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<br />I 1 <br />I C.':; <t. ".j ~ <br />, , <br />, . ~ <br /> <br />Dam it flows approximately 2 miles downstream to the Gunnison Tunnel Diversion <br />located just upstream of the southeast boundary of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison <br />National Monument. <br /> <br />It is the reach of stream extending from just below the Gunnison Tunnel <br />Diversion approximately 28.9 miles downstream to the North Fork confluenct: just east <br />of Delta, Colorado that is being considered for protection in this Bill. More <br />specifically, the upper terminus of the proposed Gunnison Wild and Scenic river is <br />located at the USGS gage immediately below the Gunnison Tunnel and extends <br />downstream 26.2 miles to a point at least 1 mile below the confluence of the Smith <br />Fork with the Gunnison River, but no further downstream than the North Fork <br />confluence. Except for a few miles above the North Fork confluence the river is <br />deeply incised in a spectacular narrow river canyon accessible only on foot or by raft. <br />The upper half of this reach is currently under the protection of the National ParK <br />Service in the form of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument. Most <br />of the lower reach is under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management. The <br />National Monument, Curecanti National Recreation Area and BLM lands surrounding <br />the Aspinall unit provide significant recreation and economic benefits to the area. <br /> <br />Colorado is in agreement with the findings and purposes declared in Section <br />2 of the bill. The recognition of those purposes in the form of a National Park in this <br />unique and beautiful area will provide further economic benefits both to the region <br />and to the state as a whole. <br /> <br />The Colorado Water Conservation Board supports the language contained in <br />H.R. 1321 which states with respect to the designation of the Gunnison as a Wild and <br />Scenic River in Section 6(c) that, "No water rights or the reservation of water which <br />would expand on the existing reserved water right for the Black Canyon of the <br />Gunnison National Monument, shall be created by this designation." The Colorado <br />Water Conservation Board also concurs with the language contained in paragraphs 3d, <br /> <br />2 <br />