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<br />UiJl21d
<br />
<br />2U02
<br />
<br />COLORADO \VA TER
<br />
<br />December
<br />
<br />~no"Tap~d jX';Ii" 01 Iht' COl11inenlal Divide rol..:c lhrou~h
<br />(he cloud" Th<.ll 50-mill: \1,!.Il;Orll;llm ...i\ di"'lin"'II.',,'olo~i-
<br />c;Jlzon......: ...hongra" prairie. canyon and tableland.., alpine
<br />tundra. river hJ.nk.. and lake ..h<>rc,. foothill, and !'ore..",. ThI:
<br />dc\'.llion in..:rca\c.. "0 ..harply lhal pl.:m.. .md J.nim...h in ca..'h
<br />zorn: fund;lmCllli:llly changt' III \.'\llX \\Jlh Ih... ..olcta dima!c
<br />and ..honer growing ..ca..on.
<br />
<br />If'lhe cl:ologil:al c"Iui\akm of ,>landing in Florida and ,ccing
<br />all the way 10 (jrccnland - a di,t.L1KC of ::!5U) mik..:'
<br />
<br />John C. FremollllSI)ulh P];llh: ..'any on. I ~..U"'I: "\\'1,' \."amc
<br />upon the pine.., ;lIld the quaking a,jX'" \\J.\ mixed\\. jlh the
<br />...ollon....ood. Tlh:n: \\.;., t'x....c11cnt gr;h\ J.nd lll.lny !x'Jutiful
<br />1l0V,l'P,... \\"c ...urpn"l:d a gril.Zl~ lx'ar ".Iume:ring ,.l(mg Ihe:
<br />ri\er. .... hio.:h. rai..lllg hilll,,<:11 Upl.11I hi.. hind leg... lool a delio-
<br />er;llo: "uT\e~ 01 u.......n;lOlblell into the river ;tnd ......alll 10 fhe
<br />oppmite ..ide:'
<br />
<br />A I)er"pe(:lhe nn Re,toralinn POlential of the South
<br />PlaUt'
<br />
<br />Todd Harri-. ISnUlh PI;JIte R.e..lmaliolll:
<br />
<br />* Tho: biolll'l'olTl1l1unit~ i.. 11111 unlik \llher high
<br />plain....tro:;um:
<br />
<br />.. TIle ri\'o:r Ih<lo\\ O...n\O;"r) i~ elttu"'l11 dOIllIIMI...d:
<br />
<br />.. Habilat i.. r...~trii.:li\'... tor Ill(l'ot Ii..h "J1o.'o.:ic,:
<br />
<br />.. :'\utricnt.. ;Irc high:
<br />
<br />.. Flo...., land \\;lICr quality 1 ;lre fundion of ~klro
<br />di'>l..'harge:
<br />
<br />.. GrounJ\\;lIa ..-,lming lII111lhc ..tre;1Il1 i, hlgh..'r III
<br />nUlriCllhth;lII,urfao.:c\\<.Itef',:
<br />
<br />.. (hygcn d..'pktlon e\o.:o:eth rc-acrallPlllTl man-rn;lJc
<br />,Ia..:lwatcrregitlll":
<br />
<br />* Ground....aler gain.. ;Kt'ount for almo.,t alll,ttc
<br />'uTl1mc:rflo....
<br />
<br />. The ripaflafl o.:(,rridor I., dimllli,hlllg:
<br />
<br />fht: rhcr.lhough highly regulated, i.. ,till 'UbJCd to
<br />extfl:m... tlow., lhal .Irc o.:onlim'd to ;l lI<.1rro\\ ..:hannd
<br />;lnd de'lmy h.lbilat: <.Ind
<br />
<br />. IrrigallOn ..tm,,:ture., Olhlrul.t up,trC;lIll migralion ot"
<br />li..h and di\en 1;1T\<.Ilti,h.
<br />
<br />Water Projecl ElS.. from Iht" 1970..
<br />
<br />* L;prc:r Soulh PI<.IlIe Unilllllhe Pio.:l-SlO<.l1l :\ll",ouri
<br />H<.I..in Program I BuRcl', 1'1741
<br />. NarrO\', I)<.Im EIS I BuRe.... 197fll
<br />. FOOlhill.. PflIjt"d IBL\1. 1975)
<br />
<br />Ct)ncludin~ Comnu:nl
<br />
<br />The South Plait.: b;l.,jn i.. Colorado'.. 1I10..t urhani7ed \\;1Ier-
<br />..heu, olle of ih mo.., il1li:n~i\'c1~ irrigali:U, <.Inu the ri:cipielll of
<br />thc large"l ..h;JI..' 01 \\ater ctiq:ned ffllm ....e..1 of Ihc Continen-
<br />1.11 Dindc inlho: Colorado ba...in. S\llllC III it.. tributarie.. j mlht
<br />nOlabl~, CI...ar Crecll JI"l ..hll\~ the ";:.lfe' and fll.-)or ....Jler
<br />quaJit~ J....O,:I,lt~d \\ ith Joandoned mining operation, thaI
<br />hJ\'c Iheir origm.. in Ihc gold ru..h of the mid.nilletet"nth l.:t"IIlU-
<br />r~. lk"pltc the k\ cI of d~\"I'lopll1t"lll, the upper hasin ,,-{'Ill.lin..
<br />..lream rt:ao.:he.. or \..'1} high 4ualil~, relllJ.rJ..,lbk Ii..b..'ne.., ,md
<br />\"allklhle rco.:n:atioll arc;!.., Th..' [\lwer b;hin ...."[\-'e,>;m ullpor-
<br />1,1Il1 role in ..upplying .I fll.-lMion 01 th..' W;tleT Ih.1I ..u..tain.. the
<br />Big B..'nJ n:adl in Se:hra..ka, o.:riti<.:al hahil.1l to ,,'ndan.\!cred
<br />hlrd ..pc.'l'ic...
<br />
<br />The dl,lIknge lor all thlhe ....lIh J. ..t;o..e in Ihe ha..ill j, Ihe
<br />d.."\dopmelll 01 in..wutional ..trul.tur..'" and managemelll pbn..
<br />that \\ ill mal... it p<.....itok hlr the lull r;mge Ilf the river's \'al-
<br />ue.. 10 n...' ..uPP',"cd in the f;ts't" of gTlm ing demand, !"rom all
<br />IIlh:re..I.., TIli.. pre..t"lll.lIIOIl \lill..ugge..t ,orne ....,I~' thi.. ..'an
<br />lx. J...o.:ompli,hed,
<br />
<br />\-l.:ul Pilhcr. Co[,'rJdo Jllom..'~, h;h repbo.:ed OJ\ld Ilolm J" di\"i"lilfl dirc..'tor 01 Color;ldo'.. WJle:r ()ualil~ Conlrol
<br />Oi\'j;"lon, Ihl1tn rellr..'d ,h dl\ i,wn dire...."'r thl' _ummer .lIter P ~t".I""', Pit1wr g;lined nallonal prominen....e ill ....Jter
<br />('in:k.. ror hi, ..u..'o.:l'",ful challenge ,If ,Ill 1:1'.\ tn\h.:iIY le..t dl,'~igned ((l gauge lhc dkd 01 POIlUlLOlh on aqu.l1i... lit.:, In
<br />CUlm<.lJ,l. hc repre-ellh:d ,\urora ,md C\llllra,jo Spring.. in all un..u...':e....tul elfl.n 10 di\ en \~alCr lmrn Ih..' Ih)l~ Cw....
<br />\\"ildcme.... ..\re;1 and repre..emed :"'.1l11)fl<.l1 HIll' F.lmh in the ..-ompall~" ....hallenfe (lllht" ..laIC he;llth lkpanmem',
<br />dcnial oJ,lIl.lIr rolluti{lllr......nnit.
<br />
<br />Rod.' \1<111111<1/11 \"no, IO/~tl..'\j~
<br />
<br />19
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