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<br />The population of Eagle County grew 445 percent from 1970 to 2000, to a total of <br />41,659 (Reference 4). This growth has resulted from increased job opportunities <br />primarily in the service and professional industries (Reference 4). <br /> <br />Mean winter temperatures in the upper portion of the basins range from 30F to 310F, and <br />summer temperatures range from 350F to 740F. At lower elevations, such as the Town <br />of Eagle (6,500 feet), the winter variation is from 30F to 350F, and summer temperatures <br />range from 440F to 850F (Reference 5). <br /> <br />Total precipitation ranges from 40 inches to 50 inches per year on the higher peaks to <br />less than 12 inches per year near the Town of Gypsum. From 20 inches to 30 inches per <br />year is normal for areas at elevations of 8,000 feet to 10,000 feet. At lower elevations, <br />such as at the Town of Gypsum (6,300 feet), and at higher elevations between the Eagle <br />and Colorado Rivers, 50 percent or less of the total annual precipitation occurs from <br />October to April. In the higher mountainous areas in the eastern and southern portions of <br />the county, only 7 percent of the total annual precipitation occurs in that same time <br />period. Major portions ofthe Eagle River and Fryingpan River basins are at these higher <br />elevations (Reference 5). <br /> <br />The Eagle River basin covers 57 percent, or 990 sq. mi., of Eagle County and all but <br />14 sq. mi. is contained entirely within the county. It drains in a northwesterly and <br />westerly direction through the center of the county to the Town of Dotsero, where it <br />joins the Colorado River. <br /> <br />The lower Eagle River is separated from the Colorado River by Castle Peak on the north, <br />and from the Fryingpan River basin by Red Table Mountain on the south. The <br />topography is characterized by rolling hills and a wide valley floor. Vegetation in the <br />basin is less dense in the lower reaches than in the upper reaches. Slopes in the lower <br />Eagle River basin range from 65 feet per mile near the Town of Avon to 40 feet per mile <br />near the Town of Gypsum. The basin averages approximately 22 miles wide, is 27 miles <br />long, and has a drainage area of 584 sq. mi. Elevations vary from 11,785 feet at <br />Red Table Mountain to 6,120 feet at the mouth of the river. <br /> <br />The upper Eagle River basin, which runs from just above Gore Creek to the <br />Continental Divide, is oriented toward the northwest and is bounded on the west by the <br />Sawatch Range. The southern Gore Range separates it from the Gore Creek basin on the <br />east. The high point in the basin is Mount of the Holy Cross with an elevation of <br />14,005 feet. The upper portion is open, rolling terrain; in the lower reach, near the Town <br />of Minturn, there are steep mountain walls. The basin is approximately 11 miles wide <br />and 19 miles long and has a drainage area of 260 sq. mi. just below Minturn. Slopes <br />range from 500 feet per mile on some smaller streams at higher elevations to 65 feet per <br />mile in the study area near the Town of Minturn. <br /> <br />The Fryingpan River flows west from the Sawatch Range to its confluence with the <br />Roaring Fork River at the Town of Basalt. Through the study reach, it has a moderately <br />steep, shallow, and wide channel. The channel slope is approximately 50 feet per mile, <br />while its depth and width are approximately 2 feet to 3 feet and approximately 60 feet, <br />respectively. Ordinarily, the floodplain is approximately 100 feet wide because the river <br />usually follows a narrow canyon, but the floodplain is as wide as 400 feet in some <br />places. The vegetation along the floodplain consists of cottonwood trees and grass in the <br /> <br />9 <br />