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Grand Valley
Audubon Society received the deed to this
former Mesa County Connected Pit property at 605 Dike Road in June 2003
after four years of discussions about the reclamation of this former gravel
pit. When the final decision was made Grand Valley Audubon Society is
now in the mining business and will do the necessary reclamation of these 30
acres of badly abused riparian land. 
As you can see Tamarisk and
Russian Olives had over taken the disturbed area as a result of the mining
operations.
After the trees are removed the trees are chipped and used for mulch and
soft trails.
Useful Public Service workers helped clear over eight
acres of non natives’ trees and you now can actually see the lakes that were
not visible. These were chipped and used to establish a trail around the
property. 
It was necessary to remove these plants to try to
restore this area to something like the surrounding undisturbed natural
growth. Part of the responsibility of
ownership is the necessity of complying with the Colorado Division of Mining
and Geology plan to reclaim this property. Mesa County gave Grand Valley
Audubon Society money and GOCO grant money are both being used to return
this area to a more friendly wildlife habitat.
 
Native plants even after two years are beginning to
reappear. As you can see not even weed will grow in this area.
except for the salt grass and
pampas grass. 
 Grand Valley Audubon Society plan is to flush the soil
with irrigation water to force salt out before the required planting.
The reclamation plan calls for the planting
of five acres of grass to the area and the planting of 250 cottonwood trees.
This presents a challenge because of the high salt content of the soils.
This salt must be flushed out before any vegetation can grow using at least
one foot of irrigation water.
Cottonwood tree cuttings are being grown for
transplanting. This method was chosen to assure genetically related to the
mature cottonwood trees in the area.
  
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Reclamation 