The “we” I speak of are the fishermen and women, the fishing goods stores, the fishing guides, the boating community, and the landowners on the Animas River downstream of Lightner Creek.
We are fed up with the city of Durango’s unwillingness to address the sediment loading from Lightner Creek into the Animas. First, we understand the sediment comes from the highly erosive Mancos Shale in Perrins Canyon and behind the Tech Center. What we don’t understand is the city’s reluctance to properly mitigate it.
Perrins Canyon is the major source of the sediment, with runoff during rainstorms moving through a culvert under Rosemary Lane and into Lightner Creek. In the late 2000s or early 2010s, a tremendous rainstorm on Perrins Peak destroyed the old culvert. In response, the city constructed a concrete box culvert to convey runoff to Lightner Creek and built a triangular basin to slow the flow before it passed through the culvert under Rosemary Lane. Unfortunately, the city at that time chose not to install a baffle at the downstream end of the basin, which would have allowed sediment to settle – likely to avoid the ongoing maintenance of cleaning it out.
Recently, with new homes built on Rosemary Lane, a baffle was retrofitted into the basin, effectively creating a Sediment Capture Basin, possibly as a condition for the developer. Unfortunately, this baffle is not tall enough to make the SCB fully effective. Until recently, the city has also been reluctant to spend the money to clean it out.
Another major source is the sediment above the Tech Center. This comes from the highly erosive Mancos Shale on the east side of Perrins Peak and from snow removed from city streets and deposited at the top of the flow path to Lightner Creek. This path includes a couple of small settling depressions – too small to be called ponds or basins – then continues along compacted Mancos Shale to a concrete wall with a culvert and trash screen. The flows continue unabated down the center of Tech Center Drive directly into Lightner Creek.
Why should the city care, beyond irate residents complaining? It’s a stormwater issue the city is legally required to address. Beyond that, protecting the Gold Medal fishery at the confluence of Lightner Creek and the Animas, safeguarding the Smelter Whitewater Park, and ensuring the Animas presents its best face to residents and visitors should all be priorities.
The problem, unfortunately, is funding. The city pays for stormwater management out of the General Fund, which puts it behind other priorities like law enforcement and mandated requirements. I recently participated in a focus group on establishing dedicated funding for stormwater, but so far, no action has been taken. I do have confidence in and admiration for the city’s Stormwater Management Team.
Here’s what’s needed to tackle the worst sediment loading:
- Clean out SCBs whenever they fill with sediment.
- Completely redesign and construct a concrete basin at the top of the Tech Center.
- Raise the level of the baffle on the SCB at the bottom of Perrins Canyon.
Where will the money come from? Five Rivers Trout Unlimited is ready to partner with the city. There is ample grant funding for this type of work, and 5RTU can help leverage grants and assist with design. We just need the city to say, “Let’s do it.”
As the author, I have spoken with several current councilors and conducted a show-and-tell tour of the sites. I welcome the opportunity to help get the ball rolling on this much-needed sediment control.
Buck Skillen is a past board member and president of Five Rivers Trout Unlimited.
