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<br />DRAFT <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Land erosion in Colorado affected 8,412,000 acres in 1967. The <br /> <br />most serious damage. has taken place in the Colorado River drainage, <br /> <br />where 6,573,000 acres suffer. The next most serious problem is in <br /> <br />o <br /> <br />the Arkansas-White-Red River drainage, where 1,124,700 acres are <br /> <br />affected. Erosion leads to silting of streams. This is most <br /> <br />serious in the Arkansas. drainage, where silting is even affecting <br /> <br />irrigation systems. <br /> <br />e. Watershed Damage <br /> <br />Various activities present actual or potential threats to the <br /> <br />viability of watersheds in the state. These include: <br /> <br />(1) Oil shale development activities in Rio Blanco County, <br /> <br />affecting the White River drainage. <br /> <br />(2) Strip-mining activities in Routt and Moffat Counties, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />affecting the Williams Fork River and Yampa River drainages. <br /> <br />(3) Ski-development activities in Pitkin County, affecting <br /> <br />the Snmmlass Creek, the Roaring Fork River, and the Brush Creek <br /> <br />drainages. <br /> <br />. t <br />0249 <br /> <br />(4) Interstate highway construction from Gypsum to west of Vail <br /> <br />in-Eagle County, affecting the Eagle River drainage. <br /> <br />(5) Recreation development in numerous mountain locations. <br /> <br />Improperly managed activities such as these result in rapid <br /> <br />runoff of water, soil erosion, stream silting, and damage to the <br /> <br />vegetative ecology of the watershed. <br /> <br />f. Flood Plain Encroachment <br /> <br />Encroachment of human activity on natural flood plains presents <br /> <br />. an environmental impact. Such environmental impact can be of two types: <br /> <br />first., encroachment can alter the environment and ecology of the flood <br /> <br />p lairi; and second, such encroachment usua lly genera tes pressure for <br />