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Historically, wetlands in the project area occurred as bands of cottonwood trees, willows, grasses, and other water-tolerant plants along the Gunnison and Uncompahgre Rivers and their major tributaries. Away from the influence of these waterways, the limited precipitation supports saltbush and, at higher elevations, sagebrush. With the development of irrigation in the area some natural wetlands were cleared for farms and others were created as a result of irrigation. Approximately 22,000 acres of wetlands ranging from saltgrass pastures and cattail marshes to wetland shrubs and cottonwood woodland are found in the project area. Fisheries The Uncompahgre River provides poor fishery habitat because of high sediment loads, mineral pollution from the headwater area, and high sum- mer temperatures. Fish species identified include dace; sculpin; flan- nelmouth, white, and bluehead suckers; and rainbow and brown trout. The few small trout found in the river indicate little natural reproduction is occurring, and stocking accounts for most of the fish. Releases from Ridgway Reservoir of the Dallas Creek Project are expected to improve water quality and temperature of the Uncompahgre River. The improved quality is expected to significantly increase rainbow and brown trout populations. The upper reaches of several Uncompahgre River tributaries support cutthroat and brown trout. The lower reaches of these streams provide poor fishery habitat because of irrigation diversions which severely reduce streamflows during late SUDDDer. 001681 Cultural Resources A survey of cultural resources in the study area has recently been completed by Colorado State University. Final report preparation is underway. 10