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Section 2.0 -Environmental Impacts <br />2.1 Introduction to Environmental Impacts <br />This section provides an overview of the natural environment of the Alamosa River watershed. The <br />existing watershed condition is described according to the following resource categories: <br />• Channel of the Alamosa River and major tributaries <br />• Surface water quantity <br />• Surface water quality <br />• Groundwater <br />• Terrace Reservoir <br />• Sediments <br />• Riparian habitat (vegetative communities) <br />• Biological resources (wildlife resources) <br />• Agricultural uses <br />• Recreational uses <br />The description of the existing conditions in the watershed by resource categories is followed by a <br />categorization of the Alamosa River into segments, a GIS mapping summary, and bibliography of <br />previous studies. <br />Climate, key watershed structures, and land ownership are discussed below as an introduction to the <br />affected environment. <br />2.1.1 Climate <br />In Capulin, in the lower watershed, the average low temperature in the coldest month, January, is 2°F <br />and the average high temperature in the warmest month, July, is 81 °F (leather, 2004). In Platoro, the <br />closest weather station to the upper watershed, the average minimum temperature in the coldest month, <br />January, is -7°F and the average maximum temperature in the warmest month, July, is 70°F (~X1RCC, <br />2004a). Annual precipitation varies greatly across the watershed as shown in Figure 2-1. The San Juan <br />Mountains receive an average of 55 inches of precipitation and the valley receives about 7 inches <br />annually. The City of Alamosa receives about 30 inches of snowfall per year (N~1S, 2004). <br />2.1.2 Key Structures in the Watershed <br />Terrace Reservoir divides the Alamosa into upper and lower watersheds. There are few manmade <br />structures in the upper watershed because most of the area is located within the Rio Grande National <br />Forest, and steep slopes would prevent development. Forest roads and trails have been constructed for <br />access to the upper watershed. Structures in the lower watershed are primarily related to agriculture. <br />Canal headgates and diversion structures are located at regular intervals to allow for regulated irrigation. <br />A photo inventory of these structures is included as an electronic appendix to this report. <br />Alamosa River Watershed Restoration Master Plan and Environmental Assessment Page 2-1 <br />