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<br />Cimarron Dredging Environmental Assessment <br /> <br />monitor any changes as a resulr of the proposed action. If no major changes in water quality are <br />observed, Reclamation may decrease the frequency of water quality sampling from daily to <br />weekly. In addition. Reclamation would visually monitor the water quality in Crystal Reservoir. <br />If the lower end of Crystal Reservoir becomes significantly turbtd (cloudy). dredging activities <br />would be stopped to reduce the amount of suspended sediments being transported below Crystal <br />Dam. Once the reservoir began to dear. dredging activities could resume. <br /> <br />Water Ri!!hts <br /> <br />Water rights in the Upper Gunnison Basin include both direct flow and storage rights. One of the <br />project authorizations for the Aspinall Unit was to store Upper Basin States water. The Aspinall <br />Unit would continue under normal operations. providing warer to meet downstream obligations <br />(water rights. delivery contracts. etc.). The proposed action is projected to have no effect on <br />warer rights or Aspinall warer deliveries. <br /> <br />Historical and Cultural Resource Prooerties <br /> <br />The proposed project is located near the Curecanti Archeological District (District). The District <br />consists of a complex of over 200 recorded archeological sites and encompasses 6,750.25 acres. <br />The Disrrict was listed on the National Regisrer of Historic Places on August IS, 1984. <br />Prehistoric sites dating back to 8,000 B.C. represent a significant change in the understanding of <br />how these early people used Colorado's high mountain valleys. A large collection of anifacts <br />from the area are in storage at the Midwest Archeological Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. In <br />addition, thirty-nine sites generally associated with the Ute Tribe and classified as temporary <br />camps have been identified in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (NPS 1997). <br /> <br />Historic resources within the Curec:mti National Recreation Area illustrate three great human <br />achievements-building narrow gauge railroads. dam building/engineering, and <br />homesteading/saw milling (NPS 1997). The proposed project is in the Cimarron area and is a <br />focal point for illustrating the role of the narrow gauge railroad in the development of western <br />Colorado. A display at Cimarron depicts the rise and fall of the narrow gauge railroad as a <br />mountain transportation system. <br /> <br />No impacts to cultural or historic resources are projected because l) the project would be <br />completely within a previously disturbed area, 2) dredging activities would be conducted within <br />the high water line of the Gunnison River. and 3) vehicles and equipment would use existing <br />roads to transport the dredged material off-site. <br /> <br />Indian Trust Assets <br /> <br />Indian trust assets are legal interests in property held by the United States for Indian Tribes or <br />individuals. Reclamation and other Federal agencies share the responsibility to protect these <br /> <br />16 <br />