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- , . lJ0013JJ 18 Due to its fluctuating "...ater level, San Luis Lake provides mediocre quality fishing and would support about 1 ,000 man-days annually. The Rio Grand{' is a poor trout stream from the mouth of La .Jara Creek to the Colorado-New ~lcxico State line. Upstream diversions seriously Ocwfiter the stream during the late summer months. During the months of August, Septemhf'r, nnd October flows averuge only about 50 second-f('(~t at tlw Lobatos Gng(>, 6 milps ahon.\ the StatE.' line. Extremes of record at the gage from June 1899 to 1968 have varied (rom zero flows for short periods in 1950, 1951, and 1956, to a maximum of 13,000 second-Ceet. Other than thesc"thmc low-flow yoars the mini- mum flow has uvpraged 26 second~feet. \Vithout the project, fishing on this 32-mile n'ach would be 1,000 man-days annually. III New ~fcxico the 76 miles of the Rio Grande from thl) State line to tho mouth of the Rio Cham a g-eru'rollv lire fish(.d quih' heavily despit(. the fuet thut most of the stream is inac(',('ssible due to steep ('anYon walls or the lack of roads. About 50 mil('s of this r('uch h11V(' be(~ll designnted ItS it component of the .:\ntional "~ild llnd Scenic River SYstem bv The 'Vild and Sc('nic Rivers At.t (82 Stut. 906- 918). Fishing on~the 76 mil('s of tht\ Rio Grunde wilhin .!\t.w ~lexico would nverngc about 15,500 man-days annually. With the project San Luis Lnke would become more manageahle as a ('old-water fishery due to the constant inflow of cold wnler and stable ele\'lltion with ;1 surffice areu ,"nrying from 860 to 900 neres. Sllituble species of fish would be stocked in the lake by the Colornda division of game, fish tllld parks. Fishing over the period of anlllysis elm be expected to nn:!rage about 15.000 man-days annUlllly. In some plllces the main cOIl"eyance channel would be bordered only by stunted vegetation. Such a :-:;etting would not attrllct large numbers of fishermen. 'Vith u compacted earth lining. the channel would not produce aquutic organisms in sufficient quantities to sust.ain u satisfactory fish population. The channel could be managed only us a put-and-take cold-wat('r fishery on a limited basis. If stocked with catchable-3ized trout. ll.\Pcrd.ge lmntnl fi~hing on the 39 mile~ of channel cnn be expect.ed to total 2,000 man-days annuully. Project operation would increase the flows of the Rio Grande down- stream from the mouth of the convcynnce channel by a minimum of 100 second-feet, The minimum flow would be incrcasN! from 26 second-feet t.o ]26 second-feet and the llverage flow would incrense from 50 second-feet to 150 second~r(,l't from August through Octob('r. The Rio Grande in Colorado would impro,"c in quality nnd be fisht'd for much longer periods than it would without the~e incr('asNI flow~. Fishing would be about 4,000 man-days annuall..... nIl increase of 3,000 man-davs. on the 32 miles of the Rio Grande' in Colorado. The slllvtlfed water would impron' the trout habitat of tht' Rio Grande in :';cw ~I('xil'o llnd result in nn increID'C' in fishing. Fishing 011 thp Rio Grande within l\~ew ~fexieo would be 25,000 mllll-dIlYS, nn inereusp of 9,500 lIw.n-dll\":; llnnuulh.. Table 1 summarizes fishing thai would be ('xpectrd without the project llnd with the project.