New rock steps at Optimist Park added in phase two of the project.

WELCOME TO the Laramie river restoration project

Laramie River Restoration Project

Laramie River Conservation District

Brought to you by the Laramie Beautification Committee and Laramie River Conservation District

Brown Trout

Rainbow Trout

Laramie River Overview: The Laramie River is classified by DEQ as a Class 2AB stream, which lies in the Upper Laramie River Watershed.  This sub-basin includes all the drainages above Wheatland Reservoir #2. Major drainages in the Upper Laramie Sub-basin are the Laramie and Little Laramie Rivers whose headwaters are in the Medicine Bow Mountains. Land uses are logging, recreation, and grazing at higher elevations; grazing, irrigated hay production, and some oil and gas development in the lower elevations.

By the Rosgen classification, The Laramie River is a C-4 stream in the area of interest for this project. Our project area is an approximately 3.6 mile stretch running from I-80 north through the City of Laramie to the Union Pacific rail bridge north of town at Curtis Street.  Detailed surveying by Habitech Inc. (2009 restoration plan), identified 12,000 feet of bank that is actively shedding soft sediment in the area of interest.

The Laramie River supports beneficial uses of drinking water, agriculture and irrigation, Class II fishery (trout - brown and rainbow), wildlife, and full contact recreation. There are several native, non-game fish species that also occur within the project area including brassy minnow, common shiner, creek chub, fathead minnow, Iowa darter, longnose dace, and longnose sucker (see pictures below).

In Albany County, the Upper Laramie River Watershed contains three elevation zones: mountain (>12,000’ highest); foothills; and basin (6972’ lowest). The proposed project lies in the basin zone from 7135’ to 7150’ elevation.  Soils and river geomorphology vary widely along the stream, but are generally sandy in the floodplain though Laramie, in the proposed project area.

Laramie River Conservation District

5015 Stone Rd.

Laramie, WY 82070

To contact us:

Phone: 307-721-0072

Fax: 307-745-6764

E-mail: tony.hoch@wy.nacdnet.net

Project Summary: The project entails streambank stabilization and aquatic habitat restoration on the Laramie River through the City of Laramie.  Channel and habitat surveys through the study reach indicate bank and bed instability.  The degraded habitat conditions are characterized by a lack of quality pools, little effective streamside cover, infrequent and heavily embedded riffles and spawning bars, and an abundance of wide, shallow, sluggish runs with flat cross-section profiles and little habitat diversity.  Historic low late summer base flows further aggravate these poor habitat conditions.  Project planning was conducted in 2008, and over 50 treatment sites encompassing over 10,000 linear feet of stream channel within the 3.6-mile study area were identified and designed (TABLE 1 - attached).  Due to the magnitude of the project, implementation is proposed over 3 years (2009-2011).

Project Management: Dr. Tony Hoch, Director and Water Quality Specialist, LRCD, is the lead on the project.  He has been employed by LRCD since 2003, where he successfully administered a Section 319 grant from 2003 to 2006.   He was formerly a professor of Geology and Environmental Sciences at Lawrence University in Appleton, WI  from 1999-2002, and a research Scientist at the USGS, Water Resources Division, National Research Program in Boulder CO, from 1997 to 1999. 

Laramie River Rainbow

Native non-game fish

Brassy Minnow

Creek Chub

Common Shiner

Fathead Minnow

Iowa Darter

Longnose Dace

Longnose Sucker

The Laramie River experienced major flooding again in 2011. The river was at flood stage for nearly seven weeks before finally receding. Here are some pictures of the flooding, in some of them the results of the work from the first two years of the restoration project is plainly visible.

Near peak June 21, 2011.

Upstream end of the Laramie River still has a “touch” of water on the greenbelt.

Rocks at Optimist Park still in place and showing up.

Willows and vegetation from first year construction doing great!

Willows and vegetation from second year construction trying to make a go of it.

First year site.