Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Dallas Creek Project, Colorado (BR) <br /> <br />-24- <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Acquisition of about 15 miles of public fishermen access on the Uncompahgre <br />River from Ridgway Reservoir to the City of Montrose would provide for <br />an additional 4,000 man-days of fishing opportunity. Access should be <br />acquired on both sides of the river based on the advice of the <br />Colorado Division of Wildlife and would be administered by that agency. <br />Estimated costs of $45,000 would be included in the Section 8 program. <br />Costs for operation and maintenance of these areas would be approxi- <br />mately $2,250 annually. <br /> <br />\ <br /> <br />Acquisition of about 4.4 miles of public fishing easements on the two <br />forks of Dallas Creek would assure fishing opportunities on these <br />waters which have been restricted in the past. An approximate 560 <br />man-days of fishing opportunity would be realized by this proposal. <br />These areas would be administered by the Colorado Division of Wildlife. <br />The $13,200 cost would be a Section 8 program item. Annual operation <br />and maintenance costs would be approximately $570. <br /> <br />Conflicting recreational uses can occur on recreation areas which <br />can impact the quality of the fishing or hunting opportunity, for <br />example, water skiing versus fishing. <br /> <br />To insure adequate fishing and/or hunting' opportunities on the Ridgway <br />Reservoir area, it may require zoning for public use by type and <br />time. Certain reservoir segments could be limited to fishing during <br />certain hours of the day. These regulations should be established <br />by the agency administering the areas with the concurrence of the <br />Colorado Division of Wildlife and the Fish and Wildlife Service. It <br />is not anticipated that conflicting uses would be significant at the <br />Dallas Divide Reservoir, and a management plan would probably not be <br />required. <br /> <br />A most desirable goal of the Dallas Creek project should be the <br />restoration of the quality of the upper Uncompahgre River as a stream <br />fishery. Prior deterioration of this stream fishery has been partly a <br />result of past mining activities in the headwaters. Mine drainage, <br />and runoff from mine tailings have caused high concentrations of <br />heavy metals in Red Mountain Creek and the Uncompahgre River. These <br />heavy metals are curtailing the fishery of these waters. <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />Every effort should be expended by the the Bureau of Reclamation, the <br />Colorado Division of Wildlife and the Fish and Wildlife Service to <br />investigate methods for correcting water quality deficiencies in this <br />