San Miguel Guide to Basin Applic

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Introduction The San Miguel River begins in snowmelt in the silver San Juan range of the Rockies, coming to life at an elevation of 14,000' north and east of the Thwn of Telluride, and in the Lizard Head area of the Wilson Range to the southwest of Telluride, It runs down through red rock cliffs, through fir and spruce crested channels, taking on its mining past and its resort present" It continues through high meadows and aspen forest, cottonwood, ponderosa, deer and elk habitat, ranching and farming country, more tailings piles, throught the sage and scrub oak of the high desert, and fmally joins, bringing equal dowry, with the Dolores River, and gives up its name in its desire to reach and join with, the mighty Colorado" The San Miguel headwaters at the east end of San Miguel County, a fast-growing southwestern Colorado county" The Upper San Miguel Basin sustains a present population of 2300 residents" Development is proposed and underway for an additional zoned density of approximately 20,000 persons" Problem StaiPntent The Upper San Miguel River Basin has limited water resources and extensive proposed future development, The river may already be over-allocated" It sustains heavy recreational demands, Pollution from mine tailings and erosion are issues, Resource management is fragmented across a number of entities, including the Colorado Water Conservation Board. At present, local land use regulations include little or nothing on water resource management or conservation" There is no forum for public discussion or exchange of information. No one entity maintains a" big picture" understanding of the water in the upper basin. Without an educational process and without an educated populace, informed policy decisions will not occur in a timely fashion" Prqject Description The Citizen's Water Guide to the Upper San Miguel Basin will present a system's view of the Upper San Miguel River Basin" It will give a simple, clear and accurate picture of where the water is in the region, how much exists, how it has been used in the past, who owns it, and what plans are being made for its future use" -2-