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<br />4427 <br /> <br />Also, the intermingling of fish migrating from one <br />basin to another will allow some hybridization of closely <br />related species. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The Arkansas River downstream from Pueblo Reservoir is <br />a poor fishery (FWS, 1969): The river resch becomes more <br />saline; irrigation diversions deplete the streamflow; <br />floodflows of tributary arroyos deposit silt, which smothers <br />benthic foods (FWS, 1969). Floodflows improve fish habitat <br />by scouring the channel thereby creating holes and riffles. <br />During low flow periods, fish inhabit holes and pools such <br />as those behind diversion dams (FWS, 1969). With the <br />Project in operation, flows will be slightly higher in the <br />.winter and slightly lower during the summer. <br /> <br />The Project divereions to the East Slope will occur primari- <br />ly during the high runoff periods.. Therefore, the diversions <br />and subsequent reduction in flow below Ruedi and in the <br />Colorado River will be negligible. <br /> <br />The Colorado River cutthroat trout has been listed as <br />being of undetermined status (FWS, 1973). This subspecies <br />occurs only in North Cunningham Creek and Project impacts <br />on this trout are dicusssd under impact of the North Side <br />Collection System, Section B, Part 3. <br /> <br />The Artie grayling had been considered threatened in the <br />contiguous 48 states (FWS, 1973). The Colorado Division of <br />Wildlife has been attempting to expand the range of the <br />grayling by planting them in selected reservairs in the <br />3La.~. Th~ eraylin~ has been planted in Turquoise Lake. <br />Turquoise Lake has a large populaLluu of ~~~tp.rn longnose <br />suckers, a rough fish, that has become competitive with <br />the populations of game fish. Gill net samples in 1970 <br />and 1971 showed only an occasional specimen (Colorado <br />Division of Wildlife, 1972). The stomach contents revealed <br />that the grayling had been feeding on larval dipterans and <br />zooplankton. The latter are not taken by suckers, which are <br />bottom feeders. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />q. Since the completion of Ruedi Dam and Reservoir and <br />Turquoise Lake enlargement in 1969, nearly 598,500 visitor <br />days (12-hour days) of recreation have been accommodated <br />from 1970 through 1974 (USFS, 1974). When the Project is <br />completed, it is estimated the net recreation utilization <br />of the storage reservoirs ~111 be 318.200 visitor days <br />annually at Ruedi Reservoir (USFS, 1963), and 980,000 <br />visitor daya annually at Pueblo Reservoir (USNPS, 1969), <br />totaling 1,298,200 visitor days per year. The San Isabel <br />National Forest furthermore estimates the net increase in <br />annual visits will be 540,000 at Turquoise Lake, 903,500 <br />at Twin Lakes, and 150,000 at Clear Creek. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />IV-37 <br />