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Section 6 Water Needs Assessment A Recreation Area Management Plan for management of recreation use on public lands adjacent to the Arkansas River was completed by the BLM in 1982. While several elements of that original plan were implemented in the form of facility development, maintenance improvements, and visitor information materials, much still remained to be done. A planning process, which began in 1986, was completed in October of 1989 with the finalization of the Arkansas River Recreation Management Plan (ARRMP) as a part of the establishment of the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA). The AHRA is a partnership between the BLM and CDPOR to manage recreation resources and activities along 148 miles of the river from its headwaters near Leadville down to Pueblo Reservoir. This plan expands the scope of the recreation management partnership to include the USFS and the CDOW. The Arkansas River Recreation Management Plan can be found at: http://www.parks.state.co.us/ arkansas/management.asp Key elements of the plan include (CDPOR and BLM): ^ Managing recreation resources and activities along 148 miles of the Arkansas River from its headwaters near Leadville to Pueblo Reservoir. ^ The Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area shall be managed to emphasize its natural resources, resource sustainability, and the standards for public land health, recognizing and respecting private property, while embracing numerous recreational, educational, and commercial activities. The Arkansas Headwaters is one of the nation's premier recreation areas. The area offers abundant and outstanding opportunities for fishing, rafting, kayaking, picnicking, hiking, camping, mountain biking, and sightseeing among deep canyons, broad valleys, and towering mountain peaks. The cities and towns along the river include Leadville, Buena Vista, Salida, Canon City, Florence, and Pueblo. The Arkansas River offers fishing opportunities for every type of angler - from the bank or from a boat. The trout population in the Arkansas is 90 percent self-reproducing brown trout and 10 percent Colorado River rainbows, which are introduced as fingerlings. Fish density is about 2,000 fish per mile on the average. The fishing is best when the flows are lower and the water is clear. The river starts to clear up at around 1,200 cfs. Flows will vary during the year with September to April maintaining around 350 to 450 cfs. Runoff generally begins in May and reaches its peak of around 3,000 cfs in mid-June or early July. The flows typically start decreasing in late July as the snow pack in the high country diminishes, and fall back to 700 to 1,000 cfs for July and into August. (http://parks.state.co. us/default. asp?parkl D =96&action=park) Table 6-6 shows the reaches in the Arkansas Basin that are listed for rafting use by American Whitewater. Table 6-6 River Reaches in the Arkansas River Basin in Colorado Listed for Rafting Use by American Whitewater ,..- -. ..- -. $ Arkansas River from Leadville I-II NA . NA to Granite Arkansas River from Granite IV-V 200 2500 to Numbers Launch Site Arkansas River from Numbers IV 300 3500 Launch to Railroad Bridge Launch The Numbers Arkansas River from Railroad III 600 3500 Bridge Launch to Buena Vista (Fractions / Frogrock / Milkrun Arkansas River from I II 600 3500 Fisherman's Bridge access to Stone Bridge access (Browns Can on Arkansas River from Pinnacle III NA NA Rock Launch to Parkdale Launch Pinnacle Rock Arkansas River from Parkdale I II-IV 600 3500 Launch to Canon Ciiy (Royal Gor e Clear Creek (of the Arkansas) V NA NA to the Arkansas River Grape Creek from Bear Gulch IV+ NA NA to Canon Ci Lake Creek from Graham V+ 200 1000 Gulch to 1/4-mile east of Monitor Gulch Purgatoire River from US 350 I-V NA NA TO Hi hwa 109 Source: http://www.americanwhitewater.org/rivers/state/CO * Suggested levels of flow; not water rights. r~ S:\REPORIIWORD PROCESSING\REPORllS6 11-8-04.DOC 6-25