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<br />SUMMARY <br /> <br />consists mostly of semidesert shrubs. Wetlands occur along the <br />Gunnison and Uncompahgre Rivers. <br /> <br />About 505,000 acre~feetof water flow into the uncompahgre valley <br />annually. Nearly two-thirds of this volume is imported for <br />irrigation from the Gunnison River via the Gunnison Tunnel, and <br />the remaining volume is derived from the Uncompahgre River and <br />its tributaries. <br /> <br />The Uncompahgre River fishery is. limited due to water quality and <br />flow problems. However, the Gunnison River supports an excellent <br />trout fishery between Crystal Reservoir and several ,miles <br />downstream from the river's confluence with the North Fork of the <br />Gunnison. <br /> <br />The total population in Montrose and Delta Counties is approxi- <br />mately 50,000 people. In addition to agriculture, tourism and <br />recreation are important local industries. <br /> <br />Any of the four development alternatives would result in short- <br />term construction-related impacts and long-term operational <br />impacts. Short-term impacts include vegetation clearing, <br />erosion, and construction disturbance, as well as short-term <br />increases to the local economy. Long-term impacts would be <br />related to the decreased flows in the Gunnison River and the <br />increased flows in the Uncompahgre River and the long-term <br />additions to the local economy resulting from power production. <br /> <br />Streamflows <br /> <br />Under the no-action alternative (alternative A), streamflows <br />within the study area would continue to be affected by the <br />operations of upstream reservoirs of the Aspinall Unit and Dallas <br />Creek Project. The Gunnison River would be operated to maintain <br />at least a minimum flow of 300 ft'/s, except during extremely dry <br />periods. <br /> <br />With alternatives B, C, E, and F, the Gunnison River would <br />continue to be operated to maintain at least a minimum flow of <br />300 ft'/s; however, diversions from the river would increase, with <br />the greatest increase occurring during the nonirrigation season. <br />On an annual basis, the volume of water ,in the Gunnison River <br />downstream from the Gunnison Tunnel would be decreased by <br />45 percent for alternative B, 49 percent for alternative C,' <br />41 percent for alternative E, and 44 percent for alternative F. <br /> <br />Average December through February flows entering the Black Canyon <br />would be 1,392 ft'/s for alternative A, 476 ft'/s for B, 471 ft'/s <br />for C, 581 ft'/s for E, and 499 ft'/s for F. Average July through <br /> <br />S - 4 <br />