The Grover Wetlands

In 2012 my wife and I purchased our current homestead along the Rio Blanco River in southwestern Colorado. (Note that there are at least two rivers with that name in Colorado.). The lower 5 acres of our property located along the river was not treated kindly by previous owners. We obtained an EQIP grant (Environmental Quality Improvement Program) through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in 2018 to conduct a wetlands restoration project on that part of our property. After many hours of excavation and construction of diversion structures, all under the careful inspection of NRCS, we opened the headgate to our wetlands that September. Spanning 1.5 acres, it has since filled nicely and serves as important habitat for a range of wetland plant species; several bird species, including warblers not commonly seen in our area; elk; mule deer; beaver; bear; and mountain lions - just to name a few. I will continue to add photos to this collection as they become available.