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<br />Or.' :. h l <br />lJ......U. I <br /> <br />channelization, turbidity will be substantially greater than <br />natural turbidity while this work is undertaken. <br /> <br />Waste material from the tunnel, channel excavation, and aggre- <br />gate processing activities will be disposed of in the reser- <br />voir proper in such a way as to eliminate any possible future <br />esthetic damage. To accommodate this waste material the reser- <br />voir capacity will be reduced by approximately 700 acre-feet. <br /> <br />Some minor esthetic damage will occur in the canyon due to the <br />actual physical construction of the dam. The access road from <br />Colorado Highway 37 to the damsite has required some major cut <br />slopes where the possibility of revegetation is not likely. A <br />short segment of this access road can be seen from the National <br />Monument, particularly from the less-visited north rim. Access <br />roads in the bottom of the canyon, including a short reach to <br />the top of the dam, will be located and designed to minimize <br />esthetic damage. <br /> <br />The Crystal Dam and Reservoir must share in major secondary <br />impacts created by the total Curecanti Unit. One is the eco- <br />nomic spinoff from construction activity and the additional <br />personnel and money being added in the Montrose-Gunnison area. <br />The recreational and visitor use that will develop is a per- <br />manent impact of the three reservoirs and will increase the <br />tourist use and stay in the area. There will be a significant <br />fishery loss in the affected reach of stream, including loss <br />of habitat for the Colorado squawfish in the project area, a <br />minor loss in wildlife resources, and a loss of 6.5 miles of <br />whitewater for potential boaters. <br /> <br />Additional cheap power will be available to customers in the <br />Colorado River Storage Project marketing area. Hydroelectric <br />power will help meet the overwhelming demand for electrical <br />energy in the Southwest, and will provide critically needed <br />time to develop technology to reduce the environmental impact <br />of coal-fired thermal steam powerplants. Power revenues re- <br />alized will have economic impact in other areas of the Upper <br />Colorado basin as they will help finance irrigation projects <br />which have marginal economical feasibility without this <br />a98 is tance. <br /> <br />B. Any Probably Adverse Environmental Effects Which Cannot be <br />Avoided <br /> <br />(l) The loss of 6.5 miles of fish habitat in the Gunnison <br />River due to inundation by the reservoir. <br /> <br />(2) Alteration of 8,000 feet of trout stream habitat due <br />to channelizing for maximum power head. <br /> <br />14 <br />