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<br />-,002424 <br /> <br />WATERSHED PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES <br /> <br />This section identifies the types of problems which exist in the watershed. The <br /> <br /> <br />problem areas are identified and the extent of the problems within-each area are <br /> <br /> <br />quantified. Potential opportunities to improve the quality of life and enhance <br /> <br /> <br />environmental values are also discussed. <br /> <br />The problems within the watershed include: water quality, water quantity, and <br /> <br /> <br />irrigation induced erosion. Additional problems include rural water quality, and fish <br /> <br /> <br />and wildlife habitat. <br /> <br />Water Qualitv <br /> <br />There is a concern that the local geology and current land use practices are adversely <br /> <br /> <br />affecting the water quality of the surface drainage and groundwater. Salts have long <br /> <br /> <br />been known to be a water quality problem in the basin~, -hl=Wwever, during the last <br /> <br /> <br />several years, higher levels of nutrients, trace elements, and heavy metals in irrigation <br /> <br /> <br />drainages, wells, and the Arkansas River have been detected. This has a detrimental <br /> <br /> <br />effect on human health, fish and wildlife, and agricultural uses. The Colorado Non- <br /> <br /> <br />Point Assessment Report identified sediment and salinity as well as other water <br /> <br /> <br />quality problems in the reach of the Arkansas River which is impacted by the project. <br /> <br />Intensive lirrigation of high fertilizer use crops predominate the land use in the <br /> <br /> <br />watershed. Irrigation waters percolate through the soils and flow down gradient <br /> <br />;lZi:5 <br />