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<br />001995 <br /> <br />eweB <br />8/31/83 <br /> <br />CONEJOS RIVER <br /> <br />WILD AND SCENIC RIVER STUDY <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br />Public Law 90-542, as amended, directed the Secretary of <br />Agriculture to study the Conejos River for possible inclusion in <br />the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (National System). A <br />joint Federal/State study team was organized in September, 1975, <br />to perform the study, which was to include "the three forks fran <br />their source to their confluence, thence the Conejos River to its <br />first junction with State Highway 17, excluding Platoro <br />Reservoir. II <br /> <br />Eligibility and Classification <br /> <br />The study team concluded that the North For~, Middle Fork, <br />El Rito Azul, and South Fork were eligible for inclusion in the <br />National System at the wild river classification. The Conejos <br />River from Platoro Reservoir to the Highway 17 bridge was found <br />eligible for inclusion at the recreation river classification, <br /> <br />Issues and Concerns (as expressed by the public) <br /> <br />During the course of the study, a series of five public <br />meetings was held in Colorado and New Mexico from September, <br />1975, through July, 1979, <br /> <br />The major issues and concerns raised were: <br /> <br />o protection of wild, scenic, and recreation river <br />valuest <br /> <br />0, the effects of easements and government restrictions on <br />private landowners; <br /> <br />o the effects of the loss of grazing privileges; <br /> <br />o the minimum water flows required to maintain wild and <br />scenic river values; <br /> <br />o the possible impacts on the administration of the Rio <br />Grande Compact; <br /> <br />o the effects on the operation of Platoro Reservoir; <br /> <br />701 <br />Con/Riv <br />