Construction to correct the flow of the Animas River upstream of the Whitewater Park is expected to start Monday.

This week, crews will start putting up fencing and traffic-control barriers, the city’s schedule said.

Residents may also see crews moving boulders into a storage area near the construction site, Utilities Director Steve Salka said.

The city is going to build rock weirs to help correct the flow of the river because it is shifting away from the city’s water intake, Salka said.

“Eventually, the river would keep moving into the mountain,” he said.

The problem was accelerated after the construction of the Whitewater Park in 2014. Since then, the city has done some work to make sure water was flowing to the intake, but this will be a permanent fix, Salka said.

The construction was expected to cost about $1 million. Costs will be split between the Utilities and the Parks and Recreation departments.

The city’s primary source of water is the Florida River, but that is supplemented by Animas River water.

Boaters and other river users will be able to float through the construction site, but they should be aware of new obstacles, a news release said. Construction is expected to last through Nov. 15.

The city has held meetings with rafting companies and people who fish to inform them of the project, Salka said.

Those who want to get out of the river to walk around Smelter Rapid, must do so on the left bank of the river. They must be escorted through the work zone during work hours.

The river put-in will be open after hours and during work hours with an escort.

The Animas River Trail will be closed near the construction site. Trail traffic will be detoured around the wastewater-treatment plant.

mshinn@durangoherald.com