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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STUDY AREA DESCRIPTION Community Description San Miguel County is located in southwestern Colorado. The county is bordered by Montrose County on the north, Dolores County on the south, Ouray County on the east and the state of Utah on the west. Telluride is the County Seat of San Miguel County, The population of San Miguel County was estimated at 3,653 in 1990 and 6,003 in 1999, corresponding to a growth rate of 5,5 percent and making San Miguel County the 7th fastest growing county in the state (Colorado Division of Local Government Demography Section), The area mapped in the FIRMs includes the entire county, including the incorporated communities of Telluride, Sawpit, Mountain Village, Norwood and Ophir, Populations and growth rates for the communities are shown in Table 1, The Town of Norwood has had separate Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) mapped and is designated under separate cover. The Towns of Ophir and Mountain Village do not contain mapped floodplains and therefore are not affected by the designation, Because Mountain Village has only recently been incorporated, its boundaries are not shown on the FIRMs, The town is located southwest of Telluride and serves as the resort complex for the Telluride ski area, T bl 1 S M' I Co a e . an I roe untv Incorporat mmumtles opu atlon Community Average Annual 1990 population 1999 Population Growth Rate Mountain Villaoe 46 942 40% Norwood 429 57B 3.4% Ophir 69 lOB 5,1% Sawpit 36 42 1,7% Telluride 1309 19B6 4,7% edCo PI. Watershed Description San Miguel County is located on the western slope of the Continental Divide in the Dolores River basins, The western portion of the county is within the main Dolores River basin, while the eastern portion of the county is within the San Miguel River sub-basin, The basins are generally separated in the county by a small ridge between the Dry Creek Basin and the Big Gypsum Valley, and by a ridge between the Dry Creek Basin and the Disappointment Valley, The Dolores River originates on the northern slopes of the San Juan Mountains, and flows through Montezuma and Dolores Counties before flowing through the eastern portion of San Miguel County. Elevations of the watershed range from over 14,200 feet in the San Juans to approximately 5300 feet on the floor of Dolores Canyon as it leaves San Miguel County. Higher elevations in the watershed are primarily undeveloped forested lands consisting of aspen, lodgepole pine, spruce, grass meadows and steep rock faces, There are also remnants of mining activities in the area, which primarily occurred in the late 1800's and early 1900's, Lower elevations of the watershed primarily are primarily undeveloped areas consisting of scrub oak, pinon, cedar and ponderosa pine, with cottonwood in drainageways, McPhee Reservoir is located on the Dolores River in Montezuma County, However, according to officials with the 2