Where

Sage Hall, Room 140
Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO

Why

The Western San Juan Mountains are a storehouse of climatic, geologic biologic and cultural information that are the focus of attention by numerous federal, state and local agencies and academic institutions all of whom generate scientific data. The data these groups generate is often redundant, has limited distribution and is sometimes lost. This workshop will explore:

Who

The workshop is designed for representatives of organizations and groups who either generate research data or are heavy users of the San Juan Mountain System. This workshop is sponsored by Fort Lewis College, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

This workshop consisted of three parts:

Part 1 A full day of sharing of research activities by different federal, state and local government entities, industry and educational institutions.

Part 2 A half day of break-out sessions to define direction and strategy of a proposed Alpine Research Center.

Part 3 A half day natural history field trip from Durango to Silverton.

Each speaker prepared a 15 minute presentation that summarized the organization's research objectives and activities. These discussions addressed the following questions:

1. What does the agency do in the San Juan Mountains?
2. What kinds of research data does the organization generate?
3. What happens to this information and data?
4. How and to whom is this data disseminated?
5. Is this information archived or eventually discarded?
6. What future research is planned or desired?

After each presentation there were approximately 5 minutes for questions. At the end of each panel presentation there were approximately 20 minutes for open questions and answers between the audience and panel participants.

Contact Information:

The San Juan Mountain System

The Western San Juan Mountains lie in southwestern Colorado and contain some of the most diverse geology and ecology in the southwestern United States. The San Juan Mountain watershed contributes 17% of the water to the Colorado River above Lees Ferry. The San Juan Mountains contain bogs, ancient trees and rock glaciers that hold a historic climatic record of the Pleistocene. Indigenous people such as the Ute Indians and their ancestors have depended on the San Juan Mountains for their survival and spirituality for hundreds if not thousands of years. Modern humans have made their impact on this mountain system through precious metal mining, grazing and tourism. The USGS, since the time of Whitman Cross in the 1890's has generated an enormous database on the San Juan Mountains. Most recently the USGS has been involved in generating data in conjunction with the Abandon Mine Lands Initiative in the Upper Animas River Watershed. In partnership with the USGS the EPA and BLM have also generated data on river discharge and metal loading associated with abandoned gold and silver mines. The USFS is generating data associated with forest inventories and land use. They along with CDOT have monitored snow depths and have accumulated climate and hydrologic data. Cultural resource inventories, research and preservation initiatives have and continue to be developed by a number of entities. The San Juan Basin Health and Colorado Department of Health have also generated a local database. Over many decades numerous Masters and Ph.D. theses have been written on a variety of subjects relating to the San Juan Mountains. Unfortunately, there are so many sources and types of data that no one really knows what is available and how much redundancy exists. The Animas River Stakeholders Group and other similar groups have succeeded in coordinating much of the water-related data and issues, but generally they are poorly funded and have limited resources. To tap the historic record and to monitor environmental changes occurring in this unique mountain system, it is recommended that an Alpine Research Center be established. The objectives of such a center are: 1) to encourage coordinated research, 2) to establish a digital library database and 3) to develop educational workshops, classes, and teaching modules that facilitates the dissemination of research data to appropriate users.