San Juan National Forest installs new culverts to improve fish habitat
The San Juan National Forest has closed a portion of Hermosa Park Road to make road improvements that will benefit native cutthroat trout populations in the Colorado River. (File by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
A portion of Hermosa Park Road (NFSR 578) behind Purgatory Resort was closed for a month Monday so San Juan National Forest workers can replace culverts where Sig and Relay creeks cross the road.
The closure, which will last until September 13, cuts off vehicle access to the Upper Hermosa Trailhead from US Highway 550.
Recreationalists and hunters wishing to access portions of Game Management Unit 74 and other destinations further up the Hermosa Creek watershed must reach the trailhead either by foot or bicycle on Hermosa Park Road or by high clearance four-wheel drive vehicle via State Highway 145 north of Rico.
“Users should be prepared for stream crossings around the construction sites and possible short delays during the construction period,” the forestry spokeswoman said in a press release.
The closure will not impact Elbert Creek Road or Relay Creek Road, both of which are frequently used by hunters.
The closure was first announced in February to ensure hunters were informed before the big game license application period began.
Although new culverts aren’t a big deal – and infrastructure improvements rarely are – Clay Kampf, the forest’s fisheries program manager, says the improvements would have a positive impact on cutthroat trout in the Colorado River.
The final 2 miles of Hermosa Park Road (NFSR 578) past Purgatory Resort to the Upper Hermosa Trailhead are closed until September 13 to allow forest staff to install new culverts. The existing culverts fragment cutthroat trout habitat in the Colorado River. (Courtesy of San Juan National Forest)
“Between the two culverts, approximately 1.5 miles of new habitat will be available for downstream cutthroat trout, which is significant because Sig and Relay Creeks regularly deliver more water to the watershed during periods of low flow than East Fork Hermosa,” Kampf wrote in an email to The Durango Herald.
By replacing culverts that are too small for fish to pass through with larger sideways that mimic streambeds, the forest is reconnecting fragmented cutthroat trout habitat in the East Fork Hermosa Creek.
“Access to upstream habitat provides relief during drought or low water levels and provides access to more pools and spawning areas,” Kampf wrote.
During wetter weather conditions and during flooding, the new culverts will be large enough to allow stronger flows and debris to pass through during runoff season, making the road network more sustainable and safer.
Existing culverts fragment cutthroat trout habitat in the Colorado River. (Courtesy of San Juan National Forest)
A project of this magnitude would normally cost about $1 million, Kampf wrote, but the forest was able to reduce costs by using rock from a gravel pit owned by the forest. The project is being jointly funded by the SJNF and Trout Unlimited.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is also a partner in the project.
