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<br />headwaters to Lake Powell. Navajo Dam was constructed between 1958 and 1963 and Navajo
<br />Reservoir extends into both Colorado and New Mexico, Navajo Reservoir has a capacity of 1.7
<br />million acre-feet, a surface area of 15,610 acres, and 150 miles of shoreline, Approximately 225
<br />miles of the San Juan River are between Navajo Dam and Lake Powell.
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<br />Historically, Navajo Reservoir was operated to provide water storage and control San Juan River
<br />flows, Since 1962, it has been operated in a manner that reduced peak spring flows and
<br />supplemented flows in other seasons, Flows were generally near or above 1,000 cfs during the
<br />early operation years, Since 1992, a minimum flow of 500 cfs has been maintained and high
<br />spring releases or peak flows (5,000 cfs) have been provided to support the SJRBRIP for
<br />endangered fish,
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<br />Resources and Impacts
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<br />The major tributary to the San Juan in the project area is the Animas River which joins the river
<br />at Farmington, The primary water source for both rivers are the San Juan and LaPlata Mountains
<br />in Colorado, South of the San Juan River. the region is characterized by desert topography;
<br />broad dry washes carry significant sediment loads during periodic thunderstorm events, The
<br />project area is semi-arid to arid; the major part of the basin is less than 6,000 feet in elevation and
<br />receives less than 8 inches of precipitation annually, Vegetation ranges from pinon-juniper areas
<br />around Navajo Reservoir to desert shrubs and grasses around the lower San Juan River, The San
<br />Juan River corridor supports riparian species such as cottonwood trees, willow, and non-native
<br />salt cedar and Russian olive,
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<br />Major towns and communities include Farmington at the confluence with the Animas; and
<br />Bloomfield, Blanco, and Archuleta upstream and Fruitland, Shiprock, Bluff, Utah, and Mexican
<br />Hat, Utah, downstream from Farmington, Energy development, agriculture, and tourism and
<br />recreation are important industries in the area, In particular, agriculture and recreation are closely
<br />related to Navajo Reservoir and its release patterns in the San Juan River.
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<br />Bluff and Mexican Hat are tourism and recreation dependent, mostly involving rafting and
<br />cultural visitation, These two activities, in many cases, occur as a result of each other, People
<br />visit the area to participate in one activity and end up enjoying the other.
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<br />There are diversion structures for irrigation, municipal, and industrial uses of water both
<br />upstream and downstream from Farmington and these diversions support a large segment of the
<br />local and regional economy, The water rights for these diversions total approximately 230 cfs,
<br />but these rights have not been administered closely in the past, A significant trout fishery exists
<br />for approximately 7 miles downstream from Navajo Dam with fishing extending downstream to
<br />at least the Hammond Diversion, 15 miles from the dam, A commercial-guide industry has
<br />developed around the fishery, with guided "walk and wade" trips and float-fishing trips, The city
<br />of Farmington owns and operates the Navajo Hydropower facility at Navajo Dam,
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