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Show Government in December 1950 to complete its part of the Falcon Dam. There are no non-Federal hydroelectric power projects under construction in this basin, and no other Federal projects have been authorized (see table 1). Potentialities Studies made by various Federal and State agen- cies indicate 24 potential hydroelectric sites in the basin. These suggested hydroelectric power plants would have an estimated total installation of 345,- 000 kilowatts. The useful power storage amounts to several million acre-feet, but power generation would be influenced by the necessity of operating reservoirs primarily for irrigation or flood control. (See table 1.) Programs To Develop the Potential A complete program for hydroelectric power in the Rio Grande Basin has not yet been prepared. Investigations being carried on must be completed, additional surveys must be made, and water policies must be decided before a comprehensive plan for complete utilization of the limited water resources of the basin is possible. Recreation, Fish, and Wildlife The Present Situation The Rio Grande Basin is becoming intensively used for recreation purposes. Santa Fe, Taos, and the various pueblos, Indian villages, and the old- world atmosphere created by the Spanish Ameri- cans have attracted Nation-wide interest. This interest is growing and spreading throughout the upper sections of the Rio Grande and Pecos Rivers. The motintains too are attracting visitors. The rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains in New Mexico and the southern Rockies in Colorado each year bring tourists from many States. The recreation values of a land abounding with game, and a myriad of mountain lakes teeming with fish, are appreciated by residents of the nearby plains. The southern part of the basin also is growing in popularity. The semitropical climate and excellent water sports and fishing in the Gulf make this sec- tion a winter resort. The pressure for outdoor recreation is slowly growing in the basin. Most of the pressure comes 310 from Texas and Oklahoma, and from the vicinities of El Paso and Albuquerque. Most of the people are seeking climatic relief. A considerable amount of land is being acquired by Texans for mountain summer homes. Some national forest areas are heavily used at the present time. More recently, interest in skiing has been aroused and a number of important ski areas developed in the northern areas. Major outdoor recreation activities related to water-improvement programs in the Rio Grande Basin are hunting and fishing. The mountain streams of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico provide trout fishing. El Vado, Bluewater, Elephant Butte, Caballo, Alamogordo, and Red Bluff Reservoirs furnish habitat for warm-water fish. The forest lands and large areas of open range provide good habitat for many kinds of game. The Central Flyway crosses the basin and streams, marshes, and open water, particularly in the coastal plain area, providing wintering places for migratory waterfowl. The Fish and Wildlife Service oper- ates six wildlife refuges and four fish-culture sta- tions in the Rio Grande Basin. Three additional refuges are under construction and a fourth is being investigated. In addition, the Fish and Wildlife Service investi- gates all water projects and recommends measures for maximum development of fish and wildlife or to prevent impairment of existing values. A number of important problems have arisen in the Rio Grande. Elk herds are causing erosion at the head of the Pecos and in parts of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. These elk herds have been in- creasing in the last several years and spreading out. Deer are increasing in a number of places, particu- larly in the Sacramento Mountains where they cause erosion in the Roswell Basin. Depletion of the range by livestock overgrazing has adversely affected quail and turkey. The San Luis Valley is an important nesting area for ducks and other wild fowl. They nest in isolated places throughout the valley, which is a branch of the Central Migratory Flyway. The San Luis Valley is important also in the hunting season. Ducks scatter from there throughout the entire length of the Rio Grande. In the Rio Grande Basin even small marsh areas are valuable for waterfowl purposes. Shallow lakes formed by sediment bars above Elephant Butte and McMillan Reservoirs provide good hunting and fishing. These would be destroyed if proposed water salvage measures are carried out. |