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<br />Or - ~,.. <br />uLd:-' I <br /> <br />II. DESCRIPTION OF PRESENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS <br /> <br />A. Location <br /> <br />Crystal Dam will be constructed on the Gunnison River outside <br />of and approximately 2 miles upstream from the Black Canyon <br />of the Gunnison National Monument boundary as shown on the <br />attached Project Map No. 622-400-120. The access road to <br />Crystal Dam crosses a cor n e r of the Monument; how- <br />ever, the original. road to the Gunnison tunnel which waS <br />improved to provide access to the Crystal site was construc- <br />ted prior to establishment of the Monument. The damsite is <br />about 15 miles due east of Montrose, Colorado; accessible <br />over U.S. Highway 50 and Colorado State Highway 347 to the <br />darn access road. <br /> <br />There are several small towns located near the proposed <br />Crystal Dam and Reservoir site. The largest is Montrose, <br />Colorado, located 23 road miles west of the dam. Montrose <br />had a 1970 population of 6,413 people, a 27-percent increase <br />over the 1960 census. Gunnison, Colorado, is located approx- <br />imately 60 miles east of the reservoir, and had a 1970 popu- <br />lation of 4,517. This represented a 3D-percent increase <br />over the 1960 population estimate. Cimarron is a small <br />community located at the upper end of the reservoir on D,S. <br />Highway 50 and has a population of less than 25. <br /> <br />1\. Climate <br /> <br />The climate at and in the vicinity of the reservoir is semi- <br />arid. The area receives a total of approximately 17 inches <br />of moisture a year. Most of this precipitation falls between <br />October and April in the form of snow. Severe shower activity <br />also occurs in the summer. Temperatures are quite pleasant <br />in the summer and very cold in the winter months. Average <br />temperature extremes range from a high of 90 degrees to a low <br />of 10 degrees below zero. <br /> <br />C. Topography and Geology <br /> <br />The damsite is located in a V-shaped canyon with a depth of <br />over 1,500 feet. The elevation of the streambed is approxi- <br />mately 6,550 feet and the canyon rim elevation is slightly <br />less than 8,000 feet. Both sides of the canyon are extremely <br />rugged with sheer near-vertical rock walls making the river <br />in the bottom of the canyon virtually inaccessible except by <br />the access road to the damsite or floating the river from <br />Cimarron. Near the base of the canyon small alluvial fans <br />and talus slopes are found. Many large boulders up to car <br />size are found on the talus slopes and in the river. <br /> <br />2 <br />