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<br />Water Supply Reserve Account – Grant Application Form <br />Form Revised October 2006 <br />_______________________________________ <br /> <br />Please provide a brief narrative of any related or relevant previous studies. <br />4. <br />Attach additional <br />sheets as needed. <br /> <br />The North Fork of the Gunnison River flows from the West Elk Mountains through the towns of <br />Somerset, Paonia, and Hotchkiss in western Colorado. The river is bordered by a rural <br />agricultural valley, containing fruit orchards, vineyards, hay fields, and various kinds of ranch ing. <br />Coal and gravel mines provide work for 680 valley residents, while 500 subsist on agriculture, and <br />400 make a living at other types of jobs. The community relies on flows from the North Fork <br />basin for crop irrigati on , drinking water , and recreation. <br /> <br />The Watershed Restoration Action Strategy of the North Fork of the Gunni son River was <br />completed in November 2000 and developed as a living document to guide the actions of the <br />North Fork River Improvement Association. Each year the document is updated at annual <br />strategic planning sessions. <br /> <br />A report entitled Preliminary Asses sment of the Morphological Characteristics of the North Fork <br />of the Gunnison River concludes that the use of “push - up gravel dams” and streambank de - <br />stabilization is the primary cause for water quality degradation throughout North Fork of the <br />Gunnison Rive r. The North Fork River Improvement Association’s water quality monitoring <br />program has evaluated water quality samples each month since 2001 and has measurably <br />concluded that an increase in sediment is directly attributed to an increase in selenium and <br />pho sphates. <br /> <br />The Association’s streambank monitoring program has established permanent cross sections in <br />1997 within the project limits. A Colorado Division of Wildlife report indicates excessive <br />sedimentation as the primary limiting factors contributing to p oor fisheries value. The agency <br />regards the restoration of this river as a high priority. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />9 <br /> <br />