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<br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />08,134 <br /> <br />Livestock production is the base of' the economy in the <br />upper Gunnison River basin, with mining, lumbering, and recrea- <br />tion f'urnishing secondary sources of income. The principal <br />recreational attractions of the area are fishing in lakes, res- <br />ervoirs and rivers; big game hunting in the mountains and <br />1'orests; and siding. Existing and potential 1'arm1ng areas are <br />situated. between 7,600 and 8,800, 1'eet in elevation above mean <br />see. level with an averase of 8,000 feet. Because of the high <br />elevations the season between 1d111ng f'rosts is short, aver- <br />aging about 80 days. Precipitation averages about 10.6 inches <br />a year of which about 4 inches occurs during the growing season. <br />Approximately 95 percent of the presently irrigated land is <br />used f'or production of meadow bay' and pasture. The lands suit- <br />able for e.griculturaJ. production are located along stream <br />bottoms, on benches, and on val.ley side slopes. <br /> <br />Water Supply <br />, <br /> <br />Stream gaging was f'irst conducted in the upper Gunnison <br />River drainage basin in 1899 (Gunnison River at Iola, Colorado), <br />and continuously since 1903 (Gunnison River below Gunnison <br />Tunnel). Table 1, "Selected Streamflow Records" lists the <br />gaging station records pertinent to this review. <br /> <br />111e ave1'B8e annual f'low of the upper Gunnison River <br />1'luetuates over a ....Tim..m range of' about 3:1, although the <br />usual variation seldcm exceeds 2: 1. The average discharge f'or <br />38 years of record of the East River at Almont, Colorado, is <br />348 cf's, the maximum average annual f'low being 573 c1's in 1957, <br />and the minimum 175 cfs in 1954. The ave1'B8e annual f'low of <br />1;he ';t'aylor River, as measured at Almont,...Colorado, was 344 cf's <br />foI' 50 years of' record; a -Ti""1P' flow of 415 cfs occurring <br />in 1912, and a minimum of 162 cfs in 1931. The average annual <br />f'low of the Gunnison River near Gunnison, Colorado, f'or 34 <br />years of' record is 798 c1's; the high flow of' 1,237 cf's occur- <br />ring in 1957; and the low 1'low of 392 cf's occurring in 1954-- <br />a range of' slightly more than 3:1. <br /> <br />An inspect!. on of the gaging station records shows that between <br />65 percent and 85 percent of' the annual f'l0ll' occurs during the <br />f'ive-lIIOnth period of' April through August; the higher percent- <br />age being characteristic of the tributary streams. <br /> <br />8 <br />