The Rock Creek Comprehensive Restoration Planning project is a collaborative effort between the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust and Ducks Unlimited (DU) to identify, prioritize, and begin engineering of flood irrigation improvement projects on 6,454 acres of conserved ranchlands along Rock Creek and next to the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge (MVNWR). Irrigation infrastructure is nearing or beyond its useful lifespan in this area and supplies water for approximately 4,500 acres of wetland habitat. The project is especially urgent and important because the neighboring MVNWR is losing water due to long-term drought and declines in aquifers, while these ranches have reliable senior water rights if the infrastructure is maintained.

Landowner input and buy-in is especially critical for the planning process of the future Rock Creek Restoration effort. Each landowner within the upper Rock Creek drainage was interviewed to determine their water and infrastructure needs and how their production has been impacted by changing water availability and dysfunctional infrastructure over the last decade. We are pairing this information with the survey data and water mapping information that DU has captured on the landscape. These pieces will come together to create a landscape level restoration plan for the Rock Creek drainage. Because of the large project area, DU and RiGHT will plan the future effort, which will assist in raising the several million dollars needed to complete on-the-ground projects in future years.