Upper Culebra Watershed Assessment, Costilla County, CO (2021)

The overarching goal of the Upper Culebra Watershed Assessment (UCWA) is to assess the ecological condition of the mainstem of the Culebra River, major tributaries, and upland ecosystems within the project area, identify causes of concern, and develop a list of prioritized projects that will improve the function of uplands, aquatic, and riparian ecosystems. The assessment will concurrently identify projects that involve infrastructure as related to environmental, agricultural, and municipal needs in the basin.

As lead watershed scientists and aquatic habitat subject matter experts for this project, RedFISH provides environmental support services for the Costilla County Conservancy District (CCCD). Tasks under this on-going contract range from coordination with CCCD, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and teaming partners, to study design, development of watershed models to identify critical areas, conducting stream assessments, data compilation, QA/QC, data analysis, reporting, and presentation of results to the CCCD and the public. In addition, RedFISH provides expertise in human dimensions of natural resource management.

To conduct stream surveys and assessments throughout the watershed, RedFISH used standardized methods and field protocols based on the EPA manuals used for National Aquatic Resource Surveys and the BLM AIM field protocol for weadable lotic systems.