[미국] 애리조나 습지 보호·복원을 위해 내무성과 농림부 협력

애리조나 중심부의 Cragin 저수지의 보다 나은 보호와 재생을 위해 미 농림부와 내무성이 새로운 합작 습지 복원 협정을 체결했다고 밝혔다. 이 협정은 서부 습지 강화 협력의 파이럿 프로젝트이며 오바마 대통령의 기후 조치 계획의 일환으로써 소이제 피해 절감과 서부습지에 대한 영향 절감을 목표로 하고 있다. 

새로운 협력은 솔트강 프로젝트, 국유림 재단, 페이슨 시, 간척부, 미 산림청과 연계해서 지방의 물 공급을 보호하고 소이제와 홍수 피해를 최소화하기 위해 공동 협력한다. 또한, 잠재적인 프로젝트는 귝가 산림 시스템 지역의 산림 간벌, 식목, 하안 식생 개선, 스프링 및 수로 복원, 다른 습지 및 산림 건강 향상을 포함한다.

Under a new joint watershed restoration agreement, the Department of Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have teamed up to better protect and restore the C.C. Cragin Reservoir in Central Arizona. The agreement is a pilot project of the Western Watershed Enhancement Partnership, aimed at reducing the risks of costly wildfires and their impact on western watersheds as part of President Obama's Climate Action Plan.

This new partnership joins the Salt River Project, National Forest Foundation, City of Payson, Bureau of Reclamation, and the U.S. Forest Service in collaborative efforts to assess and implement treatments that protect the municipal water supply and minimize wildfire and flood risks. Potential projects include forest thinning, prescribed fire, tree planting, riparian vegetation improvements, stream, spring and channel restoration, and other forest and watershed health improvements on National Forest System lands within the area.

The partners will develop a collaborative five-year action plan specifying the treatment zones and planned restoration and protection activities, as well as accomplishment goals and funding commitments. Connor and Bonnie were joined by Payson Mayor Kenny Evans, Salt River Project Deputy General Manager John Sullivan and National Forest Foundation's Colorado Program Director Marcus Selig.

Since 2002, three large fires have threatened the watersheds that contribute to C.C. Cragin Reservoir, burning more than 10,000 acres. The location of these fires was of great concern due to their potential to quickly progress through a large part of the watersheds. There have been several small fires near the reservoir itself, including one last year that burned 40 acres and one this year burning close to 10 acres.

The Western Watershed Enhancement Partnership was formally established in July 2013 by Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. Its goal is to restore forest and watershed health and proactively plan for post-wildfire responses to protect municipal and agricultural water supplies. Flows of sediment, debris and ash into streams and rivers after wildfires can damage water quality and often require costly emergency measures at treatment plants to repair damage to habitat, reservoirs and facilities.

Interior and USDA are working with state and local stakeholders on five additional pilots across the West, including:
Colorado-Big Thompson Headwaters in Colorado
Boise River Reservoir Partnership in Idaho
Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region in California
Yakima Basin in Washington State
Hungry Horse Reservoir/Flathead River in Montana

C.C. Cragin Dam and Reservoir, part of the Salt River Project since 2005 when the Arizona Water Settlements Act was implemented, is part of a system of reservoirs in two watersheds encompassing 8.4 million acres. It impounds water from East Clear Creek, a tributary to Clear Creek and the Little Colorado River. Virtually all of the land surrounding the reservoir is owned by the USDA Forest Service. The Reservoir and Dam are owned by Reclamation but operated by the Salt River Project.

 

[출처 =  Water World / 2014년 8월 29일]