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OO~~70 '. economy. Tourism, general recreation, and energy industries should not be affected by impleI?-enting the Carriage Contract. McPhee Reservoir is an important recreation site in the area and fish and wildlife-related recreation is important in many areas of the county. Fishing is the primary recreation activity occurring on the reach of the Dolores River downstream from McPhee Dam. Reclamation and the DWCD also manage water in excess of Dolores Project needs to provide spill water for rafting opportunities downstream from McPhee Dam (starting at the Bradfield Bridge) in the spring. The boating season is dependent on water that is spilled from McPhee and thus the length and quality of the rafting season varies from year to year with runoff into the reservoir. Spill water is water in excess of that needed to fill the reservoir in the spring. The 6,000-8,000 acre-feet of water has historically been diverted from the Dolores Basin. During the last 10 years, this has happened at least three tinoes. In years that it stayed in McPhee Reservoir and runoff conditions caused McPhee to spill the following spring, the water could expand the spill period or the magnitude of the spill used by rafting. (Six thousand - eight thousand acre-feet could provide 3-4 days of rafting during years when spill occurred.) In the year 2000, the water was diverted from the basin, so there would have been no benefit to rafting. If the Carriage Contract is not executed, MVIC is anticipated to find other uses for the water as discussed previously under the No Action alternative, so it appears the water will not likely be available to supplement rafting flows under any alternative, including No Action. Cultural Resources Southwestern Colorado contains numerous archeological sites dating to both the prehistoric and historic periods. Some of the highest densities of cultural remains in the Southwest occur within Montezuma County. These cultural remains have been the subject of archeological research for many years. Based on the previous research near Pleasant View, a majority of sites in that immediate area are assignable to the Ancestral Puebloan culture and have been dated to approximately AD 700 to AD 1100. This time frame, known as the Basketrnaker III and Pueblo [-11 Periods, accounts for the greatest prehistoric occupation in the general area. Sites dating both before and after this time frame also occur, but in lesser numbers. Previous surveys along the Dolores Project canals and laterals indicate that an average of five to six sites per linear mile can be expected in the Carriage Contract area. With the anticipation of II miles of new DWCD piped laterals, it is expected that 55 to 66 sites will be encountered by the surveyors along the new DWCD distribution system. Additional sites will likely be found in other areas of ground disturbance. The proposed Dolores Carriage Contract meets the definition of an undertaking in 36 CFR Part 800.16 and does not qualify for the exemption from consultation criterion in 36 CFR Part 800.3. Reclamation, as the lead Federal agency for the Carriage Contract, must therefore comply with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHP A) for this undertaking. Reclamation expects impacts to occur from ground disturbing activities associated with the construction, use and 15