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OOJ5~:;8 RECREATION Affected Environment Ruedi Reservoir. Ruedi Reservoir is a developed recreation attraction on the western slope, offering a wide variety of recreational opportunities. Camping is by far the most popular activity followed by fishing and then boating (USDI, 1989; Keneally, 2001). The general season of use at Ruedi is Memorial Day through the weekend after Labor Day, with heaviest use occurring from July 4th to Labor Day. Use of the area decreases after Labor Day as campgrounds begin to close and other services end for the season, although use has been increasing during this "shoulder" season. Fall/winter recreation activities at the reservoir include camping (associated with hunting), fishing, and, when available, ice fishing (Keneally,2001). Preliminary data from the Roaring Fork Conservancy indicate that over 70% of respondents participated in watercraft associated activities, the predominant activity on Ruedi Reservoir. Thirty-two percent of those activities were motorboating, while 20% were sailing, 10% were jet skiing, 7% were kayaking or canoeing, and 5% were sail boarding. Fifty percent of respondents camped and 32% fished from shore (Crandall, 2002). The U.S. Forest Service manages the water surface and lands around Ruedi Reservoir under agreement with Reclamation. They operate four campgrounds, two day-use areas, and the Ruedi Marina, as shown in Figure 3.1. Three of the campgrounds--the Mollie B, Little Maud, and Little Mattie--are located next to Ruedi Marina, while the Dearhamer Campground is located at the east end of the reservoir. Picnicking and beach facilities are available at the Freeman Mesa day-use. area located at the middle of the north shore. There is one privately owned facility on the reservoir, the Aspen Yacht Club (Club). The Club maintains a small boathouse, single-lane concrete boat ramp, and floating dock on the north shore. The Yacht Club has 75 family memberships and 45 boat slips (usually all occupied). It hosts at least one regatta every summer--the two-day regatta in the summer of 2001 drew 60 boats and 250-300 people. The.Yacht Club hosts youth sailing classes once a week during summer. There are a total of three boat ramps located at the reservoir: Ruedi Marina, Dearhamer, and Aspen Yacht Club. The RuediMarina boat ramp has a toe elevation of 7,704 feet, and becomes unusable at approximately 51,800 af of storage. Dearhamer and Aspen Yacht Club boat ramps are usable when reservoir levels are at or above an elevation of 7,747.5 feet or 85,000 AF of storage. Fishing. Reservoir operations have moderated natural flows along the part of the Fryingpan River between the dam and the Roaring Fork River. Moderation of the stream flow has improved the sport fishery, especially for brown trout (Strange, 1998). The Fryingpan River between Ruedi Dam and the Roaring Fork River has been designated by the CDOW as Gold Medal Water, as mentioned, indicating a greater than average potential to catch trophy trout. This part of the river has restrictions requiring catch and release of all trout, except brown trout, and catch and release of any brown trout over fourteen inches. The Forest Service currently permits four outfitter-guides along the public land parts of the Fryingpan River from Ruedi Dam to Basalt. Outfitter-guide operations generally run from the beginning of May through the end of October, an estimated 75% of the user trips are between July 1 and September 30 (Table 3,5). 18