Historic land use practices had resulted in destabilization of this reach of the San Miguel River creating an excessively wide and shallow cross-section at the point of effluent discharge from the Town of Telluride Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. In order to re-stabilize the river and maximize effluent mixing to meet CDPHE water quality standards, ERC designed and implemented a natural channel design approach along the 485’ reach that stabilized the channel, re-established appropriate width-depth ratios, increased sinuosity and created native riparian floodplain habitat. ERC/Tezak delivered the project utilizing a turn-key design-build model, providing initial concept development, cost estimates, construction plans, complete regulatory permitting and construction implementation including earthwork, vegetation transplants, nursery willow installation and native reseeding.

Town of Telluride Wastewater Treatment Discharge, San Miguel River Stabilization