Innovative High Desert Plant Establishment

July 22, 2010

Rifle Gap State Park is a key recreation area and access point to Routt County and some of the best fishing, camping, and backpacking in our great state!  With plans to expand Park facilities, the Gap faces a key challenge common to Colorado park and open space managers - a serious lack of water!  Hines Engineers have been retained to develop a water resources management plan which will meet potable water requirements & allow for the phased establishment of native plant material over the coming years.

Why Landscape the Mountains??

When an area is disturbed through the development process, natural processes and systems are interrupted.  Wild landscapes, established over many years, benefit from natural habitat systems of support which moderate water use, soil health, heat mitigation, etc....  When an area is disturbed these systems may stall  and cannot be replicated quickly following construction.  Returning an area to a 'natural' state requires time and careful resource stewardship - subjects near and dear to the heart of Colorado Parks & Wildlife Staff!

In the challenging western Colorado climate, unsupported plant material would very quickly dry out and die due to a seasonal lack of precipitation, a lack of proper nutrient balance within the soil, and a variety of other factors latent in the development of new landscapes.  Areas designed for outdoor use and enjoyment would quickly turn into dry, unattractive areas lacking vegetation unless landscape areas are introduced & protected through infancy. 

As Rifle Gap expands, Hines Engineers are providing a plan to support the introduction of new plant materials with an irrigation system designed to establish new landscape, which will be weened off supplemental irrigation within 2-3 years.  After this establishment period, plant material will be returned to a non-irrigated state.

Innovative Water Resource Management

Hines Engineers have joined the project Civil Engineering team to evaluate the site water balance, review the current Park water right allotment, and to develop an innovative strategy for making very little water go a long way.  After visiting the site to review existing well pump capacity and location, reviewing the existing project information, site topography, and working with the Owner and design team to clarify development goals, maintenance concerns, and project schedule, Hines Engineers have put together a strategy for storing non-potable water below grade which can be distributed throughout the site to key irrigation zones.  Project phasing and plant establishment requirements have been synchronized to ensure plant material is well supported during infancy and then weened off supplemental irrigation prior to the next phase of development.

Water Conservation Highlights

Water Balance & Infrastructure

Given the opportunity to design the irrigation masterplan for this project, Hines Engineers are able to create a culture of water conservation from the beginning.  By designing & sizing infrastructure that only supplies the correct amount of water where & when it is needed we ensure that future operation of the system cannot exceed the original design intent and this goes a long way to keeping irrigation water use at or below the decreed water allotment.

Hines Engineers are experts at properly sizing water storage and distribution infrastructure.  Although this stuff is all underground, it is still important to size systems efficiently.  In addition to properly stewarding client budgets, we are also aware that good design contributes to proper resource management in the manufacturing process, transportation, maintenance, and electrical requirements.  There is no 'rule of thumb' sizing here, nor do we specify equipment ill suited to the job!

Balancing Competing Needs

In balancing the various water requirements on-site, Hines analyzed natural weather patterns, native plant water requirements, and precipitation rates at Rifle Gap State Park.  Pairing this with an understanding of plant establishment practices, we were able to develop a very concise understanding of how much water each new tree, shrub, and square foot of upland seed would require each day of the establishment season.  This allowed our engineers to significantly reduce the anticipated plant water requirements for the project, more effectively present equipment sizes and system operational options, potential phasing constraints, and impact on the development process.

Working with Parks & Gardens

Billy Gregg, of Parks and Gardens, has a long time connection with the Western Slope and maintains an office out of Routt County to serve clients in the area.  Working with Billy has been a distinct pleasure as he guides the formation of a truly native habitat within the development areas proposed by State Parks.  Working with Juniper, Pinon, & Ponderosa as well as a mix of native upland seed, Billy has created a seamless transition from the adjacent, untouched habitat to the new campground, picnic, and recreation areas at Rifle Gap.