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Existing ~esource Conditions More than 90 percent of the range in the watershed is in fair or poor condition, which equates to .13 to .25 animal unit months (AUMs) per acre. Its potential is .45 AUMs per acre. The grazeable woodlands are in similar condition. They produce between .05 and .17 AUMs per acre; however, the potential is between .3 and .33 AUMs per acre. These present conditions are conducive to accelerated erosion. The soil resource within the watershed is deteriorating at an excessive rate due to erosion. Based on the U.S. Army corps of Engineers 75-year design life for Trinidad Lake, there are about 60 years of the design life remaining for Trinidad Lake. The watershed inventory and evaluation found that the Lake's conservation and recreation pool is decreasing in size, due to sediment loading from the project area, at a rate of 166 Ac. Ft. per year. The aquatic habitat of Trinidad Lake is being negatively impacted by the quality of water entering from the watershed. This water exceeds the limits in heavy metals for aquatic life. The value of the wetland habitat within the watershed is below its potential, based on the known extent of soil movement taking place and its effects on habitat. The upland wildlife habitat is also not at its potential in terms of quality and quantity of forage or cover. This is related to the condition of the range and grazeable woodlands in the area. Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) figures show that the present deer herd in and adjacent to the watershed is approximately 11,000. The long-range objective of the CDOW is to have a herd of 12,000 in the same area. The CDOW estimates the elk population in and adjacent to the watershed to be approximately 2,000. The long-range goal for the herd is 2,500. At present, Trinidad Lake is able to store adequate irrigation water to meet the needs of irrigated agriculture in the area. The irrigation water in the lake is used to irrigate land downstream. As sedimentation takes place, the average of 104 acre feet of water per year will no longer be usable for irrigation. The irrigation delivery systems which serve the watershed also suffer annual damages due to sedimentation and runoff. The wildlife popUlation of the watershed at this time does not include endangered species. Cultural resources within the project area, such as old coke ovens and bridges, are not presently in jeopardy from the excessive erosion in the watershed. The local economy is depressed, with roughly 25 percent of the rural residents falling into the low income category. 20