WSP02811

• File Number: 8200.766
• Description: Gunnison River General
• State: CO
• Basin: Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 1/1/1991
• Author: USGS
• Title: Reconnaissance Investigation of Water Quality-Bottom Sediment-and Biota Associated with Irrigation Drainage - Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basins and Sweitzer Lake - West Central Colorado
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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EXPlANATION
TOWN
STREAMFLOW GAGING
STATION AND NUMBER
_ RESERVOIR OR LAKE

+-- ARROW INDICATES
DIRECllON OF FLOW

Ridgway ReserlJOir
09146200
RIdgway

Nolto scale

Figure 3.--Schematic diagram of major streams, tributaries, reservoirs,
and canals and movement of water.

water diverted from the Gunnison River, accounted for about 12 percent of
the stream discharge from the Gunnison River basin recorded at streamflow-
gaging station (hereinafter referred to as gaging station) 09152500 (fig. 1)
for water years 1939-88.

Downstream from the Smith Fork (fig. 1) to Grand Junction, the State of
Colorado has classified the Gunnison River for cold-water fishery, recreation,
domestic and municipal water supplies, and agricultural use (Colorado
Department of Health, 1988). The Gunnison River is not used for domestic and
municipal water supplies in Delta, and normally is not used for municipal
water supplies in the Grand Junction area. The river is used as a backup
water supply for the Grand Junction water-supply system, but usually only in
drought years. Grand Junction last used the Gunnison River as a major water
source in 1977. The Gunnison River is considered a Gold-Medal trout stream in
a reach upstream from the Smith Fork to Morrow Point Reservoir (fig. 1). The

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