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<br /> <br /> <br /><.:) <br />(.-) <br />',.,) <br />00 <br />C.,) <br />Q:l <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />Mountain Creek, Cement Creek, Mineral Creek and the <br />Uncompahgre River in the Upper Main Stem and San Juan-Colorado <br />subregions are severely polluted from mine drainage. In <br />addition to eliminating fisheries, mine drainage pollution <br />detracts from the value of streams as sources of municipal <br />and industrial water supplies. Concentrations of some <br />metals periodically exceed Public Health Service limits for <br />drinking water supplies. In some cases costly treatment <br />is required to make the water suitable for industrial <br />purposes. <br /> <br />Methods for controlling mine drainage have not been <br />developed for the "hardrock" mines of the West. Moreover, <br />the distribution of the mine drainage problem is such that <br />a large percentage of the investment in an abatement program <br />would involve mines that are no longer operating and have <br />no significant potential for producing any revenues. <br /> <br />streamflow Management <br /> <br />Water quality improvement by means of stream flow <br />management is limited in the Upper Colorado Region under <br />present legal and institutional environments. .The <br />maintenance of minimum flows for water quality purposes is <br />not recognized as a beneficial use of water in the water <br />rights laws of any state in the Region. Availability of <br />water in streams to maintain water quality depends exclusively <br />on flows released to meet other downstream uses. Under <br />existing laws, the entire flow of a stream could be <br />periodically removed leaving the stream dry regardless of <br />water quality criteria. Therefore, management of streams <br />to insure minimum flows for water quality control is <br />contingent upon purchasing existing water rights or <br />importation. <br /> <br />If water quality control becomes recognized as a <br />legitimate use, water resources management could provide <br />for the optimum combination of quality and quantity for <br />the available supply. In considering a streamflow <br />management program, the effects of stream regulation on <br />an entire river basin would have to be an integral part of <br />any regionwide or basinwide water quality management <br />scheme. <br /> <br />~ ,J <br /> <br />- iii - <br /> <br />I ".\ <br />