FLOOD01339

• County: Larimer
• Community: Loveland
• Stream Name: Big Thompson River
• Title: Application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a License to Re-construct, Operate, and Maintain the Loveland Project
• Date: 11/1/1977
• Prepared For: FERC
• Prepared By: Loveland
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Miscellaneous

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The vegetation surrounding the site consists primarily of native conifer trees of the

Roosevelt National Forest Trees such as pines. spruces, firs and junipers abound and no

known endangered specie of vegetation exists within the project area.

Because the project area is in and/or near a National Forest, wildlife is relatively plentiful.
Mule deer, Yellowstone Elk, porcupines, coyotes, raccoon, black bear, weasels, mink, pine
marten, badger, striped skunk, mountain lion and bobcat all inhabit this area of Colorado.
In addition, rainbow trout and brown trout are found in the Big Thompson River within the
project area.

Two known endangered species occupying the Roosevelt National Forest are the Peregrine
Falcon and the Greenback Native Trout. Neither of these have been sighted within the
project area or adjacent thereto, however.

The Big Thompson River itself is a major waterway of Colorado and furnishes water for
domestic purposes as well as supports agriculture in the plains east of the canyon. The Big
Thompson originates just east of the Continental Divide near Notchtop Mountain in Rocky
Mountain National Park, Larimer County, Colorado. It flows through the Big Thompson
Canyon and empties into the South Platte River near Greeley. The flows of the Big
Thompson in the project area vary from a mean low of 18.3 cubic feet per second in
January to a mean high of 326 cubic feet per second in June. Total length of the Big
Thompson is approximately 40 miies.

The surrounding area consists of the mountains, canyons, and forest of the Roosevelt
National Forest. This National Forest was named in honor of the man most responsible for
creating the national forest system. Originally part of Medicine Bow Forest Reserve
established in 1897, it became the Colorado National Forest in 1910. Not until 1932 did
President Herbert Hoover rename the forest in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt
Today Roosevelt National Forest consists of 782,000 acres.

Roosevelt National Forest is one of the most important in the Rocky Mountain Region as a
source of water. It supplies water for irrigation, domestic use, power and industry. There
are 360,000 acres of rich agriculture lands and 25 towns and cities in the vicinity of the
Forest which depend upon its water supply.