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<br />~~" >il 4" <br /> <br />0010';1 <br /> <br />CONEJOS RIVER <br />U.S. FOREST SERVICE, COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES <br /> <br />Summary of Findings <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />About 25.6 miles meet eligibility requirements for wild river areas <br />and 23.2 miles meet recreational river area requirements. <br />Designation of the river would cause an estimated five percent <br />annual increase in recreation use. <br /> <br />Costs <br /> <br />Scenic easements could be sought on from 706 to 2,232 acres of <br />private land. Estimated costs of development, easements, and <br />administration range from 2.7 to 8.4 million dollars. <br /> <br />Description <br /> <br />The Conejos River is located in the Rio Grande National Forest, <br />Conejos County, Colorado. The area studied was the three forks of <br />the Conejos from their sources to their confluence, and the main <br />stem to the State Highway 17 Bridge. Platoro Reservoir was <br />excluded from study. The headwaters descend from the Continental <br />Divide in the San Juan Mountain Range. The upper segments <br />consist of EJ Rito Azul (3.5 miles), Middle Fork (4 miles), North <br />Fork (3.5 miles), the main stem above Platoro Reservoir (2.6 <br />miles), and the South Fork (12 miles). These segments are free of <br />human intrusions and accessible only by trail. The terrain is <br />rugged and heavily glaciated. The park-like valleys and forested <br />slopes complement the white water of swiftly rushing streams. <br />Waterfalls and torrents contrast with the myriad of small lakes <br />sprinkled through the alpine landscape. While fishing is good for <br />small trout, the occasional beaver ponds and pools offer promise of <br />a larger trophy. Many species of wildlife and birds are found in <br />this area. <br /> <br />Below Platoro Reservoir the river has many different character. <br />Flowing through a broad valley, it placidly meanders across a flat <br />glacial alluvium deposit, abruptly plunges through a shallow <br />constricted gorge, emerges to run swift and dark across another <br />rolling plain, drops into a second, deeper canyon, and finally <br />makes a run across another broad flat to the Highway 17 bridge. <br />It is paralleled at a distance of one-fourth to one-half mile by a <br />gravelled road. About 2,200 acres of private land is scattered <br />about the valley, with relatively more concentrated in the lower ten <br />miles. Ranching is the predominant use, but resorts and vacation <br />homes are increasing in numbers. The beauty is that of a pastoral <br />landscape, accented by a backdrop of high mountains and the <br />steep, heavily forested canyon walls. Fishing is excellent in this <br />segment and tourists visit the river in great numbers. <br /> <br />13 <br />