouff's digging has only scared away wildlife, including a breeding pair of foxes.
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