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<br />· J j. I <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />UJ2~~'1 <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />El'.'VIRONMENT AL CONSEQUENCES <br /> <br />Proposed Action - Implementation of th~ proposed action will not significantly aff~t power production at either the <br />McPhee Dam Powerplant or Towaoc Canal Powerplant. <br /> <br />No Action. Implementation of the no action alternative would result in both powerplants operating as designed. <br /> <br />1. RECREATION <br /> <br />AFFECTED E1\'VIRO!\'1\-IEI\"T <br /> <br />Several types of recreational activity occur along the Dolor~s River downstream from McPhee Dam. The most <br />popular activities are fishing and rafting. Other activities include camping, hiking, photography and nature watching. <br /> <br />FISHING <br /> <br />Fishing is the primary recreational activity occurring on the reach of the Dolores River from McPhee Dam to <br />Eradfield Bridge, Fishing is aiso popuiar aownstrel'.m to the Dove Creek Pump Piant in conjunction with float trips <br />and increasingly with hike:-in or pack-in guid~ trips. The: Dolores River tail water fishery gained regional and <br />nationwide: recognition in the first few years after the dam was built. Tne significant loss of fish due to low releases <br />(20 cfs) i.r: ! 990 caused fIShing use to uedine drastically. Fishing has increas~ with recovery of the fishery since <br />199i. <br /> <br />A CDOW creel Ce:nsus during June-August ! 990 (ll p.=riod of e:xtremdy low flows) indicatr:d approximately 1.500 <br />angler days, with a total visitation of aOout 6.000 (Japile:. 1994). A voluntary cree! census station has been in place <br />at Bradfield Bridge since 1987: however. response rat~ are low. The responses may contain valuabie information <br />concerning the quality ortne fishing experience. During the latest census period of October 1992 to Augus: 1993. <br />52'it of the 132 respondents were from out of stllte. Tills compares favorabiy with the results or another 1990 cree: <br />census. which indicated that 577c of respondents were from out of state. USFS angler census figures for 1993 <br />indicate that 2,044 individuals fished the reach of river down to Bradfield Bridge (Stewar:., 1993): of these, 309 were <br />clients of outfitters, and 1,735 were members of private trips. <br /> <br />RAFTING <br /> <br />\\-bite .....ater bOllting opportunities on the Dolores River were adversely affected by the Dolores Project. As a <br />mitigation measure, Reclamation and DWCD are committed to manage .....ater excess to the Project (spills) to provide <br />maximize boating opportunities consistent with project purposes. Reclamation meets annually in the spring with <br />white water boaters and other interested parties to pllUJ spill releases based on runoff forecasts. Boating rela.ses are <br />scheduled on consecutive days lUJd announced to the public in advance in an effort to truike the best possible use of <br />available ex.cess water. <br /> <br />Very little rafting occurs on the reach of the Dolores River from McPhee Dam to Bradfield Bridge. Though the <br />USFS has issued a few pennits to outfitters allowing them to float tillS stretch of river in conjunction with fishing <br />trips, ~o pennits have been issued t~. cOlIunercial rllfting companies. <br /> <br />Rafting is very popular on the Dolores River downstream from Bradfield Bridge to as far as Bedrock. Tne differing <br />character of the river in two distinct reaches. one from Bradfield Bridge to Slick Rock (upper) and the other from <br />Slick Rock to Bedrock (lower), results in different types of rafting use on these raches. <br /> <br />Tile upper rach contains stretches of white water ana is favored by rafters Wllntin~ to experience this typ= or river <br /> <br />".., <br />