Chaparral Construction, LLC.
13201 State Hwy 12
La Veta, CO 81055
(719) 742-3222
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Chaparral Construction, LLC.
13201 State Hwy 12
La Veta, CO 81055
(719) 742-3222
Email:
Facebook:
Instagram:
Chaparral Construction has more than 40 years’ experience in river and pond restoration, including fish habitat formation and restoration. We have worked with several institutions such as US Forest Service and Colorado Parks & Wildlife to restore the flow of water in rivers and to increase health of lakes and ponds.
Chaparral works cooperatively with private, state, and federal landowners to improve fish habitat. Projects include constructing fish passages at diversion dams for endangered and other native fish; screening diversion canals to keep fish from entering and becoming trapped and acquiring and restoring floodplain habitat to serve primarily as fish nursery areas.
Some recovery measures benefit more than just the endangered fish. In some locations, river habitat improvements increase the regeneration of cottonwoods and willow trees along the river. Cottonwoods and willows are in important source of food and shelter for birds and mammals and provide a shady and pleasant place to enjoy the river.
Initial assesment: The river was badly over-widened and had become too shallow in some places, and many erroded, vertical banks existed. None of this was conducive to river health nor fish habitat.
Please click on pictures to view full size:
Vertical bank and over-widening of river
Vertical bank and erosion causing channel shift
Erosion on one side of channel, backwater on the other
Starting the process of removing cobble and mid-channel bar to minimize erosion until stabilizaiton measures can begin
Vertical banks have been laid back, inlaid with toe-wood, and planted with rows of sod mats to stop erosion and keep the river within its proper banks. Midstream channels have been corrected, with multiple rock structures installed to assist with river health and maintain depth, as well as to form pools for fish habitat, with more to come.
Please click on pictures to view full size:
Vertical bank laid back and sloped properly down to water level to prevent erosion and sloughing
Rock structure installed, toe-wood inlaid, and sod mats planted to stablize riverbend for channel health and erosion prevention
Rock structure installed, toe-wood inlaid, and sod mats planted to stablize riverbend for channel health and erosion prevention
Rock structure installed, toe-wood inlaid, and sod mats planted to stablize riverbend for channel health and erosion prevention
Stabilization measures have been installed, sod mats have been planted, clean-up has been completed. River health has been restored for this stretch of river. Large trout were observed enjoying the new, deep pools at each riverbend, and new willows and grass had already begun to sprout in the coir mat-wrapped sod mats topping the toe wood and the project was drawing to a close. This stretch of river will now be more easily accessible, and much more enjoyable for nature enthusiasts and anglers alike.
Please click on pictures to view full size:
Toe wood has been inlaid, topped with coir matting-wrapped sod mats to protect the outer bank, with a gravel point bar on the inner bank
Rock J-Hook installed to properly direct the current to prevent compromise of stream banks
Installation of toe wood in progress
Transition from a pool (deep water) to a riffle (shallow, quick-moving water)
Rock cross-vein to direct main current toward middle of channel
Gravel point bar on the inner bank of a bend
Lower boundary of current project
Riffle (shallow, quick-moving water, interspersed with large rocks and boulders under the water's surface to disperse flow)
View across a pool from the inner bank of a bend
Lower boundary of current project
View from a long bend incorporating multiple rock structures, as well as toe wood for bank stabilization
Example of a glide (transition point from a deep pool to a long, shallow, quick-moving riffle)
A closer look at the rocks and boulders placed in the stream bed to disperse flow across the shallow riffle
A closer look at a rock cross-vein installed to direct the flow of water to the middle of the channel
A look at the full length of an outer bank, inlaid with toe wood and planted with sod mats
A view upriver across a compound bend (including multiple rock structures) with two deep pools
Please click on pictures to view full size:
River restoration at Chuck Lewis State Wildlife Area
River restoration project at Platte River
Brian Jameson improving aquatic habitat by removing overgrown vegetation
Justin Jameson performing River Restoration on Yampa River
Completed Cross Vein River Restoration on Arkansas River, Colorado
Justin removing sediment for river restoration on South Platte River
Finishing up River Restoration on Yampa River
Brian constructing rock J-Hook for a Cross Vein on Poudre River
Justin placing J-Hooks for river restoration on Arkansas River
Justin constructing J-Hook for River Restoration on Arkansas River
Harvesting Trees for Fish Habitat on Arkansas River
After Chaparral River Restoration on Tarryall River
Completed a natural channel river restoration project
Completed a natural channel Yampa River restoration project