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<br />. <br /> <br />takes place as the runoff passes through and over the soi I picking up <br />soluble minerals, organic compounds, and sediments. Municipal and <br />industrial wastes disCharged into the river also contribute to the <br />problem. During the past few years, substantial progress has been <br />made in the development of a comprehensive State program for pollution <br />prevention and abatement. Also, it is expected that the qual ity of <br />Arkansas River water wi II be improved by di lution with water imported <br />by the Fryingpan River Diversion. <br /> <br />43. Due to low rainfal I and depletion of the surface water supply <br />of the basin for such purposes as irrigation and domestic and industrial <br />water supply, there is a shortage of permanent pools for fish and wildl ife <br />habitat and recreation. The mountainous headwater reaches constitute a <br />highly popular vacation area because of the natural streamflow of the <br />Arkansas River and its tributaries and the cool summer temperatures. <br />Below Pueblo, however, the depleted streamflow and the unfavorable <br />mineral qual ity of the water have hampered the development of the <br />fishery resources to meet the needs of even the local population. <br /> <br />44. OTHER DEVELOPMENTS CONSIDERED.- The water resources problems <br />and needs and solutions thereto in the Arkansas River Basin in Colorado <br />were included in the comprehensive basin study conducted during the <br />period 1950-55 on a coordinated basis by interested Federal, State, and <br />local agencies. As the result of these studies, some project plans <br />were later developed for recommendation to Congress whi Ie others remain <br />in the "potent i a I" category. Projects proposed i nc I ude those be i ng con~ <br />sidered in pending reports by the various agencies but not yet approved <br />or authorized by the Congress. Potential projects include those projects <br />promul gated on the bas i s of broad cons i de rat i on of the present and <br />projected needs and development potentials without the detai led analysis <br />of project costs and benefits associated with project formulation. They <br />also include projects for which benefit-cost analyses were made but <br />which were found to be infeasible at that time. However, these poten- <br />tial projects may warrant detai led investigation in future studies for <br />project development under changed conditions. <br /> <br />45. The basin plan in Colorado then included over 2,000 smal I <br />detention dams, debris basins, and waterflow retardation structures <br />on tributary streams of the Arkansas River; large reservoirs for flood <br />and sediment control as wel I as numerous local protection projects; <br />rehabi I itation of individual and group irrigation systems; individual <br />and group farm drainage systems; major drainage outlets and levees for <br />the protection of agricultural property. <br /> <br />46. During the investigations, many alternative solutions for <br />local flood protection at Las Animas were studied. These included <br />single- and multiple-purpose reservoirs on the main stem and com- <br />binations thereof. The studies revealed that there are no economically <br />feasible reservoir sites on the Arkansas River between the Pueblo dam <br />... site and Las Animas. Lack of feasibi lity is attributable to the fact <br /> <br />15 <br /> <br />