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,..,..tQ^5 n d ,of, ;-~, ~...!" '.,J ",'v '-.> <,; Camping and fishing are the primary recreational uses. Estimated visitor day use for 1974 was 23,950 visitor days, (a visitor day is one person staying 12 hours) up slightly from the 2~,260, visitor days estimated in 1973. There are two campgrounds, one boat launching ramp and 50 picnic tables at Taylor Park Reservoir. FIsh species in Taylor Park Reservoir include rainbow, brook, brown, cutthroat and mackinaw trout; northern pike; k6kanee salmon; and suckers. Rainbo~ trout, stocked annually by the Colorado Division of Wildlife, comprise the bulk of the sport fish catch. In 1974 20,000 pounds of catachable rainbow trout and 300,000 two inch fingerling rainbow trout were stocked. Kokanee salmon were introduced into a tributary of the reservoir and provided some fish- ery to the reservoir after they moved downstream. 2. Taylor River The main Taylor River is 20 miles in length located between Taylor Park Dam and AImont, Colorado. The river is characterized by.flows ranging between 0 and 2,270 cfs. It's 6% gradient cause much swirt whi~e water. . The Taylor River immediately downstream of Taylor Park Reservoir has a channel capacity of approximately 1,000 cfs without flooding. Highest instantaneous discharge from Taylor Park was 2,270 cfs on July 1, 1957. After Taylor Park Reservoir and before construction of Blue Mesa Reservoir 61 days of flooding occurred during 27 years of records. After cor::pletion of Blue.Mesa Rese rvoir even though average yearly discharges from Taylor Park were higher, 8 year average discharge of 150,600 acre-feet, as compared to a 27 year average discharge of 141,200 acre-feet berore Blue Mesa Reservoir, no days of floodin5 have been recorded. On a number of occassions after construction of Taylor Park Reservoir and before Blue Mesa Reservoir was completed a minimum streamflow of zero was recorded for the Taylor River below Taylor Park Dam. Arter completion of Blue Mesa Reservoir, 1966-1973, a mirnimum daily flow of 19 ~fs was recorded. The Taylor River has had three types of flow patterns in recent history: 1) natural conditions without Taylor Park Reservoir. 2) with Taylor Park Reservoir, and 3) with Taylor Park and Blue Mesa Reservoirs. Average flows for each of these conditions can be seen in Figure (1). Under natural conditions; determined from reservoir inflow data, the highest flows in the Taylor River occurred during the May-June sprIng runoff period. Low flows occurred from Nover::ber through March. With just T.1ylor Park Reservoir operating, peak flow months occurred in Au~ust and September and low flows In the same November throu~h March perold as under natural condltions. But flows during the low flow perlod averaged less than under natur3l condltions.