Hermosa Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP)

June 4, 2024 - The San Juan National Forest Columbine Ranger District conducted road maintenance and construction on Hermosa Park Road (NFSR 578) where the road crosses Sig and Relay creeks. Construction work will require road closures beginning August 19th, 2024, through September 13th, 2024.

The purpose of the closure is to replace road culverts with structures that will allow free passage for cutthroat trout and that are more appropriately sized to pass flood level flows. These culvert replacements are part of the Hermosa Creek Colorado River Cutthroat Trout Reintroduction effort and were identified as a project in the Hermosa Creek Special Management Area Plan, signed in 2018. Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the San Juan NF have cooperatively worked on the reestablishment of pure Colorado River cutthroat to the Hermosa Creek Watershed. These projects will connect cutthroat trout habitat that is currently fragmented by the road culverts.