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<br />cS <br /> <br />Ill. Study Goals, Objectives, End Product: <br /> <br />Many floodplain habitats are in low-lying areas near the river where <br />municipal, industrial, and agricultural runoff tends to collect. <br />High spring flows historically provided annual flushing and <br />cleansing of these areas, but land and water management has reduced <br />the extent, frequency, and duration of flushing flows. So far, <br />contaminants screening of candidate restoration sites has revealed <br />potential selenium problems in parts of the Upper Basin. ~lthough <br />background levels of selenium have always been relatively high due <br />to extensive oceanic shale deposits (Figure I), contaminants experts <br />believe levels have been exacerbated recently by irrigation of high- <br />selenium soils and flow reduction. <br /> <br />The purpose of the Floodplain Habitat Restoration Program is to <br />restore natural floodplain functions to assist in recovery of the <br />endangered fishes. Achieving this goal will require the acquisition <br />and restoration of floodplain habitats. Federal mandates require <br />that contaminants surveys be conducted on properties the government <br />wishes to acquire. The federal government cannot acquire interest <br />in a property which fails the contaminants survey (unless the <br />contaminants problems are remediated). Also, acquisition and <br />restoration of floodplain habitats is expensive, and the Program <br />does not wish to spend money on properties which cannot sustain <br />endangered fishes because of contaminants problems. <br /> <br />Goal: <br /> <br />To identify potential contaminants problems at candidate restoration <br />sites (using standard protocol, attached). <br /> <br />End Products: <br /> <br />Reports describing site-specific results of contaminants <br />screening surveys. <br /> <br />IV. Description of past performance on this or similar projects: <br /> <br />A great deal of water quality and contaminants data have been <br />collected in the Upper Basin over the years. Minimal amounts have <br />been collected in off-channel habitats such as floodplain habitats, <br />however. Data collected to date suggest that selenium may be a <br />problem at many of the sites, including the entire Gunnison River <br />from Delta, Colorado, to the Colorado River; and the Colorado River <br />from the confluence with the Gunnison River to the confluence with <br />the Green River. <br /> <br />V. Study Area <br /> <br />The sites will be located on the Green, Colorado and Gunnison <br />rivers. <br /> <br />2 <br />