WSP03067

• File Number: 8276.856
• Description: Salinity Control Inventory Lower Gunnison Basin - Colorado River Salinity Control Program
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 9/1/1976
• Title: On-Farm Salinity Control Investigation and Plan of Work
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

Sal inity Control Act of June 24, 1974 (88 Stat. 266). In addition, a
specific Memorandum of Agreement between the Bureau of Reclamation, USDI
and the Soil Conservation Service, USDA, dated March 27, 1975, provides
for accomplishing the work under Title I I of the Colorado River Salinity
Control Act.

The Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of the Interior, has defined
the Lower Gunnison Basin Unit as the Gunnison River drainage area below
the Curecanti Unit which includes the Blue Mesa and Morrow Point Dams
and the Crystal Dam now under construction. Using the USGS stream
gaging site at the Morrow Point Reservoir (91254) with a drainage area
of 3,637 square miles as the boundary of the Upper Gunnison Basin, and
the USGS Gaging Site No. 91525 Gunnison River near Grand Junction as the
bottom of the Lower Gunnison Basin with a drainage area of 7,928 square
miles, the Lower Gunnison Basin Unit would contain 4,291 square miles
(2,746,240 acres).

I I. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE BASIN

Physical

The Gunnison River Basin encompasses an area of about 8,000 square miles
in west central. Colorado. It includes all or major portions of Gunnison,
Montrose, Delta and Ouray Counties and portions of Mesa, Hinsdale,
Saguache and San Juan Counties. The Continental Divide forms the east
and southeast boundary, and the San Juan Mountains and the Uncompahgre
Plateau form the south and southwest boundary. The north boundary is
formed by the Grand Mesa and the Elk Mountains. (See Figure 1)

Elevations range from 4,550 feet at the point where the Gunnison River
flows into the Colorado River, to 14,301 feet above sea level on Uncompahgre
Peak at the southern edge of the basin.

"The Water and Related Land Resources, Gunnison River Basin, Colorado"
(1962) Type IV study provided the following subbasin evaluation areas:

Subbasins

Acres Square Mi les
2,529,700 3,952.6
959,400 1,499.1
253,300 395.8
802,200 1,253.4
2,014,900 3,148.3
r;..
588,200 919. 1 d
5,132,800 8,020.0

Upper Gunnison

Lower Gunnison Unit
Uncompahgre
Smith Fork-Crystal
North Fork
Subtotal Lower Gunnison

Wh i tewater
Total Gunnison Basin

2