Turning the River Right-Side-Up – Restoring the Swan River After a Century of Mining Impacts

Jason R. Lederer, CPESC, LEED AP

Following over a decade of planning, in 2017 a diverse group of public, non-governmental, and private partners, completed the first phase of restoration work on the Swan River Restoration Project near Breckenridge, Colorado. The Swan River Valley was heavily impacted by dredge boat mining during the early 1900’s, which literally turned the river up-side-down, leaving the valley bottom virtually devoid of natural resource function or value. The recently completed stream corridor restoration work serves as a demonstration project showcasing techniques to reclaim and naturalize a severely mine-scarred landscape to a geomorphologically appropriate channel, floodplain, riparian fringe, and upland corridor. Project objectives focused on utilizing natural stream design principles, materials and techniques in order to provide opportunities for temporal geomorphologic adjustment, as would have occurred in the pre-mining landscape. The restored Swan River valley bottom will serve as public open space providing recreational opportunities to anglers, hikers, and other visitors, as well as provide critical habitat for a myriad of aquatic and terrestrial species. Work continues on this multi-year effort, which is applying lessons learned on the first restoration phase to ongoing restoration work in the Swan River Valley. Once fully implemented, this unique project will restore continuity to three tributaries and over seventeen miles of the Swan
River.

Mr. Lederer is a Senior Resource Specialist with the Summit County Open Space and Trails Department. Open Space and Trails manages open spaces, trails, and trailheads to preserve and maintain Summit County's rural mountain character, unique natural areas and high quality of life for residents and visitors. Mr. Lederer is a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control and a LEED Accredited Professional with over fifteen years of experience in a variety of environmental design and planning projects throughout the United States. He has diverse experience working in the public, private, and non-profit sectors and has assumed a variety of roles as a technical scientist, environmental planner, educator, and advocacy & outreach professional. At Summit County, Mr. Lederer plays a leading role managing large scale environmental and recreational planning efforts, often in collaboration with diverse local, state, and federal agencies, as well as nongovernmental organizations.