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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />3 <br /> <br />and Air Management staff of the Forest Service National Headquarters revie\;"J <br />this report with regard to Forest Service policy implementation. <br /> <br />The study of absolute decreed rights involved compiling a listing of all such <br />rights located within or above a wilderness area. The information for this <br />study, as well as the study of existing decreed conditional rights, was <br />obtained from the latest available compilation of wateL' L'ights pL'ovided by the <br />State Engineer of Colorado. The focus of this effort was to establish the <br />nature and extent of those rights which existed prior to the designation of the <br />wilderness area. With such information, it is possible to undeL'stand, in bL'oad <br />terms, the nature of the system at the time of the reservations. Any reserved <br />rights designated by the establishment of the reservation would be junior in <br />priority to those L'ights. In addition, the study also L'evealed any such rights <br />post-dating the designation of the area. <br /> <br />Tne second aL'ea of inquiL'Y was to examine all existing decL'eed conditional <br />rights. It was designed to locate and identify the nature of all such rights <br />where the pOint of diversion is within the boundaries of a wilderness area and <br />those \;hich lie higher in the watershed above a wilderness aL'ea. Study of <br />these rights was particularly important because, if fully developed, they could <br />have effects upon the wilderness L'eSOUrces. If established before the designa- <br />tion of the wilderness area, they would have priorities senior to any wilder- <br />ness reserved rights but, nevertheless, those rights would not be absolutely <br />free from administrative controls. <br /> <br />T~e third area of inquiry was directed toward non-FedeL'al lands either within <br />wilderness areas OL' which lie ebove the wilderness in the watershed. These <br />holdings were identified and examined for their potential for water develop- <br />~ents which might have an adverse effect upon the water L'esources of the' <br />wilderness area. <br /> <br />The information regarding land owneL'ship was compiled using Forest maps and <br />verified by Regional Office Lands staff using land status maps and records. <br />Suitability for water resource development was determined using Forest maps, <br />0,S. Geological Survey topographic maps and, in some cases, aeL'ial photogL'aphs <br />~.,j personal knowledge of National Forest and Ranger District personnel. <br /> <br />"he '.ater rights and land holdings examined were pJ otted on maps of the <br />w: ld8111ess areas. Once compiled, the information was studied wilderness by <br />;:i :.c:ecl1fJss to ascertain the present si tuation concerning watet' resources in <br />25ch "rea, what specific activities affecting the wilderness L'esout'ces weL'e <br />foreseeable, and which actions could be taken to prevent or to mitigate the <br />ef'rects of those activities. This analysis is discussed below and in the <br />appendices. The data compiled in the course of these studies are contained in <br />the appendi~es to this report. <br />