As part of efforts to improve overall river health in Grand County, this Granby diversion structure rehabilitation is an extension of the Colorado River Connectivity Channel, an environmental enhancement measure related to the Windy Gap Firming Project. The CRCC will improve the passage of water, sediment and fish by reducing the footprint of the Windy Gap Reservoir by creating a channel to connect two segments of the Colorado River which also ties directly to the Fraser River.
March 16, 2021
Collaborating to Improve River Health at the Town of Granby’s Diversion Structure
Grand County aquatic life is finding it easier to navigate the neighborhood these days, thanks to a collaboration between Northern Water and several other entities. In 2020, Northern Water partnered with Trout Unlimited, the Town of Granby, Grand County and others to help improve the Fraser River near Granby's diversion structure.
This project resulted in a rehabilitated small dam and other infrastructure located at Granby’s diversion point on the Fraser River. This upgrade allows the town to divert its water and for fish also to pass through that stretch of river. The ability for fish and other species to migrate up and down rivers and streams is a critical element of a healthy habitat and overall ecosystem.
Northern Water donated about 1,600 tons of rocks – from boulders to cobblestones, trucking to transport the materials to the construction site, as well as employee labor. Also contributing to the project through funding and other support were Granby, Trout Unlimited, Colorado Water Conservation Board, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, Grand County and the Colorado Basin Roundtable. Freestone Aquatics and Flywater were the contractors on the project.