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-4- 001964 Because of this wide climatic difference the Piney River area contains most of the ecosystems contained within Eagle County. Vegetative cove~ of the upper Piney is characterized by grass and shrubs to barren rock above timberline in its headwaters. Below timberline, the forest consists of lodgepole pines, sub-alpine fir, douglas fir, and aspen. Much lower on the river in the arid portion, the trees in the watershed are pinon pine, juniper, and. narrow-leaf cottonwood, with considerable amounts of sagebrush, service berry, and choke-cherry brush in the lower reaches. .' Great scenic and aesthetic qualities occur along the Piney. Very important, of course, is the spectacular Gore Range. Piney Lake with the meandering river and the Gore Range background is irresistible to the photographer. The middle section of the river is characterized by precipitous canyon walls with the many hues of sandstone on Red and White Mountain. Also, the pioneer ingenuity exhibited in some of the old homesteads along the river is significant, with some very interesting craftsmanship involved with the cabin ruins and the old hay-stackers. The lower reaches are important because of the vastly different arid regions and the mingling of the clear waters of the Piney.with the somewhat roily waters of the Colorado River. Current development of the Piney watershed is small. Man's intrusion amounts to ranching, timber management and recreation. Currently only three roads cross the Piney River and there are three places where permanent buildings have been built and are currently occupied. Several irrigation-type diversions are still active at the small working ranches on the lower Piney. Water Quality and Quantity Characteristics The quality of Piney River water is extremely high due to the undeveloped and wild state of its headwaters and overall watershed. There is almost a total absence of natural or man-made pollution. 5 According to U.S.G.S. figures in the 1970 report, the Piney's ayerage discharge near State Bridge over a twenty-six year period was 73.4 '.'. cubic feet per second or 53,180 acre feet per year. Its stream flow extremes indicate a maximum discharge of 740 c.f.s. on May 21;"1970;--------.- and minimum of 10 c.f.s. on January 10. During the months of June through October, its average stream flow appears to be in the neighborhood of 50 c.f.s. The Piney contains a sufficient volume of water year-round to support all recreational activities and stream-related sports. Due (to high annual snowpack and no functioning transmountain diversions, ~The Piney's water quality and quantity remain consistently good year-round.-- The few existing private irrigation diversions further downstream do no harm to the ecosystem of the basin. In fact, they probably benefit the ecology of the lower Piney and its adjacent land3. The level of dissolved solids in the Piney watershed is practically nonexistent. The Piney River unquestionably meets the "Aesthetics-General Criteria" as defined by the National Water Quality Technical Advisory Committee on Water Quality in the original Federal Water Pollution Control Administra- tion Criteria. The Piney supports propagation of life forms normally adapted to the habitat of the stream. 5. See Exhibit B.