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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Location and Setting The Dolores Unit area is located in southwestern Colorado, about 15 miles north of the city of Cortez. U.S. Highways 160 and 666 and Colorado State Highway 145 are the primary roads within the project area. The community nearest to the unit area is the town of Dolores, about 10 miles south on the Dolores River. The entire unit area is located within the San Juan National Forest. The unit area is in the eastern part of the Canyonlands region of the Colorado Plateau province, The topography is characterized by high relief interspersed by narrow canyons that are deeply incised with steep stream gradients. The canyon walls are composed of sandstone cliffs separated by more gradual slopes and benches, often formed by mass wasting and landslide action. Sedimentary deposits are the Summerville Formation, Junction Creek Sandstone, Morrison Formation, and the Dakota/ Burro Canyon Formations, covered with various colluvial and alluvial deposits. The alternative forebay sites are located on a mesa north of the Dolores Project and isolated from the south by McPhee Reservoir, The tributary drainages of Dry Creek, Plateau Creek, and Beaver Creek are located to the east. These drainages are set off from one another by extreme differences in elevation that make access to the proposed sites difficult. The major vegetative community is ponderosa pine forest situated at elevations between 7,100 feet and 8,100 feet. Small stands of aspen, Douglas fir, and grassy meadows also occur. Wildlife communities are typical of those found at mid-elevation mountains in similar climates, Deer and elk are the most notable game species, and there is a wide variety of bird species. The bald eagle (an endangered species), the black bear, and the cougar are occasionally observed. The climate is essentially semiarid, with low precipitation, low humidity, abundant sunshine, a fairly large daily temperature range, and moderate westerly winds. As a result of topographic changes, the local climate exhibits large variations within short distances, with increases in precipitation and decreases in temperature from southwest to north- east. Precipitation varies considerably from year-to-year; but, on the average, June is the driest month and July through October the wettest months. The remaining months are fairly uniform. Construction experi- ence on the Dolores Project indicates the work seasons for earthwork and concrete would be approximately 6 and 7 months, respectively. The area is predominantly rural. Cortez and Dolores have popula- tions of about 8,000 and 1,000 people, respectively, Agriculture is the primary economic activity, followed by tourism, mining, and forest products. 2