PROJECTS
Beyond our ongoing programs, ECCD takes on focused, one-time projects that address specific resource concerns in Eagle County. These projects generate data, demonstrate new practices, and deliver direct improvements to our lands and waters. Explore our past and current projects below.
Ditch Efficiency Upgrade Project
Helping producers modernize aging irrigation infrastructure to save water and build drought resilience.
Through the Colorado Department of Agriculture's 2022 Drought Stimulus Program, ECCD distributed funding to 13 local producers to upgrade failing irrigation systems, improving headgates, flumes, and pipes across the district. These proactive upgrades reduced water loss, curbed erosion and sedimentation into local creeks, and helped producers irrigate in accordance with their adjudicated water rights even in dry years.
Projects ranged from rebuilding a century-old earthen ditch above East Lake Creek to replacing old headgates with modern Coanda screen systems. Each project was reviewed by the Conservation District board to meet the state's drought-mitigation objectives, with the shared goal of stretching every drop of water further while protecting soil and riparian health.
Colorado Association of Conservation Districts Demonstration Project
A pilot study testing rotational grazing and no-till fall planting to improve soil health and forage yield.
With support from the Colorado Association of Conservation Districts (CACD) and NRCS, ECCD conducted the Gypsum Creek Fall Planting and Rotational Grazing Pilot Project on a 64-acre hay field, in collaboration with a participant in ECCD's Virtual Fencing Project. The demonstration compared intensive rotational grazing paired with no-till fall planting against traditional tillage, measuring effects on soil water-holding capacity, soil health, and weed pressure across both flood- and boom-irrigated ground.
Over the two-year study (2022–2023), the test areas showed promising results: roughly 50% higher yield in 2023, increased plant species diversity on the boom-irrigated test site, reduced weed presence on the flood-irrigated test site, and improved soil health indicators including higher cation exchange capacity and fungal-to-bacterial ratios. The findings suggest these less common practices can maintain or even increase yields while building healthier soil, offering local ranchers a locally proven alternative to conventional methods and a foundation for wider adoption in the region.
Eagle Ranch Wildlife Committee Project
Baseline forage, vegetation, and soil health data to guide wildlife habitat conservation on Eagle's open space.
In partnership with the Eagle Ranch Wildlife Committee, the Town of Eagle Open Space, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, CSU Extension, and The Ground Up, ECCD collected baseline data on forage quality and quantity across the Town of Eagle's open space lands. Using stratified random sampling, field crews measured vegetation cover, production, utilization, and plant diversity, alongside soil health analysis, to evaluate ecosystem health and wildlife habitat potential for elk, mule deer, and other species that use these lands along their seasonal migration routes.
The findings informed a custom Native Reclamation seed mix, designed with native grasses and forbs selected for their nutritional and caloric value to grazing wildlife. The study gives land managers a clear picture of current conditions and a foundation for future restoration and conservation planning.
Colorado Soil Health Program
Tools, funding, and technical support that helped Eagle County producers build healthier, more resilient soils.
Selected to participate in the Colorado Department of Agriculture's Colorado Soil Health Program (CSHP, formerly the STAR Plus Program), ECCD worked with local producers across more than 500 acres to advance soil health management at the local level. The program provided producers with tools, resources, and funding, including free soil health testing, field assessments, and incentive payments matched by the producers themselves, to improve yields and strengthen conservation practices on their land.
ECCD assisted 8 producers in funding and implementing soil health practices including soil moisture probe installations, soil testing, no-till drilling, cover cropping, intensive grazing, and compost application. By leveraging producer investment with matching state funds, the program expanded the district's capacity to support practices that improve soil function, water-holding capacity, and long-term agricultural resilience.
CDA Wolf Conflict Mitigation Program
State-funded support that helped Eagle County producers reduce wolf-livestock conflict through proven nonlethal practices.
Funded by a $35,000 grant from the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) and conducted in alignment with the CDA/CPW Memorandum of Understanding, ECCD's Wolf Conflict Mitigation Program supported local livestock producers with cost-sharing, equipment, and training focused on carcass management, range riding, and technology-assisted monitoring. The program reduced wolf attractants and improved producers' ability to monitor herds and respond early to predator activity.
Over the 2025–2026 grant cycle, ECCD funded 62 carcasses burials, removals, and exclosures, distributed 16 carcass exclosure systems to producers and range riders, and supported hundreds of hours of range riding to mitigate the King Mountain pack in the Burns area, along with range rider training and trail-camera monitoring. ECCD also hosted a producer meeting with state officials and veterinary experts on wolf mitigation and depredation response. Together, these efforts strengthened producer capacity for conflict reduction and built lasting partnerships to carry the work forward.