Engineering Services Restore Rio Grande Water Quality in Monte Vista | LOR Foundation
In-Progress Water

Engineering Services Restore Rio Grande Water Quality in Monte Vista

  • Local Champion: Colorado Rio Grande Restoration Foundation
  • Date Funded: September 9, 2025
  • Grant Amount: $30,000

The Rio Grande provides drinking water for Monte Vista residents and irrigation for local farmers and ranchers, but eroding riverbanks on the town’s northwest side are washing loose soil into the river and reducing water quality. Recognizing the urgency of this issue, the executive director of the Rio Grande Restoration Foundation reached out to LOR with a plan to stabilize the river and protect the community’s water supply.

With LOR’s support, the Foundation will hire contractors to provide engineering, permitting, and construction management services for a restoration project focused on approximately one mile of riverbank downstream of Gunbarrel Road. The effort will reduce erosion, improve sediment flow, and enhance water quality—while also strengthening partnerships across the San Luis Valley to address critical regional water challenges.

Contact our community officer in Monte Vista. Meet Ivette Atencio
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