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Stream corridors account for less than five percent of the land area of <br />Colorado. Yet they are the most intensively utilized portions of the state. <br /> <br /> <br />v <br /> <br /> <br />d. <br />Y? -S <br />d '? ill. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />-IJ <br />0 <br />Q <br />P <br />Ly <br />n <br />North Fork of the Gunnison River <br />• Virtually every population center is built <br />adjacent to a stream corridor. <br />• Irrigated agriculture occurs largely <br />within and adjacent to stream corridors. <br />• Transportation and communication <br />systems tend to follow stream corridors. <br />In a semi-arid state like Colorado, an <br />unusually high percentage of all plant and <br />animal life also exists within stream <br />corridors. <br />Increasingly, Coloradoans value healthy <br />stream corridors. They enjoy the recreational <br />opportunities they provide. They appreciate <br />the aesthetic value of these ribbons of green. <br />They understand the needs of native plants <br />and animals and want to make their own <br />uses compatible with these needs. <br />In this section we discuss ways to minimize <br />the impacts associated with human presence <br />in stream corridors. <br />Common Activities That Alter <br />Stream Corridors: <br />• Agriculture and Grazing <br />• Channel Modifications <br />• Mining <br />• Recreation <br />• Roads <br />• Urbanization <br />• Water Development and Use <br />22 <br />Human Activities in Stream Corridors <br />Agricultural field adjacent to stream corridor