Rocky Mountain Field Institute 2014 Garden of the Gods Restoration Report. January 12, 2015

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1 January 12, South 25 th Street, Suite 101 Colorado Springs, CO Dedicated to the conservation and stewardship of public lands in the Pikes Peak Region

2 2 SUMMARY In 2014, the Rocky Mountain Field Institute (RMFI) completed its twelfth year as the land steward organization in Garden of the Gods Park. RMFI staff developed an ambitious work plan for the year that included addressing new high priority impacts identified by the City of Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation Department. The work showcased the organization s diverse technical skill set and the commitment of the community to care for a treasured landscape. RMFI s 2014 work in the Garden of the Gods focused on three distinct sites: 1) Jaycee Plaza, 2) North Gateway, and 3) Camp Creek. Objectives in these areas included the closure and restoration of social trails and erosion gullies, installation of check dams and other erosion control structures, and construction of trail stabilizing and enhancement structures. All three of these areas were sections of the park that RMFI had not previously addressed. Project objectives were agreed upon during site visits with park staff in early 2013 and were driven by action items found in the Park Master Plan. In 2014, a total of 1,084 volunteers representing local and regional community groups and businesses worked 5,040 hours over the course of 43 workdays for a total work value of $113,658 (at $22.55 per hour, independentsector.com). A list of the groups that volunteered with RMFI in 2014 can be found at the end of this document. BACKGROUND Considered the crown jewel of the Colorado Springs parks system, the Garden of the Gods is the most heavily used park in the City, drawing nearly 2 million visitors per year. Measuring only 1,300 acres in size, the park s visitor density is 100 times greater than that of Rocky Mountain National Park. In 2014, Garden of the Gods was awarded Trip Advisor s Travelers Choice Award as the best park to visit in the United States. Preserving the park and managing the impacts associated with such extraordinary levels of use have long been an exceptional challenge for the City of Colorado Springs. Most of the trails in the Garden were established in the 1930s and were never designed to accommodate the current level of use. As a result, mazes of social trails, deep gullies, and large areas void of vegetation caused by park visitors looking for a shortcut or a respite off the beaten path exist in several areas of the park. In addition, many of the climbing access trails are straight lines up to the base of climbs, and do not consider the surrounding topography and effects of water. Over time, these social trails have become a conduit for water and erosion, resulting in down- cut trails and deep gullies that in some areas are over two feet below the surrounding terrain. The situation is worsened by the fact that the soils in the park are the most erodible in El Paso County- up to 5 times that of other soil types. In 2002, RMFI initiated the Garden of the Gods Community Restoration Program, which was the result of a two- year study of the ecological state of the park. The study documented an array of threats affecting the park s ecological health including severe soil erosion, damage to the park s native plant communities, infestations of noxious plants, a deteriorating trail system, and lack of

3 3 visitor awareness. Since the program's inception, RMFI has mobilized over 14,800 volunteers who have contributed over 65,600 hours towards the park's restoration initiatives and has leveraged roughly $420,000 cash into $1.5 million worth of on- the- ground restoration. The primary goals of the Garden of the Gods Community Restoration Program are to: Provide stewardship opportunities for a broad spectrum of the community including individuals, local schools, community organizations, businesses, and religious institutions; Foster community awareness about the ecology and natural history of the Garden of the Gods Park; Educate the community about the current threats to the park; Complete critical restoration work in areas of the park most severely degraded. WORK NARRATIVE Work objectives for 2014 focused on three distinct work sites: 1) Jaycee Plaza, 2) North Gateway, and 3) Camp Creek. Project objectives at each site were accomplished through open enrollment and private volunteer workdays with RMFI staff oversight. Open enrollment days, held typically on weekends, were available to anyone in the community who wanted to give back to the City s most treasured park. Open enrollment events were attended by individual volunteers, church groups, high schools, local businesses, and others. Additionally, RMFI hosted private workdays for specific groups. For example, employees from the U.S. Olympic Committee attended a mid- week event catered to their interests. A typical volunteer day was 6.5 hours in length. Volunteers were initially given an orientation including an introduction to the Garden of the Gods, the work site, and project goals. Volunteers were also briefed on environmental and safety hazards as well as proper use of tools. RMFI supplied all tools, personal protective equipment, water, and snacks. RMFI staff assigned volunteers specific tasks based on project needs and volunteer interest. Activities included building erosion control structures such as rock check dams, moving rock and dirt to fill incised gullies and social trails, constructing rock steps on designated trails, spreading native seed mix, and laying erosion control matting. A common activity was bucket brigading where volunteers lined up in a fire line to help move buckets of material from the source pile to an eroded area needing to be brought back up to grade. RMFI field instructors trained in restoration techniques and volunteer management supervised all work events. Jaycee Plaza Jaycee Plaza and the surrounding area served as the primary work site for spring This area is one of the most popular places in the park due to its views of the Gateway- an opening between the massive South Gateway and North Gateway rock formations. Jaycee Plaza also attracts users because of its close proximity to a main parking lot, a large rock ring that offers seating, and easy access to the White Rock formation. Unfortunately, these factors worked together to decrease native grass populations and degrade wildlife habitat.

4 4 With assistance from City of Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation staff, RMFI designed a new layout for the Jaycee Plaza area that included a fenced corridor to limit visitor access and impact to a confined area. Approximately ¾ of an acre of shortgrass prairie was fenced off and rehabilitated with a native seed mix, layer of mulch to prevent soil loss, and transplanted vegetation plugs including yucca and blue grama. Park and RMFI staff monitored the site throughout the spring and summer months. By the end of the field season, a significant portion of the native seed had germinated and the transplanted vegetation plugs were performing well (before and after photos are included at the end of the document). North Gateway The North Gateway rock outcrop towers over the Central Garden area and serves as a main attraction for park visitors. The main parking lot for the park is located just below North Gateway and its Kissing Camels formation is one of the most iconic features in the park. The rock is mostly off- limits to visitors, however rock climbers with proper permitting can access the extreme southern and northern ends of the formation. Work in North Gateway was divided into southern, central, and northern work zones and focused on improving climbing access trails and restoring user- created social trails. This work area encompassed approximately 6.5 acres. Southern North Gateway Several multi- pitch climbing routes exist on the southern end of North Gateway. However, many of the areas lack designated access trails to the climbing routes. To access the Snuggles climbing area, for example, climbers were required to use a maze of fall- line trails that caused excessive damage to the ecosystem and increased sediment deposition onto the sidewalks below. To address the issue, crews established a single access trail by constructing rock steps and walls that supported the natural contours of the trail. All redundant trails in the area were closed using RMFI s restoration prescription (Appendix 1). In addition, a gate was installed with signage indicating the trail was only to be used by climbers with proper permits. Central North Gateway Running parallel to the North Gateway formation was a social trail more than 600 feet in length that carved through the pinon- juniper ecosystem. The social trail was approximately 5 feet wide and incised more than 3.5 feet in some areas. The trail had displaced hundreds of cubic feet of sediment and was an eyesore to one of the more popular areas of the park. Work crews closed and restored the social trail and incised gully using RMFI s restoration prescription (Appendix 1). Northern North Gateway The northern end of North Gateway was more heavily impacted by recreational use than the southern end. Prior to park enforcement keeping users on designated trails, users traversed from the east side of North Gateway to the west side using social trails. These impacted areas were characterized by steep terrain and were heavily incised due to the absence of stabilizing structures and an unsustainable trail alignment. Additionally, park vehicles were using this area to access an electrical box, which caused more damage to the area. The electricity has since been turned off and fencing has been installed to keep users out of the area.

5 5 To restore social trails in this work zone, work crews installed 13 surface check dams designed to slow the flow of water and capture sediment. Ultimately, the sediment that is collected will naturally refill the gully, bringing it back up to grade. Some check dams measured as much as 8 feet wide, 6 feet long, and 4 feet high due to the severe erosion that had occurred. Camp Creek Camp Creek is an ephemeral stream running north- south along the eastern boundary of Garden of the Gods Park, delivering runoff from Queens Canyon into the City. Camp Creek is flanked to the east by the Foothills Trail, a hard- surface multi- use trail used by hundreds of recreationists daily. To the west of Camp Creek is the Dakota Trail, a soft- surface trail popular with hikers and trail runners. The area between these two trails is an approximately 20- acre parcel of shortgrass prairie and pinion- juniper ecosystems. This area once served as a refuge for populations of bighorn sheep, mule deer, black bear, and other wildlife indigenous to the park. However, social trail development in the Camp Creek corridor has resulted in major disturbance to the area. In 2014, work crews closed over 5,500 linear feet of social trail in the Camp Creek corridor. This consisted of one major trail artery approximately 5- feet wide running north- south through the area, with smaller 12- to 18- inch trails branching off from the main trail. Social trails were closed using the restoration prescription outlined in Appendix 1. The work in Camp Creek provides critical landscape stabilization that conserves the environmental health of the park. It also enhances wildlife habitat and the visitor experience by maintaining the beauty of the resource while providing sustainable recreation opportunities. WORK ACCOMPLISHMENTS A tremendous amount of work was accomplished in the Garden of the Gods in Highlights include the protection of more than 75 acres of shortgrass prairie habitat and the improvement of climbing access trails to North Gateway. All of this work was done in compliance with the City of Colorado Springs, and Garden of the Gods park personnel. City employees provided restoration material as needed and helped to ensure the work RMFI accomplished was in line with the goals of the park. Work Statistics Jaycee Plaza.75 acres protected 11 pounds of native seed 84 native vegetation transplants North Gateway 6.5 acres protected 13 check dams cubic feet of dirt 29 native vegetation transplants Left: Volunteers restoring social trails in the North Gateway area.

6 6 8.5 pounds of native seed Camp Creek 70 acres protected 5,500 linear feet restored 480 native vegetation transplants VOLUNTEER STATISTICS 43 workdays 1,084 volunteers 21 volunteer groups 5,040 volunteer hours $113,658 work value (at $22.55 per hour, independentsector.com) Volunteer Organizations Atlas Preparatory School Catamount Institute Outdoors Club Cheyenne Mountain High School Colorado College EnAct Club Colorado College Women s Basketball Team Colorado Springs School DeLaSalle High School Denver University First Presbyterian Church Fort Carson Mortar Board North Middle School Notre Dame Alumni Club Pikes Peak Community College Starbucks United States Air Force Academy United States Olympic Committee University of Colorado at Colorado Springs West Michigan Academy Wide Open West Above: Students from Colorado Springs School transport rock for check dams at North Gateway. CSS students have volunteered in the park 3 times each year for the past 13 years.

7 7 PHOTOS Above: Before and after images of gullies in the North Gateway area. Photo on right shows gully treated with check dams. Below: Before and after images of the Jaycee Plaza area. Photo on right was taken just weeks after spring restoration efforts; by late summer, the area was completely revegetated with native species.

8 8 APPENDIX 1 RMFI s restoration prescription for restoring erosion gullies: Decompact and aerate hardened surfaces (soil tilled between 4 and 6 inches in depth). If the area is gullied, use native soil to bring the gully back up to grade with the surrounding area. Install sub- surface check dams if gullies allow water to gain significant velocity. Sub- surface check dams are below ground rock structures that stabilize the slope and keep soils in place. Prep the soil seedbed by removing large rocks and smoothing the soil s surface. Spread and rake in native seed mix (Appendix 2). On steep slopes, aspen- fiber (or excelsior) erosion control matting is installed and secured with 4- inch biodegradable stakes. Each side of the matting is trenched and stakes are pounded in angled toward the outside edge of the matting. The trenches are then covered with dirt to create a seamless transition between surrounding soil and the matting, preventing water flow under the matting. In areas where there is little to no slope, mulch can be used as an alternative to matting. The purpose of the mulch or matting is to provide cover for newly spread soil and seed on restored areas. Dead and downed branches or slash are placed on the matting for additional stabilization and to provide a microclimate for the seed. Leaf litter is also scattered to help lessen the visual disturbance of the bright yellow matting. Split- rail fencing and educational signs are installed.

9 9 APPENDIX 2 Garden of the Gods native seed mix consisted of the following plants: Genus/Species Bouteloua curtipendula Pascopyrum smithii Bouteloua gracilis Schizachyrium scoparium Festuca ovina Nassella viridula Panicum virgatum Common Name Sideoats grama Western wheatgrass Blue grama Little bluestem Sheep fescue Green needlegrass Switchgrass CONTACT INFORMATION Joe Lavorini, RMFI Program Director joe@rmfi.org