WSP08358

• File Number: 7630.175
• Description: Wild and Scenic-Dolores River
• State: CO
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 5/9/1975
• Title: Dolores Study-Wild and Scenic-Corresp Reports tech etc 1968-81-Dolores Wild and Scenic River Study Report Outline-Draft 2
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

DOLCfU'.'lER HILD Aim SCE,IIC RIVER ~

~fE~.K'P.ANDi]\1 OF AGREty~:r.IT

This "'e"'ora~du;;: s;)ecifies the stud:: and report preparation responsibilities
under P.L. 93-621, an a~en~~ent to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, of the
Depart;::e,.,,: of ':atu,.al Resources for the Sta';;e of Colorado; the Reeky
Mountai~ Region rarest Service for ~he U.S. Department of Agriculture;
and the ~~d-Continent Re~ion, Bureau of Ou';;door Recreation for the
U.S. Depart~e~t af the Interior.11 These are the prin~ipal organ~zations
respo~sible for cc~~uct of the st~dies and except for decision aspects, for
the preparation of the Wild and Scenic River Reports and the Environmental
Impact Stateroents which ~ill accompany the Reports. The Governor of Colorado,
Secretary of the U.S. Depart",ent of ~griculture and Secretary of U.S. Depart-
ment of the Interior or their d€si~ees, retain decision ",aking authority
related to reco~~ended actions and/or the providing of position statements,
and this group is hereafter re;'errecl to as t~:e National-State Policy
Group.

Of the 12 Colorado rivers designated by F.I . ~3-6=: for study as
potential inclusions into the !.!a';;ional Wild and Scenic Rivers SysteM,
only the Dolores River was sinGled out for accelerated action. A
period of one year, ending on January 3, 1976, ~as given for comple-
tion of the St;c",':':' ar..d sub:':1issio:1. of the report. Require~ent3 of the
Act and a mini~, of ti~e for a~i~ist~ative reviev 1ictates that a
revie~ draft sta~y report and a prop~sed draft Enviro~~ental Impact
StateIr.eClt be c'xlpleted a,.,d SubMitted. to Washinc...,on for a flational-State
Policy Group revie~ no later than July 20, 1975.

P.L. 93-621 divid.ed the Dolores River into the rollo~in5 seements:
1) West Dolores from its source do"~stream to its confluence ~i';;h the
~ain sten; ~) the segment of the ~ain ste~ from Fico up3trea~ to its
source; a~d 3) the seGi!ent from the west boundary 01' Section 2,
Tmmship 38 N., Range 16 ..., 11 .~~.r ,;"., below the proposed 1.:cPhee JJa.~
downstrearr. to the Colorado-Utah bor~er, excluding the 3e~ent from
one mile above Highway 90 to the cOClfluence of the San Miguel River.
The Departnent of Natural Resources, Forest Service and Bureau of
Outdoor Recreation shall jointly study and report on all three segments
named above. The Forest Service ~ill be responsible for final ~riting
and editing of the Wild and Scenic River Report 2/ and the Bureau of
Outdoor Recreation will be responsible for final-~riting and editing of
the Enviro~~ental Impact Statement.2/
~

The study report shall discuss the suitability or nonsuitability of
various reaches of the Dolores River for addition to the National
Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Criteria listed in Section 2 of the
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (P.L. 90-542) will be utilized to evaluate
suitability. Guidelines adopted by the Departments of Aericulture
and Interior ~ill be used to suppleIr.ent Section 2 of the Act. These
guidelines are attached. In addition to evaluation of the river's
natural a~d cultural resources, the study will include identification
and evaluation of reasonably foreseeable potential uses or values
that ~ould ~e f~regone, enhanced, or curtailed if various reaches of
the r:ver are desi~ated as ~ild, scenic or recreation rivers.

0658

!J

Hereafter referred to as the Department of Natural Resources, Forest
Service, and ~,lreau of Outdoor Recreation.

?f

Drafts and Final

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