Colorado Reports & Other Publications
See below for links to reports and pubs. Click on report cover image to download the report.
Colorado US 160/SH151 Chimney Rock Wildlife Mitigation Research Project
Click on the image to download the 2024 Annual Report
Cramer, P. and R. Hamlin. 2024. Colorado’s US160/SH151 Wildlife Mitigation Research Project. Quarterly Reports to Colorado Department of Transportation. 15 pages.
This study examines the effectives of wildlife mitigation measures placed along US 160 at the Chimney Rock area of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe lands. With Reconyx brand wildlife monitoring cameras, the researchers are examining the effectiveness of the overpass and underpass for use by elk and mule deer; how the escape ramps are used or not used by wildlife; how wildlife may be going around fence ends and how an erosion control netting may impede animals from entering the fenced road right-of-way; and if wildlife are deterred by a wildlife guard (double cattle guard) where SR 151 ends at US 160. The research will also examine wildlife-vehicle crashes and carcasses over time to evaluate the drop in these rates after mitigation was placed. The Wildlife Connectivity Institute researchers are working with Southern Ute Indian Tribe wildlife ecologists to collect the data and make recommendations to Colorado DOT on what is working and adaptative management of the infrastructure.
Click on the elk image to download the 2024 Quarter 2 Report
Colorado State Highway 13 Craig Wildlife Mitigation Measures Research
Click on the report cover to download the 2023 Annual Report
Cramer, P. and R. Hamlin. 2024. Colorado’s SH 13 Wildlife Mitigation Measures Study. 2023 Annual Report. to Colorado Department of Transportation. 16 pages.
This SH 13 Wildlife Mitigation Measures Research Study evaluates the effectiveness of wildlife mitigation measures installed in CDOT’s SH 13 Fortification Creek Improvement Project. The main objective is to determine the effectiveness of the wildlife mitigation on wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs). The five-mile project includes the following wildlife mitigation measures: four low (4 feet) fence sections, one with a wildlife- detection driver warning system; three high (8 feet) fence sections, one with a wildlife crossing structure underpass; 11 dual sided escape ramps; and two electrified ZapCreteTM wildlife deterrent mats at intersections.
State Highway 9 Wildlife Crossings Monitoring Final Report to Colorado Department of Transportation
Click on report cover to download the report
Kintsch, J., P. Cramer, P. Singer, and M. Cowardin. 2021. State Highway 9 Wildlife Crossings Monitoring Final Report. Study Number 115.01. Report to Colorado Department of Transportation
The study established that the mitigation investments on SH 9 resulted in a 92% reduction in WVC crashes and a 90% reduction in carcasses. In addition to improving safety for motorists, the study demonstrated the success of the crossing structures in maintaining connectivity for mule deer across SH 9 for all age and gender classes of the population. The research documented 112,678 mule deer successful passages across the seven structures, with an overall success rate of 96%. The study also established the value of the wildlife crossing structures and other mitigation for a number of other species, including elk, pronghorn, moose, bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, black bear, mountain lion, bobcat, coyote, and other meso and small mammals.
US 160 Dry Creek Wildlife Study Final Report to Colorado Department of Transportation
Cramer, P. and R. Hamlin. 2021. US 160 Dry Creek Wildlife Research. Final Report to Colorado Department of Transportation.
The study monitored the effectiveness of the CDOT US 160 Dry Creek Wildlife Mitigation Project, located between Durango and Bayfield in Southwest of Colorado. Mitigation included a wildlife crossing structure at mile post (MP) 97.42, wildlife exclusion fence on both sides of US 160 from MP 97.05 to MP 97.82, and two EnviroGrid® Geocell treatments placed to deter wildlife from moving into the fenced mitigation area rights-of-way at the east fence ends.
Additional Publications
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Eastern Slope and Plains Wildlife Prioritization Study, Report No. 2022-03
Kintsch, J., P. Basting, T. Smithson, and G. Woolley. 2022a. Eastern Slope and Plains wildlife prioritization study. Report No. 2022-03. Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Denver, CO.
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Western Slope Wildlife Prioritization Study
Kintsch, J., P. Basting, M. McClure and J.O. Clarke. 2019. Western Slope Wildlife Prioritization Study. Report to Applied Innovation and Research Branch Colorado Department of Transportation, Denver, CO.