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<br />Affected Environment & Consequences <br />130'5:3 <br /> <br />3-1 <br /> <br />Section 3.0 <br /> <br />Affected Environment <br />and Environmental Consequences <br /> <br />eveloping the AB Lateral Hydropower Facility would create both short-term and <br />long-term consequences to the surrounding region. The purpose of this chapter is <br />to describe existing conditions of the region and the consequences of the No <br />Action and development alternatives. The discussion focuses on new or changed <br />information since issuance of the PElS in 1991. This information includes: <br /> <br />D <br /> <br />. The hydrology of the Uncompahgre River has been updated to reflect more recent <br />data and changes in Aspinall Unit operations. <br /> <br />. Additional information regarding the geomorphology of the Uncompahgre River has <br />been acq ui red. <br /> <br />. Additional information regarding the Uncompahgre River's riparian wetlands has <br />been acquired. <br /> <br />. Whirling disease has been found in trout species in the Gunnison Ri ver. <br /> <br />. Additional information regarding the vegetation and morphology of the Gunnison <br />River has been acquired. <br /> <br />. Consultation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) indicated changes <br />regarding threatened and endangered species in the affected area. <br /> <br />3.1 General Description of the Region <br /> <br />The Uncompahgre Valley (Valley), approximately 31 miles long, is located along the <br />western flank of the Rocky Mountains and is divided by the Uncompahgre River (Figure <br />3.1). The Gunnison River flows east of the Valley through the Black Canyon of the <br />Gunnison National Park and the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area. The <br />Uncompahgre River joins the Gunnison River in Delta, which is about 30 miles north of <br />Montrose. <br /> <br />The Valley is largely an agricultural area, much of which is served by the Uncompahgre <br />Valley Reclamation Project (UVRP). Of the 505,000 acre-feet of water that annually <br />flows through the Valley's canals, nearly two-thirds is imported for irrigation from the <br />Gunnison River via the Gunnison Tunnel (Tunnel). The remaining volume is derived <br />from the Uncompahgre River and its tributaries. <br /> <br />Major communities in the Valley include Montrose, Olathe, and Delta. Montrose and <br />Delta are the county seats of Montrose and Delta Counties, respectively. <br /> <br />AS Lateral Hydropower Project <br /> <br />July 2000 <br /> <br />-; <br /> <br />