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155;j I. Introduction to the Water Needs Assessment The Arkansas River and irs relared reservoirs between Leadville and Pueblo are an importanr hydrological. biological and recrearional resource. Competing demands for warer have made ir nec- essary for management agencies to thoroughly understand affects (0 various resources and care. fully weigh the user preferences. environmeneal requirements, and legal and administrative con- straints associated with decisions that affect water uses, scream flow, and reservoir levels. The Warer Needs Assessmem is imended co provide crirical dara thar managers and rhe public must be aware of in order to berter undersrand the issues before theY commence decision making processes and form opinions. A. Physical Setting The Arkansas River is rhe major drainage sysrem in sourheasrern Colorado. Irs headwarers are locared in rhe Sawarch and Mosquiro Ranges near Leadville. and Sangre de Cristo Mouneains between Salida and Canon City. In the upper basin, within Lake County, are three scorage reser- voirs of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project: Twin Lakes and Turquoise Reservoirs and Moune Elbert Forebay. The Pueblo Board ofWa<erworks also operares Cle", Creek Reservoir on C1e", Creek. From the Leadville area. rhe river flows in a sourherly direcrion through Browns Canyon and rums easr as ir flows from Salida rowards Canon City. The landscape is rugged as the river flows between narrow canyons and open parks, Below Canon Ciry. the river enters the eJStern plains landscape as it continues its course towards Pueblo Reservoir. The assessment are:l comprises Twin Lakes. Turquoise and Clear Creek Reservoirs; the Arkansas River corridor downsrream from those reservoirs to Pueblo Reservoir; and Pueblo Reservoir, for a toral of about 148 river miles (see Maps I and 2). B, Resource Managers and Responsibilities Resource managers in this area who have taken an active role in this Water Needs Assessment include me U.S. Bureau of Reclamarion, rhe U.S. Forese Service. U.S. Bureau of Land Managemem, and me Colorado Deparrmem of Narural Resources (DNR). Wirhin DNR. rhe managing and ~ooperaring agencies include Colorado Division of Wildlife. Colorado Srare Parks. and Colorado Division ofWarer Resources. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamarion is responsible for operarion of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Projecr, including the operarion of Turquoise Lake. Twin Lakes. and Pueblo Reservoir. The U.S. Forest Service manages public lands surrounding Turquoise Lake. Twin Lakes, and manages recre- ation on those reservoirs. The U.S. Bure:lu of Land Managemem manages public lands along the Arkansas River Corridor. The Bureau of Land Managemem and Colmado Srare Parks share in the management of the Arkansas Headwarers Recreation Area -- exrending 148 miles between Leadville and Lake Pueblo Srare Park. Colorado Division of Wildlife is responsible for manage- menr of rhe srare's fish and wildlife resources. and for management of 16 seare wildlife: "'eas within the Arkansas River warershed. The Colorado Division ofWarer Resources is responsible for administering the allocJtion of me state's waters according co individual warer righrs, and accord- ing ro applicable srare and federal laws. C. Purpose of the Study The purpose of mis assessmem is ro: . provide informacion about the water-depen- dem biologic, recrearional. legal, and instiru- rional warer resource values thar are of signifi- cance and imporrance. The assessment rdates