FS0025X Feasibility Study - Laserfiche WebLink

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=l I � within the six campgrounds located on the Taylor River below Taylor Park IReservoir accounted for approximately 37,000 RVD's of camping use. In addition, dispersed recreation activities in the undeveloped areas along the Ilower Taylor River such as fishing, rafting, hiking, roadside picnicking, and use of unimproved roads and pullouts amounted to an estimated 49,900 RVD's. J The two forest campgrounds located on Taylor Park Reservoir received approximately 22,400 RVD's of campin9 use in 1986. There are about 750,000 acres of BLM lands within the Study Area. The BLM manages large tracts of public land south of Gunnison in the Cochetopa Creek, Cebolla Creek and Lake Fork drainages. There are four special recreation management areas (SRMA) in tfie Study Area; the Cochetopa Canyon SRMA, the American flats/Silverton and Lower Lake Fork SRMA, the Powderhorn SRMA, and the Gunnison Gorge SRMA. These SMRA's received approximately 405,000 Recreational User Days (RUD's) of use withi� the Study Area in 1986;. 154,000 of which were for water-based activities (personal communication with BLM personnel). The Lake Fork drainage is BLM's most heavily used water-based recreation corridor in the Study Area and receives about 85. percent of the water-based recreational use cited above for the four SRMA's. Dispersed recreational use of BLM lands outside the SRMA's is rough1y estimated at 430,000 RUD's and includes mostly big game hunting and automobile touring. The National Park Service manages the Curecanti National Recreation Area which lies within the Study Area. Curecanti National Recreation Area was established under the authorization of the Colorado River Storage Act and covers more than 40,000 acres of land including the three Aspinall Unit reservoirs. This recreation area experienced approximately 1,115,000 visitations in 1986 (personal communication with NPS personnel). A visitation is defined as visitor usage regardless of time spent at the area up to one full day. Popular activities in 1986 included lake fishing (225,000 visitations), boating (165,000 visitations); and camping (121,000 visitations). 2-5