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. CHAPTER I GENERAL DISCUSSIONS Missouri Heights Reservoir Missouri Heights Reservoir, owned and operated by a private coopera- tive, is loca.ted on a drainage with intermittent f'lows just south of' Cat- tle Creek. The reservoir has a capacity of' 2,800 acre-f'eet and is f'ed by the Mountain Meadow Ditch which diverts water f'rom Cattle Creek. Water f'rom the reservoir is distributed for irrigation by a ditch system which diverts directly from the reservoir. Flora and Fauna Three vegetative communities are f'ound in the project impact area-- the pinon-juniper, the mountain shrub, and the Douglas f'ir. There is much local variation and overlapping in these communities. . The pinon-juniper community is found generally below elevations of' 6,400 'feet and forms a band roughly 5 miles in width along the Roaring Fork River. Pinon pine and several species of' juniper are the dominant species in this connnuni ty. The stands vary f'rom open to dense and are modif'ied locally by the intrusion of shrubs such as sagebrush, bitter- brush, Gambel oak, and serviceberry. Much of' the land f'ormerly in this connnuni ty is irrigated and produces hay, pasture, and cash crops. The mountain shrub connnunity is generally on deeper and damper soils than the pinon-juniper and is at elevations of' from 6,000 to 8,500 feet. The dominant shrub is usually Gambel oak but big sagebrush, bitterbrush, mountain mahogany, snowberry, and serviceberry can also be important. The Douglas fir community generally lies above 6,400 f'eet in eleva- tion and is characterized by Douglas fir which is often associa,ted with Colorado spruce and aspen. At lower elevations the Douglas fir community is generally restricted to the cooler and moister north-f'acing slopes. Narrow leaf cottonwood is quite connnon along streambanks. Dense stands of' Douglas fir on north slores support very little understory. Fish and wildlife typical of the transition and Canadian lif'e zones are f'ound in the impact area. Representative species include rainbow and brown trout, bobcat, Steller's jay, great horned owl, mountain cot- tontail, mule deer, blue grouse, porcupine, and mallard duck. Important big game animals in the impact area include mule deer, big- horn sheep, and elk. Two State wildlif'e areas are located in the project area. The Christine area above Basalt serves as elk and deer winter range while the Basalt area along Toner Creek serves as winter range f'or big game as well as a refuge for bighorn sheep. . . The Fryingpan and Roaring Fork Rivers are important trout f'isheries wi th populations of' brown and rainbow trout. Minimum streamf'lows are 9