From the Valley Courier (Lauren Krisansky):
The project held its annual Celebration of Success in Bonanza yesterday with a number of land use agency representatives and a crew of south central Kansas Boy Scouts coming off a week long hitch working to improve the creek that is slowly recovering from the poisonous aftermath of once upon a time mining operations. The six youth and their two leaders installed 600 feet of waddles – straw fiber rolls used to prevent erosion, sediment and storm water run-off – on Carol and John Wagner’s creek side property. They also performed maintenance work on the upstream Superior Mill Site that included erosion protection and fence repair…
The project is comprised of 16 partners including the BLM; the United States Forest Service; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the Natural Resources Conservation Service; Trout Unlimited; the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; the Rio Grande Watershed Conservation and Education Initiative; and the Bonanza Stakeholders’ Group, which represents the interests of Kerber Creek watershed private landowners.
Since 2008, the Office of Surface Mining’s Western Hardrock Watershed Team/AmeriCorps Volunteer in Service to America Program (OSM/VISTA) has provided a full-time staff member to serve as the project’s watershed coordinator. This year’s volunteer, Trevor Klein, however, marks the last to serve due to a shift in priorities…
So far, the project has treated more than 60 acres of mine waste deposits, restored more than 4,000 feet of stream bank and raised $2 million in grant funding. The efforts have improved the Kerber Creek’s aquatic ecosystem, enabling the fish populations to stabilize, and the work has received six major awards at regional, state and national levels.
More restoration/reclamation coverage here.