WSP03456

• File Number: 7630.425
• Description: Wild and Scenic - Piedra River
• State: CO
• Basin: Western Slope
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 1/29/1976
• Author: Various
• Title: News Articles-Press Releases - Piedra Wilderness - 1-29-76 through 2-4-77
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: News Article/Press Release

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le~islalion remo\'lng the tribu-
taries (If the Piedr3.. other than
lho'ie IOClllCd in t:'c Wcminuche
Wih:lernes:. Area. from inclusion
in the ",'ild and scenk r;,"cr swdy.
has now passed b<>ch the SCllate
and the' H{"lme in Congress.
II is part of an umnibus bill
c(lncerning reclamation ailJ

a meeting With Congressman
Frank. Evans to ellplain the
problems being created by the
inclllsion of almo...t all of the
Upper Piedra Area in the Wild
and S,-enic River Stud... Area.

Evans, upon the' request of
local citilcns, introduced a bill
thaI would cltl':mpl the tribUlary
areas of the Piedra from the
study. The original Wild and
Sttnic River Act called for the
sludy of. "The Piedra River and
all tribUlaries 10 their ~un:e."
This obviou~ly took in practically
the entire Piedra River water-
shed.

\ Evans' l'oill would remove all of
the tribulaTies. elteept those in
th'! wildcmcss area from the
study. It would not eltc\udt. the
Piedra Rh-er proper. Under study
for wild and scenic river
d~igllatlon procedure. the entire
Upper Piedra Area would be ticd
upforseveralye:!.rs.
Timber silles alrc3dy slaned
....ould be l"Omplclcd. Uowever, no

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various other projeC1':>. The bill, at
this time is awaiting the
president's signature, Washing.
ton obsen'ors sa). that the
chanres of its pa,>sage are vn)'
good and the)' eltpect quid:
action.
Some monthS ago th~ local
Chamber of Commen;e sponsored

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new timber sales could be held.
no actions laken on anv flew
. project that would ch;lIIgc the
charaetcrl....tics of the area. and il
wa!> possible that ~me water
right'> would be in d.1ngcr.
This "ould ha..'e meant that the
local mill of San Juan lumbcr Co.
vcry likely wuuld cea!>e 10 have a
,>upply of raw timber. Had tilt'
mill c1Qsed. the economk !.itua-
tion of the IOwn would ha~'e been
scriou!'ly threatened.
Several local organi1.~tions.
including collnty commissioners
and the town board, joined in the
battlc to get the bill pa....,ed. It
passed t>{lth the Hou!;.e an~;
Senate under the !'pons<>r,>hip 0:
Congressman Eval1'> and it no"
appears 1ik.e1y that thc presidc~;
wills;gn it into law.
If it is signed, rtlcn a tixbe':
supply for S"n Juan i... as~ur(,1
from the I'iedra Dh;tri,'t un:i1 ~U(~
time ~s the Pagosa Di...tri~'
Management Study alld lhe Sout' I
San Juan Wildcroess Studies a:, i
completed. ~
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