The Pagosa Gateway Project focused on improving river function, habitat quality, bank stability, and recreational value along approximately 2.25 miles of the San Juan River upstream of Pagosa Springs.

This reach of the San Juan sees heavy recreational use and long-standing watershed pressures. Years of channel modification, hardened banks, altered floodplain conditions, and changing land use reduced habitat complexity and river function. Existing conditions included shallow, over-widened channel sections, limited fish habitat, localized bank instability, reduced riparian connectivity, and debris remaining from the 2019 high-water event.

Working with the Upper San Juan Watershed Enhancement Partnership, agencies, technical partners, and stakeholders, FlyWater led a full design-build approach from project development through implementation. Our team provided design, engineering, permitting, partner coordination, and construction services throughout the life of the project.

Restoration work focused on building a healthier and more functional river system. Treatments included new pool features, benthic grading to improve width-to-depth ratios, targeted in-channel rock placement to increase habitat diversity and flow complexity, riparian revegetation, floodplain connectivity improvements, debris removal, and localized bank stabilization.

Construction brought its own challenges. During implementation, a historic October flood event on the San Juan River created rapidly changing field conditions and added significant logistical hurdles to an already complex project. The design-build approach, close coordination with project partners, and adaptive field decision-making allowed the team to respond to changing conditions while keeping work moving and project goals intact.

Project features were designed to improve fish habitat, low-flow connectivity, pool depth, channel complexity, and overall ecosystem resilience across a wide range of flow conditions. Like many river projects, success required balancing habitat objectives, recreational use, geomorphic performance, partner and landowner interests, and the practical realities of construction.

The completed project created a healthier, more resilient reach of the San Juan River with improved aquatic habitat, strengthened riparian function, and long-term benefits for both river ecology and recreational users.