River Protection Information Sheet

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San Juan River- East Fork San Juan River-West Fork The San Juan Public Lands Center's 2007 Draft The San Juan Public Lands Center's 2007 Draft Land Management Plan allocates the area on Land Management Plan allocates most of the the south side of the East Fork to Management area in the West Fork drainage to Management Area (MA) 1, ''Natural Processes Dominate", Area (MA) 1, "Natural Processes Dominate", or other than a small corridor along the river and MA 3, "Natural Landscapes with Limited Forest Road 667 which acknowledges high Management." Much of the higher elevation land recreational use (MA 4). Much of the higher is in the Weminuche Wilderness, and much of elevations on the south side of the drainage are the area surrounding the West Fork. other than in the South San Juan Wilderness. The area on the corridor along Forest Road 648, is within an the north side of the drainage is allocated to MA Inventoried Roadless Area. 3, "Natural Landscapes with Limited Management." The corridor is allocated to MA 4, "High Use Recreation." The Draft Plan would remove the Much of the area surrounding the East Fork, downhill-ski-area land allocation that is in the other than the strip along the river, is within an current plan for the old Wolf Creek Valley Ski Inventoried Roadless Area (see below). The Area proposal, changing the area from its Draft Plan would remove the downhill-ski-area former classification as the equivalent of MA 8, land allocation that is in the current plan for the "Highly Developed Areas", to a 1 or MA 3. old East Fork Ski Area proposal on the south side of the river, changing that area from its The West Fork was found to be eligible for Wild former classification as the equivalent of MA 8, and Scenic Rivers consideration, with the upper "Highly Developed Areas", to MA 1 or MA 3. half classified as a wild river and the lower half as a recreation river, with outstandingly The East Fork was found to be eligible for Wild remarkable geologic values, and found and Scenic Rivers consideration, with a preliminarily suitable for designation. The area recreation river classification, with outstandingly would continue to be managed similarly to how remarkable geologic values. It was not found it has been in the past if the Draft Plan's preliminarily suitable, mostly because of the recommendations are made final. mixed ownership of the river corridor and the numerous water appropriations. The area would continue to be managed similarly to how it has been in the past if the Draft Plan's recommendations are made final. Wilderness: Portions of two Wilderness Areas are in the watersheds including the Weminuche and the South San Juan (26,600 acres in the East Fork and 37,700 in the West Fork).