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<br />t J .~ J <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />00217'7 <br /> <br />CHAPTER ill <br />AFFECTED ENVIRONl\1ENT <br />Al'H) ENVlRONMEI\"TAL CONSEQUENCES <br /> <br />A. INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />Descriptions of the site BDCi sening of McPhee Reservoir and the Dolores River downstream from McPhee Dam are <br />contained in the Final Environmental Statement (lNT FES 77-12) and DefImte Plan Report for the Dolores Project <br />(Reclamation 1977), the Fish and Wildlife Analysis for the Dolores Water Project (CDOW, 1974), the Dolores River <br />Wild and Scemc River Study Report (Depts. of Agriculture and Interior, Colo. Dept. of Nat. Resources, 1976), the <br />Draft Plan of Study for the Dolores Project Resources Optimization Study (ReclamatiOQ 1990), the Dolores River <br />Corridor Management Plan (BLM, 1990), the Dolores River Instream Flow Assessment Project Report (BLM, 1990), <br />and the Dolores River Native Fish Habitat Suitability Study (Bio!West, Inc.. 1992). The areas or resources <br />potentially affected by the proposed action and nO action alternative are generally confmed to the river channel and <br />floodplain of the Dolores River downstream from McPhee Dam.. Emphasis has bo-..en placed on the first 12 miles of <br />the river downstream from McPhee Dam to the Bradfield Bridge vicinity because this reach was expected to support a <br />cold water sport fishery in the original DPR!FES. TillS chapter addresses in detail the significant environmental <br />issuesiresources descri~ in Chapter 1 potentially an~ted by the proposed action and no action alternative. Other <br />issues or resources are aiso briefly descriDed. <br /> <br />B, AQUATIC RESOURCES <br /> <br />AFFECTED E!\~'lRO?\'MEfIo!'T <br /> <br />Dolores River Trout Fishery - Tne taiiwater trout fisher;.' in the Dolores River downstream of McPhee Dam was <br />estabiish~ soon after the dam was closeci in 198~. Recla."IUltion's FES identified e 12::nile section of the Dolores <br />River immediately downstream of McPhee Dam. which would provide suitable habitat for the development or a good <br />quaiity cold water (trout) fishery. Tnis section of river was initially stocked by the Coiorario Division of Wildlife <br />(CDO'W') in 1984 with fmgerlings of the following trout species: <br /> <br />Brown ~ 1n!DJl) <br />Cutthroat CSl1J..w.Q riarki) <br />Rai.I1Dow (Oncorb'-'Tlchus I!lvkiss). <br /> <br />Toe brown trout population is self sustaining. \\!hile successful natural reproduction of rainbow trout does occur, <br />natural reproduction is supplemented by the Rnnual stocking of fmgeriing rainbow trout. Concurrent with the <br />estaoiisiunent of the fishel}', the CDO\^" restricted angling methods within the quality trout section to fly fIShing and <br />IIrtificiallures only and designated the 12 mile reach as II catch-and-release fisher)'. Tile CDOW initiated annual <br />population monitoring studies of the fishery in 1986. lnfonnation gained from these studies over several years <br />provides a means to evaluate changes in the population structure and density as well as providing an indicator of the <br />relative quality and quantity of aquatic habitat. <br /> <br />From closure of the dam in 1984 through Februal}' of 1990, releases to the river were 78 cfs or greater. Overall. the <br />trout fishery probably reached the 78 cfs carrying capacity of the river in 1988 and 1989 when e combined estimated <br />bIOmass of over 44.6 Ib/ac of trout occurred throughout the quality trout section. <br /> <br />in March 1990, a dry year was designated by Reciamation and flow was reduced to 20 cfs. This flow was maintained <br />:hrougI: June 1~. 1990. wnen an aciditionR] 6.000 :\F 0; water was obtained by R~jamalion and flows were: ~creased <br />