Community partnership project

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The Town of Carbondale with Aspen Valley Land Trust, Roaring Fork Conservancy, American Rivers, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, Public Counsel of the Rockies, and Trout Unlimited, are partnering to restore a one-half mile long reach of the Crystal River along the town-owned Riverfront Park in River Valley Ranch. Riverfront Park lies between the Carbondale Fish Hatchery and Crystal Bridge Drive, and this reach of the Crystal River is severely impaired.

Together, we aim to restore the ecological integrity, improve channel stability, create a low-maintenance Weaver Ditch diversion structure, and enhance the community access and experience of the park. We invited members of the public to participate in the planning process for restoring, and are working to finalize planning and designs. 
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Once completed, this project will:


1. RETORE THE CRYSTAL RIVER
Develop a long-term, self-sustaining solution to improve river stability and fish habitat and spawning areas.

2. RESTORE THE RIPARIAN ZONE
Stabilize the streambank, reconnect the floodplain, and replace invasive weed communities and plant monocultures with healthy and diverse riparian plant regimes, while preserving healthy bird and wildlife habitat.

3. IMPROVE THE WEAVER DITCH DIVERSION
Create a self-sustaining diversion and head gate structure for the Weaver Ditch to function as part of the river system while improving the water delivery for the Town of Carbondale.

4. ENHANCE THE WILDLAND PARK
Enhance the community experience of Riverfront Park through interpretive signs, trails, gathering spaces, and educational programs.​
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