8089

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8089
• Author: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
• Title: Final Environmental Assessment Gunnison River Activities, Passageway Around the Redlands Diversion Dam and Interim Agreement to Provide Water for Endangered Fish.
• USFW Year: 1995.
• USFW - Doc Type: Grand Junction, Colorado.
• Copyright Material: NO

CHAPTER 3 - AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL
CONSEQUENCES
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This chapter discusses resources associated with the Gunnison River that could be affected by
the proposed actions of constructing a fish passageway and providing water flows through an
interim water agreement. The passageway and associated interim water agreement are designed
to benefit endangered fish and could affect other resources as discussed below. During
preparation and review of the draft EA, concerns were expressed by the public about some of
these impacts, and efforts have been made to address these concerns in this report (see Chapter
4 on Consultation and Coordination for further details and responses to concerns).
Vegetation and Land Use
Existing Conditions
The Gunnison River Basin is primarily rural. Much of the over 8,000 square mile watershed
is National Forest or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. Valleys are largely private and
were originally developed for ranching, farming, and mining. In recent years, recreation,
retirement living, and second-home development have become important. In the vicinity of the
Redlands Diversion Dam, lands are a combination of parcels privately owned by individuals,
sand and gravel operations, or Redlands Water and Power Company; and Federal lands managed
by the BLM. The BLM owns the land on the west side of the river at the Redlands Diversion
site. The Redlands Water and Power Company has used this BLM land since at least 1918.
The Southern Pacific Railroad's line parallels the east bank of the Gunnison River in this area
and primarily hauls coal in unit trains. The railroad and the Redlands Diversion Dam are the
primary land use. The city of Grand Junction has a water intake structure on the east side of
the diversion dam on land leased from the Redlands Water and Power Company. Immediately
upstream on the east side of the river agricultural lands are irrigated; however, future plans are
to use this area for sand and gravel mining. There has been some home development on the
west side of the river in the last few years.
The riparian areas upstream from the Redlands Diversion Dam are dominated by cottonwood
trees, willows, Russian olives, tamarisk, wild rose, and skunkbush sumac. Downstream there
has been more disturbance to vegetation although bands of willow and bulrush occur. The
disturbed areas are vegetated primarily with kochia, bindweed, and grasses and forbs. Away
from the influence of the river, vegetation changes to upland communities of greasewood,
rabbitbrush, and saltbush.
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