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Final Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Report for the Royal Gorge Field

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Final Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Report for the Royal Gorge Field BLM FFiininanalal WWiilildld & SScceceneninicic RRiiviveverer EliEligibilitygibility Report For the Royal GorGorgege FielFieldd Office Royal GorgeOffice Royal Field UU..S.S.S. DDeepepaparartrtmtmemenentnt ooff tthhehe IInntntetereririoioror BBuururereaeauau ooff LLaanandnd MMaanananagagegemememenentnt ● COLORADO COLORADO Final Wild & Scenic River Eligibility Report For the Royal Gorge Field Office Prepared by U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Royal Gorge Field Office Cañon City, CO December 2015 This page intentionally left blank iii Table of Contents Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 11 1.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................ 13 1.2 The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act .................................................................................... 13 1.3 Why the BLM Conducted a Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Study........................... 13 1.4 Authorities and Guides ................................................................................................... 13 1.5 Collaboration with Local Governments, Agencies, Tribes, Organizations, and the Public 14 1.6 Previous WSR Studies in the Project Area .................................................................... 14 1.7 Description of the Project Area ...................................................................................... 14 1.8 Changes from the Draft Eligibility Report ..................................................................... 14 Chapter 2. Steps in the Wild and Scenic River Study .............................................................. 17 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 19 2.2 Eligibility Phase ............................................................................................................. 20 2.3 Suitability Phase ............................................................................................................. 20 Chapter 3. Eligibility Review ................................................................................................... 23 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 25 3.2 Identification of Potentially Eligible Rivers................................................................... 25 3.3 Determination Whether Rivers Are Free-flowing .......................................................... 25 3.4 Identification of Outstandingly Remarkable Values ...................................................... 26 3.4.1 Scenery .................................................................................................................... 26 3.4.2 Recreation ............................................................................................................... 26 3.4.3 Geology ................................................................................................................... 26 3.4.4 Fish .......................................................................................................................... 26 3.4.5 Wildlife ................................................................................................................... 27 3.4.6 Historical ................................................................................................................. 28 3.4.7 Cultural ................................................................................................................... 28 3.4.8 Other Values ........................................................................................................... 28 3.5 Regions of Comparison .................................................................................................. 29 3.6 Determination of Rivers and Streams with ORVs ......................................................... 29 3.7 Tentative Classification .................................................................................................. 29 3.8 Eligibility of Rivers, Streams, and Segments ................................................................. 30 Final Wild & Scenic River Eligibility Report for the Royal Gorge Field Office December 2015 iv 3.9 Suitability Study ............................................................................................................. 33 Chapter 4. Collaboration with Agencies Having Contiguous Boundaries ............................... 35 4.1 Pike and San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands 37 4.2 Arapahoe and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland ................. 37 4.3 Colorado Parks and Wildlife .......................................................................................... 37 4.4 City of Cañon City ......................................................................................................... 37 Chapter 5. Interdisciplinary Team ............................................................................................ 39 Chapter 6. References ............................................................................................................... 43 Appendix A. Data Sources ............................................................................................................ 47 Appendix B. Classification Criteria .............................................................................................. 53 Appendix C. Streams with Less Than 0.25 Miles of Surface Flow .............................................. 57 Appendix D. Major Streams Reviewed for This Study ................................................................ 63 Appendix E. Analysis of Eligible Rivers and Streams ................................................................. 89 E.1. Arkansas River: Segments 1–3 ......................................................................................... 91 E.2. Arkansas River: Segment 4............................................................................................... 99 E.3. Beaver Creek................................................................................................................... 102 E.4. East Beaver Creek ........................................................................................................... 104 E.5. West Beaver Creek ......................................................................................................... 105 E.6. Eightmile Creek .............................................................................................................. 107 E.7. Fourmile Creek ............................................................................................................... 110 E.8. Grape Creek .................................................................................................................... 112 E.9. East Gulch ....................................................................................................................... 114 E.10. Cottonwood Creek ........................................................................................................ 115 E.11. East Fork Arkansas River ............................................................................................. 116 E.12. Falls Gulch .................................................................................................................... 118 E.13. Little High Creek .......................................................................................................... 119 E.14. Pass Creek ..................................................................................................................... 120 E.15. Red Creek ..................................................................................................................... 121 Appendix F. Maps ....................................................................................................................... 123 Map 1. Arkansas River Segment 1 ...................................................................................... 125 Map 2. Arkansas River Segment 2 ...................................................................................... 126 Map 3. Arkansas River Segment 3 ...................................................................................... 127 Map 4. Arkansas River Segment 4 ...................................................................................... 128 Final Wild & Scenic River Eligibility Report for the Royal Gorge Field Office December 2015 v Map 5. Beaver Creek ........................................................................................................... 129 Map 6. Eightmile Creek....................................................................................................... 130 Map 7. Fourmile Creek ........................................................................................................ 131 Map 8. Grape Creek ............................................................................................................. 132 Map 9. East Gulch ............................................................................................................... 133 Map 10. Cottonwood Creek ................................................................................................
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