WSP06732

• File Number: 7630.300
• Description: Wild and Scenic-Gunnison River
• State: CO
• Basin: Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 10/13/1987
• Author: DOI-NPS
• Title: Corres Reports etc 1988-89-Statement for Management-Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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vegetation, degrade visual air
visitor enjoyment. Maintaining
and remedying any existing air
important management objectives.

quality and diminish
pristine air quality
pollution effects are

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument also
includes numerous scenic views which are important
resources. The EPA vi~lbility regulations 5QV~ the
Secretary of the Interior an opportunity to identify
scenic views from class I areas of specific landmarks
or panoramas located outside the class I areas that
were important or integral to the park visitor's visual
experience. The regulations required States such as
Colorado to include vistas identified by the Secretary
before December 31, 1985, in their SIP and to consider
the costs and benefits of preventing visibility
degradation that might affect those vistas, before
deciding to permit new air pollution sources within
those vistas.

Using Criteria for the Identification of Inte ra1
Vistas, deve oped by the Nationa Park Service Air
Quality Division, the monument prepared a list of
integral vistas in 1980. Observation points included
Gunnison Point, Chasm View, High Point, and Warner
Overlook. The vistas included the North Rim, the West
Elk Mountains, the Lower Gunnison Gorge, and the
Uncompahgre Valley. The draft guidelines and
preliminary list of integral vistas were published in
the Federal Register in January 1981 (46 FR 3646) and
April 1981 (46 FR 23389). The list of vistas was also
given to the State of Colorado. Although the Secretary
of the Interior decided on October 25, 1985, not to
publish a final regulation officially designating
integral vistas, the National Park Service was directed
to work cooperatively with States to ensure protection
of scenic views.

The Department of the Interior's Assistant Secretary
for Fish and Wildlife and Parks has notified the EPA
that there is existing visibility impairment in the
monument caused by regional haze. Once EPA publishes
regulations addressing regional haze, Colorado may be
required to adopt control strategies to remedy the
existing visibility impairment.

An air quality monitoring program is in place.
Concerted community efforts to attract industry to the
nearby Uncompahgre Valley (upwind) call for continued
monitoring, because the advent of industry to the area
would likely impact air quality. The affects of

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