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12 <br />natural distribution of fishes through falls and water velocity, that the <br />Monument Canyon was an ecological threshold area between the upper and <br />lower reaches of the Gunnison River, and concluded that comparatively <br />slight environmental changes could thus precipitate extensive distribu- <br />tional adjustments. <br />Within the immediate area of the National Monument, access to the <br />river is generally restricted by the terrain. Although the river can <br />be reached at a number of places, lateral movement along the river is <br />restricted, and Kinnear and Vincent (1967) described only four access <br />areas for this area: <br />1) Eastern boundary section, reached via River Portal Tunnel <br />Road. Presently, this road is the only one which permits <br />a vehicle to get near the river without extensive hiking <br />from rim tops and/or foot trails. It actually is a road <br />which was modified to permit heavy equipment transport <br />while Crystal Dam was under construction. In the remain- <br />der of the report this road will be referred to as "the <br />Crystal access road". It intersects with the eastern <br />side of Highway 347 a few hundred yards before the main <br />entrance to the Gunnison National Monument (Fig. 4). <br />2) Gunnison Point section, reached via foot trail from <br />Gunnison Point Overlook. <br />3) S. 0. B. draw section, reached via foot trail from North <br />Rim Campground. This campground is reached by vehicle <br />from Highway 92 either from Crawford to the north or from <br />Blue Mesa Dam to the east.