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<br />Recreational Potential
<br />
<br />The recreation potential of the Piney River is significant and
<br />recognized in the Forest Service proposal for the Gore Eagle's Nest
<br />Wilderness Area. The presence of a wild river corridor leading to a
<br />large wilderness area would certainly be attractive. Other wilderness
<br />opportunities that exist within the watershed, to name a few, are:
<br />camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, mountain climbing, and nature study.
<br />The increasing interest in winter ski-touring and snowshoeing is important.
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<br />Fish and wildlife Habitat
<br />
<br />Water temperatures rang~ng from near freezing in winter months
<br />to the mid-sixties in late August, and consistently good stream flows
<br />and the good character of the river's stream bed mean that the Piney
<br />provides an excellent habitat and spawning grounds for all four species
<br />of trout, from cutthroat up high, to brookies in the middle sections to
<br />~ brown (including large Colorado River spawners) on the lower reaches.
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<br />Furthermore, the Piney is inhabited by substantial populations of
<br />aquatic insects, including the insect orders of ephemeroptera, plecoptera,
<br />tricoptera and diptera. The particular insect genera represented are
<br />indicators of the high quality, low pollution and perennial nature of
<br />the Piney Ri ver .
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<br />Piney watershed contains an ~undance of wildlife. Elk, deer,
<br />rocky mountain goat, bighorn sheep, black bear, mountain lion, bobcat,
<br />and coyote inhabit the area. The quantity of these animals is basically
<br />dependent on the winter range. The lower portion of the Piney River
<br />is extremely important to the wintering of the elk and deer herds.
<br />Presently, about 300 elk are wintering in the drainage with the maximum
<br />deer population of between five and six hundred. Also importan~ in the
<br />area of the lower Piney are about six to ten eagles, mostly goldens,
<br />that__are winter residents. Other small mammals in the Piney River water-
<br />shed include racoon, yellow-bellied marmot, red fox, beaver, muskrat, ----.-
<br />porcupine, sno-shoe hare, and cottontail rabbits. In addition to the
<br />eagles, other raptorial birds would include the red-tail hawks and great
<br />horned owls. Other birds include ptarmigan, blue grouse--and many
<br />species of songbirds that are either summer residents or visiting migrants.
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<br />The hunting of elk and deer, and upland bird shooting is a
<br />popular and economically significant past-time in Eagle County.
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<br />Significant Historical Values
<br />
<br />Historically, many Colorado areas began with the mining boom,
<br />however, little mineralization was present in the Piney drainage and .~~
<br />in all of the Gore Eagle's Nest Wilderness. The evidence of prospecting,.~
<br />is certainly present, but very little economic ~inera~ has been found __~ .
<br />in these drainages. Therefore, the first residents of the area were
<br />homesteaders instead of miners. Piney Lake was first homesteaded by
<br />Harry Caudry and Lowell Stevens. Other homesteaders included Freeman,
<br />Dixon, Matheson, Robidoux, SChlagel, Ralston, and Rickstrew. (Along the
<br />river there are a few old abandoned homesteads.) In addition to the
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