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Mancos Conservation District outlines $2.5M WaterSMART forestry work, diversion upgrades and soil‑health reimbursements
Summary
Danny Margolis, executive director of the Mancos Conservation District, briefed commissioners on a suite of watershed, forestry and soil‑health projects including a Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART grant, NEPA work for 600 acres of forest thinning, diversion upgrades, and a soil‑health reimbursements program covering 1,500 acres.
Danny Margolis, executive director of the Mancos Conservation District, told the Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners the district has several active and planned projects addressing watershed management, forest thinning for wildfire risk reduction, diversion upgrades and soil‑health incentives.
Margolis said the district is nearing completion of a stream management plan and has been awarded about $2,500,000 through the Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART program; the district is now under contract and has received proposals to complete NEPA for planned work. He told the board NEPA and permitting work is required and that the forestry elements will cover roughly 600 acres of Ponderosa pine thinning to reduce wildfire risk.
“We finally are fully under contract, just received all of the proposals for NEPA and are gonna need to do NEPA, but that will, be about 600 acres of forestry,” Margolis said. He also described work to upgrade three diversions, install smart meters on 10 diversions and infrastructure upgrades starting next spring.
Margolis described concurrent Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program activities and a partnership with Wildfire Adaptive Partnership to focus on defensible space and larger landscape thinning. He said the district is coordinating with Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) programs, including the Wildfire Ready Watersheds planning grant, and is pursuing Community Wildfire Defense Grant opportunities through the state forest service. He noted that some federal programs do not require local match and that the district hopes to direct resources to rural communities with limited private funding.
On soil health, Margolis reported the district enrolled 19 producers and 1,500 acres in the Colorado Soil Health (STAR+) program this year; reimbursements paid to landowners totaled about $60,000. He also said the district completed a master land steward course for small‑acreage owners and plans a pinyon‑juniper management workshop this fall with BLM and State Forest Service participation.
Margolis said he was recently selected as an at‑large representative to the Southwest Basin Roundtable and that the district continues discussions with Metallic Minerals regarding an approved substitute water supply plan in the East Mancos area; the district’s board expressed concerns about the administrative approval process and is exploring alternative plans to protect water rights holders and limit water quality impacts.
Why it matters: the combination of federal and state grants, forest thinning and diversion upgrades aims to reduce wildfire risk and protect water quantity and quality in the Mancos watershed; the projects include federal NEPA and potential Army Corps permitting for in‑stream work.
