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<br />Ouray County, the east half of Montrose County, and possibly even <br />Delta and eastern San Miguel Counties as well -- should also <br />begin taking their gravel from this deposit in order that the <br />threatening flood danger can be dissipated as quickly as poss- <br />ible. <br />The gravel removal should commence at the upper end of the <br />elevated deposit, which lies within the Ouray town limits. If <br />"levees" of gravel were left temporarily along both sides of the <br />deposit, defining a central pool Erom which the gravel is re- <br />moved, it would provide a sedimentation basin to catch material <br />from future upstream floods. This is particularly important <br />today because of the recent flood control measures built by Ouray <br />which cause storm debris to be deposited more rapidly at this <br />point, and which greatly enhance the probability of breaching the <br />river's banks. As work progresses, both the upstream levees and <br />the pool will gradually move downstream, leaving the opportunity <br />for restoring the river banks to a more natural condition than <br />exists today. <br />The justifiable objections of the residents of the area <br />could be met in several ways. As the project moves downstream, <br />different access roads can be utilized, thus limiting the amount <br />of time that truck traffic disturbs the peace of any particular <br />area. No crushing operations should be allowed at the site; <br />instead, the gravel can be removed to existing plants at <br />Montrose and elsewhere. Local dust can easily be kept down <br />because of the proximity of both gravel for the haul roads and <br />water to wet them down. <br />Contrasting with the technical simplicity of this proposal, <br />however, is a jurisdictional structure which is frightening in <br />its complexity. Many different private and governmental agencies <br />are -- or could become -- involved, with specific and sometimes <br />conflicting interests. The town of ouray not only contains the <br />head of the elevated gravel bed, but its own flood control pro- <br />jects are at least partially responsible for its existence. Any <br />gravel removal operations must be approved by the Ouray County <br />Commissioners. The Colorado Division of Wildlife oversees any <br />effects -- and they could be considerable -- on wildlife at this <br />and any alternative sites. The Colorado Mined Land Reclamation <br />Board oversees restoration of such sites to natural conditions. <br />The State Water Conservation Board is responsible for protecting <br />the water rights of any who might be affected by the various <br />projects. The U.S. Bureau Of Reclamation controls many down- <br />stream irrigation projects which might be similarly affected. <br />The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has responsibility for flood <br />control and river channelization projects (and might be the <br />logical choice for funding of a multiple-purpose project of this <br />type). The Environmental Protection Agency oversees all signifi- <br />cant environmental effects, both beneficial and deleterious. And <br />both houses of the Colorado State Legislature are responsible for <br />enabling legislation which could make such cooperative ventures <br />possible. <br /> <br />