Animas River Wetlands, LLC

Is creating a wetland project to provide another viable option for complying with the federal goal of "no net loss" of wetlands.

The Clean Water Act of 1972 includes Section 404, which requires authorization from the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Corps of Engineers, for the discharge of dredged or fill material into all waters of the United States, including wetlands.

Discharges of fill material generally include, without limitation: placement of fill that is necessary for the construction of any structure or impoundment requiring rock, sand, dirt, or other material for its construction; site-development fills for recreational, industrial, commercial, residential, and other uses; causeways or road fills; dams and dikes; artificial islands; property protection or reclamation devices such as riprap, groins, seawalls, breakwaters, and revetments; beach nourishment; levees; fill for intake and outfall pipes and subaqueous utility lines; fill associated with the creation of ponds; and any other work involving the discharge of fill or dredged material.

A Corps permit is required whether the work is permanent or temporary. Examples of temporary discharges include dewatering of dredged material prior to final disposal, and temporary fills for access roadways, cofferdams, storage and work areas.Our wetlands are located in southwest Colorado on the Animas River. To talk about your project, please call 970-759-5585 or email us. We provide wetland and steam mitigation credits. A credit is a unit of trade used to offset the loss of either wetland or steam in US waters. The Animas River Wetlands project will satisfy two primary goals: To provide an off-site alternative for mitigating wetlands that have been adversely impacted and to expand and enhance the natural wetlands in the Animas River watershed while conserving and protecting the lands forever.

Only 3% of the land in Colorado is wetlands; however, 90% of Colorado's wildlife depends on the 3%. Off-site mitigation is often preferred because the success rate of more significant, concentrated wetland projects is usually better than small, isolated on-site efforts. Additionally, because Animas River Wetland Bank will be ready before the need for mitigation, our area will avoid the temporal loss of wetlands for wildlife. The number of birds in the wetlands has increased from 26 to 120 in 12 years. We have beavers enjoying our wetlands and cutting down some cottonwoods.

Experts often call wetlands "nature's kidneys" for how they collect, filter, and purify water.

The approximate 65-acre project is located just North of Durango on the Waterfall Ranch property owned by Patti Zink. The ranch has been in the Zink family for over 100 years, since 1917.