Attachment17_CURE_FD_2013.pdf

Foundation Document Curecanti National Recreation Area Colorado December 2013

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Attachment 17

Contents Mission of the National Park Service 2

Introduction 3

Part 1: Core Components 4

Brief Description of the Park 4 Park Purpose 5 Park Significance 6 Fundamental Resources and Values 7 Other Important Resources and Values 7 Interpretive Themes 8

Part 2: Dynamic Components 9

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments 9 Assessment of Planning and Data Needs 11

Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values 12

Analysis of Other Important Resources and Values 31

Identification of Key Issues and Associated Planning and Data Needs 36

Planning and Data Needs 37

Part 3: Preparers, Consultants, and Meeting Attendees 44

Preparers 44 Consultants 44 Meeting Attendees 44

Appendixes 45

Appendix A: Memorandum of Agreement 45

Mission of the National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system, for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The National Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.

The NPS core values are a framework in which the National Park Service accomplishes its mission. They express the manner in which, both individually and collectively, the National Park Service pursues its mission. National Park Service core values are:

· Shared stewardship: We share a commitment to resource stewardship with the global preservation community.

· Excellence: We strive continually to learn and improve so that we may achieve the highest ideals of public service.

· Integrity: We deal honestly and fairly with the public and one another.

· Tradition: We are proud of it; we learn from it; we are not bound by it.

· Respect: We embrace each other’s differences so that we may enrich the well-being of everyone.

The National Park Service is a bureau within the Department of the Interior. While numerous national park system units were created prior to 1916, it was not until August 25, 1916, that President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act formally establishing the National Park Service.

The national park system continues to grow and comprises 401 park units covering more than 84 million acres in every state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These units include, but are not limited to, national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House. The variety and diversity of park units throughout the nation require a strong commitment to resource stewardship and management in order to ensure both the protection and enjoyment of these resources for future generations.

The arrowhead was authorized as the official National Park Service emblem by the Secretary of the Interior on July 20, 1951. The Sequoia tree and bison represent vegetation and wildlife, the mountains and water represent scenic and recreational values, and the arrowhead represents historical and archeological values.

Introduction Every unit of the national park system is to have a foundational document that will provide basic guidance for planning and management decisions—a foundation for planning and management, or foundation document. The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park as well as the park’s purpose, significance, fundamental resources and values, other important resources and values, and interpretive themes. The foundation document also includes special mandates and administrative commitments, an assessment of planning and data needs that identifies planning issues, planning products to be developed, and the associated studies and data required for park planning. Along with the core components, the assessment provides a focus for park planning activities and establishes a baseline from which planning documents are developed.

A primary benefit of developing a foundation document is the opportunity to integrate and coordinate all kinds and levels of planning from a single, shared understanding of what is most important about the park. The process of developing a foundation document begins with gathering and integrating information about the park. Next, this information is refined and focused to determine what the most important attributes of the park are. The process of preparing a foundation document aids park managers, staff, and the public in identifying and clearly stating in one document the essential information that is necessary for park management to consider when determining future planning efforts, outlining key planning issues, and protecting resources and values that are integral to park purpose and identity.

While not included in this document, a park atlas is also part of a foundation project. The atlas is a series of maps compiled from available geographic information system (GIS) data on natural and cultural resources, visitor use patterns, facilities, and other topics. It serves as a GIS-based support tool for planning and park operations. The atlas is published as a (hard copy) paper product and as geospatial data for use in a web mapping environment. The park atlas for Curecanti National Recreation Area can be accessed online at: http://insideparkatlas.nps.gov/.

Part 1: Core Components The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park, park purpose, significance statements, fundamental resources and values, other important resources and values, and interpretive themes. These components are core because they typically do not change over time. Core components are expected to be used in future planning and management efforts.

Brief Description of the Park Curecanti National Recreation Area is located on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains in west-central Colorado. The recreation area encompasses a series of three reservoirs (Blue Mesa, Morrow Point, and Crystal reservoirs) along the once free-flowing Gunnison River. The reservoirs and surrounding lands that make up Curecanti today are a destination for land- and water-based recreation high in the Rocky Mountains. Best known for salmon and trout fishing, Curecanti also offers opportunities for hiking, boating, camping, and bird watching. Blue Mesa Reservoir, the largest body of water in Colorado, is within Curecanti National Recreation Area, which also features a variety of diverse ecosystems.

Curecanti is situated in the transition between the Colorado Plateau and Rocky Mountain provinces and hosts riparian habitats, steep canyons, sagebrush hillsides, and areas of ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and aspen. The area is mostly high desert characterized by eroded sedimentary rocks and volcanic breccia. Summers are pleasant with temperatures typically in the 70s. Winters can be cold, with temperatures frequently dropping into the -20s.

Approximately 40 miles of the Gunnison River, including the reservoirs, create the centerpiece of the park and approximately 20 of those miles are within the easternmost portion of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

Park Purpose The purpose statement identifies the specific reason(s) for establishment of a particular park.

Management of Curecanti began with a memorandum of agreement between the National Park Service and the Bureau of Reclamation, approved on February 11, 1965. The purpose statement, which stems from this agreement, lays the foundation for understanding what is most important about the park.

The following is the purpose statement for the park:

Curecanti National Recreation Area protects an abundance of natural, historic, and archeological features in a western landscape encompassing canyons, pinnacles, cliffs, rivers, reservoirs, and mesas, while offering opportunities for recreation, public benefit, and personal reflection.

Park Significance Significance statements express why a park’s resources and values are important enough to merit designation as a unit of the national park system. These statements are linked to the purpose of Curecanti National Recreation Area, and are supported by data, research, and consensus. Statements of significance describe the distinctive nature of the park and why an area is important within a global, national, regional, and systemwide context. They focus on the most important resources and values that will assist in park planning and management.

The following significance statements have been identified for Curecanti National Recreation Area. (Please note that the sequence of the statements do not reflect the level of significance.)

· Curecanti provides an array of recreational opportunities based on three high-altitude reservoirs, tied together by the Gunnison River, and set in the Rocky Mountains featuring a Kokanee salmon and lake trout fishery that draws recreationists from around the country.

· Blue Mesa Reservoir, cradled by mesas and iconic pinnacles within a high desert landscape, is the largest body of water in Colorado. Morrow Point and Crystal are two remote, fjord-like reservoirs located in the upper Black Canyon of the Gunnison that provide premier backcountry flat-water recreational opportunities.

· Globally and regionally imperiled cottonwood-riparian woodlands found within Curecanti provide habitats for sensitive species such as great blue herons and river otters.

· Eroded landscapes of Curecanti continue to reveal fossil-rich exposures of Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous paleoenvironments (160–100 million years ago) including the remains of at least six dinosaur genera found in the renowned Morrison Formation.

· The association and density of archeological sites in Curecanti National Recreation Area provide physical evidence of 10,000 years of human adaptation to changing environments in the Gunnison River Basin.

· The continuum of human occupation is demonstrated through artifacts, structures, oral histories, and landscape modifications associated with traditional cultures, railroading, mining, ranching, irrigation, water storage, and hydropower development.

Fundamental Resources and Values Fundamental resources and values (FRVs) are those features, systems, processes, experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, smells, or other attributes determined to warrant primary consideration during planning and management processes because they are essential to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance. Fundamental resources and values are closely related to a park’s legislative purpose and are more specific than significance statements.

Fundamental resources and values help focus planning and management efforts on what is truly significant about the park. One of the most important responsibilities of NPS managers is to ensure the conservation and public enjoyment of those qualities that are essential (fundamental) to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance. If fundamental resources and values are allowed to deteriorate, the park purpose and/or significance could be jeopardized.

The following fundamental resources and values have been identified for Curecanti National Recreation Area:

· Archeology. Curecanti National Recreation Area contains sites that show evidence of continuous human occupation spanning 10,000 years, demonstrating the evolving relationship of people to the land.

· Geology and paleontology. The geologic features provide the scenic backdrop for the three reservoirs and reveal the evidence of Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous environments.

· Aquatic resources. Exceptional water quality and sufficient quantity sustain the recreational and ecological function of the Gunnison River, its reservoirs and tributaries, and the associated water-dependent processes.

· Recreation. Curecanti National Recreation Area was established with the primary purpose of providing for recreation in, on, and around its three reservoirs and the river that connects them.

· Scenic views. The viewshed of Curecanti National Recreation Area enhances recreation and offers opportunities to view an expansive western landscape, including iconic features such as the Upper Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Dillon Pinnacles, Curecanti Needle, and Blue Mesa Reservoir.

· Riparian plant and wildlife communities. Curecanti National Recreation Area contains a globally and regionally imperiled old growth cottonwood community that allows for a diverse assemblage of plants and wildlife, including sensitive species.

Other Important Resources and Values Curecanti National Recreation Area contains other resources and values that are not fundamental to the purpose of the park, and may be unrelated to its significance, but are important to consider in planning processes. These are referred to as “other important resources and values” (OIRV). These resources and values have been selected because they are important in the operation and management of the park and warrant special consideration in park planning.

The following other important resources and values have been identified for Curecanti National Recreation Area:

· Upland wildlife species. Curecanti’s upland sagebrush, cliffs, and mesas provide habitat that supports species of concern including bighorn sheep, peregrine falcons, and federal candidate species Gunnison Sage-grouse and Gunnison’s prairie dogs.

· Cultural sites and landscapes. Stories of the hardship and achievement of westward expansion, resource utilization, water development, transportation innovation, and land protection are exemplified by historic structures and artifacts left behind by those who lived and settled in the Gunnison Basin.

Interpretive Themes Interpretive themes are often described as the key stories or concepts that visitors should understand after visiting a park—they define the most important ideas or concepts communicated to visitors about a park unit. Themes are derived from, and should reflect, park purpose, significance, resources, and values. The set of interpretive themes is complete when it provides the structure necessary for park staff to develop opportunities for visitors to explore and relate to all of the park significance statements and fundamental and other important resources and values.

Interpretive themes are an organizational tool that reveal and clarify meaning, concepts, contexts, and values represented by park resources. Sound themes are accurate and reflect current scholarship and science. They encourage exploration of the context in which events or natural processes occurred and the effects of those events and processes. They go beyond a mere description of the event or process to foster multiple opportunities to experience and consider the park and its resources. Themes help to explain why a park story is relevant to people who may otherwise be unaware of connections they have to an event, time, or place associated with the park.

The following interpretive themes have been identified for Curecanti National Recreation Area:

· Human History. Curecanti National Recreation Area holds stories from 10,000 years of human presence, revealing a continuum of changing cultures, values, and technologies.

· Water. The three reservoirs of Curecanti National Recreation Area represent the conflicts, sacrifices, and benefits associated with water use in the West and other arid climates.

· Geology. Geologic forces shape the dynamic landscape of Curecanti National Recreation Area and continue to reveal scenic vistas, unique rock exposures, and paleontological environments.

· Recreation. Curecanti National Recreation Area offers a vast array of recreational opportunities attracting visitors seeking challenge, rejuvenation, togetherness, and/or solitude. These experiences can forge lifelong connections to place.

· Natural History. Curecanti National Recreation Area contains examples of ecosystems characteristic of native Colorado as well as a human-made reservoir system;

these habitats provide outstanding opportunities to experience and appreciate a diversity of life.

· Human Influence. Curecanti National Recreation Area is an example of the struggle inherent in balancing the needs of human populations while maintaining diverse natural habitats.

Part 2: Dynamic Components The dynamic components of a foundation document include special mandates and administrative commitments and an assessment of planning and data needs. These components are dynamic because they will change over time. New special mandates can be established and new administrative commitments made. As conditions and trends of fundamental and other important resources and values change over time, the analysis of planning and data needs will need to be revisited and revised, along with key issues. Therefore, this part of the foundation document will be updated accordingly.

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments Many of the management decisions for a park unit are directed or influenced by special mandates and administrative commitments with other federal agencies, state and local governments, utility companies, partnering organizations, and other entities. Special mandates are requirements specific to a park that must be fulfilled. Mandates can be expressed in enabling legislation, in separate legislation following the establishment of the park, or through a judicial process. They may expand on park purpose or introduce elements unrelated to the purpose of the park. Administrative commitments are, in general, agreements that have been reached through formal, documented processes, often through memoranda of agreement.

Examples include easements, rights-of-way, arrangements for emergency service responses, etc. Special mandates and administrative commitments can support, in many cases, a network of partnerships that help fulfill the objectives of the park and facilitate working relationships with other organizations. They are an essential component of managing and planning for Curecanti National Recreation Area.

· Memorandum of agreement with Bureau of Reclamation. This memorandum of agreement was initiated in 1965 with an indefinite timeframe. The National Park Service was designated as the agency responsible for carrying out the provisions of section 8 of the Colorado River Storage Project Act (70 Stat.105), which states “the Secretary is authorized and directed to investigate, plan, construct, operate, and maintain (1) public recreational facilities on lands withdrawn or acquired for the development of said project or of said participating projects, to conserve the scenery, the natural, historical, and archeological objects, and the wildlife on said lands, and to provide for public use and enjoyment of the same.” Furthermore, the memorandum directs the National Park Service to provide law enforcement, oversee grazing activities, protect and control archeological resources, and maintain recreational facilities around the reservoirs.

· Memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Forest Service. This memorandum of understanding has an indefinite timeframe. The park manages and maintains Soap Creek Road and Ponderosa Campground.

· Cove Road cooperative agreement with Cove Road Homeowners Association. This cooperative agreement has an indefinite timeframe.

The park assists with road maintenance.

· Candidate conservation agreement with Bureau of Land Management and Fish and Wildlife Service. This agreement is in draft form. The National Park Service cooperated in development of an interagency candidate conservation agreement for the Gunnison Sage-grouse between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, and Gunnison and Saguache counties. The candidate conservation agreement identifies specific conservation measures that the participants will voluntarily undertake to conserve the covered species and outlines clear design criteria for any proposed or renewed activities on federal lands in grouse habitat. The candidate conservation agreement will assist the signatories and partners in planning ahead to identify and implement necessary Gunnison Sage-grouse conservation measures.

· Concession contract to operate two marinas. This contract expires in 2015. The park administers the contract and verifies compliance with contract.

· Western Colorado Conservation Youth Corps agreement. This contract expires in 2018. The park contracts the service.

· Waste Management Recycling contract. This contract expires in 2018. The park contracts the service.

· Communications tower – multiple agreements with private land owners and Bureau of Reclamation. These agreements have various expiration dates. The park periodically renews special use permits via regulations and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.

· Interagency agreement with Bureau of Land Management for grazing allotments. The Bureau of Land Management administers grazing on NPS lands in consultation with park staff on the following allotments: Rawhide/Coffeepot Hill, Spring Gulch, Highway, Round Corral Creek, Fitzpatrick Mesa, Big Willow, Pine Mesa, Little Willow, Dead Horse Communication site, McIntosh Mountain, Steuben Creek, Blue Creek, Sapinero Mesa, Windy Point, Stevens Creek, and Powderhorn Communications site. This agreement expired and is up for renewal.

· Utility rights-of-way for Gunnison County Electric, Western Area Power Administration, Delta, Montrose for power lines, cell towers and transmission lines. This right-of-way has various expiration dates. It includes multiple utility and phone right-of-way agreements, permits, and easements. The park periodically renews rights-of-way via regulations and NEPA process.

· Western National Parks Association agreement. This agreement expires in 2016.

The park provides space and staffing commitments.

· Commercial use authorizations. The commercial use authorizations expire annually with 1-year agreements. The park tracks use and verifies compliance. There are 57 active commercial use authorizations in 2013.

· Special use permit for Dickerson pit mineral material extraction. This special use permit expires in March 2014. The park administers a mineral materials extraction operation on park lands for which a private individual holds the mineral estate and right to mine.

Assessment of Planning and Data Needs Once the core components of part 1 of the foundation document have been identified, it is important to gather and evaluate existing information about the park’s fundamental and other important resources and values and develop a full assessment of the park’s planning and data needs. The assessment of planning and data needs section presents planning issues, the planning projects that will address these issues, and the associated information requirements for planning, such as resource inventories and data collection, including GIS data.

There are three sections in the assessment of planning and data needs:

1. analysis of fundamental and other important resources and values

2. identification of key issues and associated planning and data needs

3. identification of data and planning needs (including spatial mapping activities or GIS maps)

The analysis of fundamental and other important resources and values and identification of key issues leads up to and supports the identification of planning and data collection needs.

Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values The fundamental resource and value analysis table includes current condition, potential threats and opportunities, planning and data needs, and selected laws and NPS policies related to management of the identified resource or value.

Fundamental Resource or Value: Archeology

Short Description of Importance

Curecanti National Recreation Area contains sites that show evidence of continuous human occupation spanning 10,000 years, demonstrating the evolving relationship of people to the land

Related Significance Statements

The association and density of archeological sites in Curecanti National Recreation Area provide physical evidence of 10,000 years of human adaptation to changing environments in the Gunnison River Basin

The continuum of human occupation is demonstrated through artifacts, structures, oral histories, and landscape modifications associated with traditional cultures, railroading, mining, ranching, irrigation, water storage, and hydropower development

Current Conditions and Trends

• About 10–15% of Curecanti has been surveyed for archeological resources to an acceptable level

• The NPS Midwest Archeological Center in Omaha, Nebraska, has most data and artifacts from previous archeological research

• Western Archeological and Conservation Center may have additional records and materials

• More than 380 archeological sites have been discovered to date

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• Fluctuating water levels of Blue Mesa Reservoir place archeological sites at risk of erosional damage, illegal collecting, and off-highway vehicle impacts

• Archeological sites throughout the park are at risk due to human disturbance, theft, erosion, fire, climate change effects such as chronic low water levels, reservoir operations, etc

• Off-highway vehicle travel on the exposed ground below the high water line could directly damage undiscovered archeological resources

• Climate change leading to increased drought and erosion could increase site exposure

Opportunities

• Normally inundated areas are open to survey due to current low water levels

• Continued discovery of unknown archeological sites

Existing Information and Plans

• General management plan

• Motorized vehicle access plan is complete; waiting for finalization of rule

• A variety of archeological reports

• National Register of Historic Places properties

• List of Classified Structures database

• Archeological Sites Management Information System (ASMIS) database

• Museum collection database

• Facility Management Software System (FMSS) asset database

Fundamental Resource or Value: Archeology

Laws and Policies that Apply to this FRV, and Existing Park Guidance

Laws and Policies That Apply to this FRV

• The Antiquities Act of 1906

• National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (16 USC 470)

• Executive Order 11593, “Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment”

• Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979

• Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990

• “Curation of Federally Owned and Administered Archeological Collections” (36 CFR 79)

• The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation

• The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties

• 2008 Programmatic Agreement among the National Park Service, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (5 3 5 5) states that the National Park Service “will collect, protect, preserve, provide access to, and use objects, specimens, and archival and manuscript collections…in the disciplines of archeology, ethnography, history, biology, geology, and paleontology to aid understanding among park visitors, and to advance knowledge in the humanities and sciences”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (5 3 5 2) requires the preservation of the physical attributes, biotic systems, and uses of cultural landscapes that contribute to historical significance

• Director’s Order 28: Cultural Resource Management (1998)

• Director’s Order 28A: Archeology (2004)

• “Protection of Historic Properties” (36 CFR 800)

• Executive Order 13007, “Indian Sacred Sites”

• American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978

• Archeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974

• Secretarial Order 3289, “Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change on America’s Water, Land, and Other Natural and Cultural Resources”

Existing Park Guidance

• None identified

Identified Data Needs to Protect FRV

• Inventory of un-surveyed portions of the park (about 85% of park) with special interest in any lands added as a result of the resource protection study

• Selective excavations of sites, as appropriate to determine eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, recover data from threatened sites, or gain new information

• Stabilization as necessary after inventory and assessment of all historic features

• Cultural landscape inventory

• Cultural landscape report for all proposed cultural landscapes

• Ethnographic overview and assessment

• Archeological overview and assessment

• National register nominations

• Permanent boundaries legislated by Congress

• Climate change indicators to support adaptation strategy

Fundamental Resource or Value: Archeology

Identified Planning Needs to Protect FRV

• Legislation to establish the authorized boundary

• Resource stewardship strategy

• Data management plan

• Update fire management plan

• Climate change adaptation strategy

• Climate change scenario plan

• Land protection plan

Stakeholders Interested in This Resource or Value

• Local historical societies

• Colorado State University, University of Colorado-Denver, Western State Colorado University, and Utah State University

• Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation

• Gunnison and Montrose counties

• Colorado Archaeological Society

• Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists

• Traditionally associated tribes

• Western National Parks Association

• Park visitors

• Bureau of Land Management

Fundamental Resource or Value: Geology and Paleontology

Short Description of Importance

Geologic features provide the scenic backdrop for the three reservoirs and reveal the evidence of Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous environments

Related Significance Statements

Eroded landscapes of Curecanti continue to reveal fossil-rich exposures of Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous paleoenvironments (160–100 million years ago) including the remains of at least six dinosaur genera found in the noteworthy Morrison Formation

Current Conditions and Trends

• One economic use of geologic resources: gravel pit at east end of park under special use permit

• Under protection of the National Park Service, the human impacts to the geology above high water (e g , mining, road construction) have been minimized

• Stored water in the three reservoirs saturates the near-shore regolith causing potential down slope creep of fossil material

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• Climate change leading to increased drought and erosion could increase fossil exposure

• Fluctuating Blue Mesa Reservoir water levels erode shorelines, placing fossil resources at risk of erosional damage, illegal collecting, and off-highway vehicle damage

• Paleontology losses and discoveries due to fluctuating reservoir levels

• Social demands; increase in motorized boat use and of climbing support systems etc

• Potential increase and misuse of off-road vehicles (ORV)

• Poaching, theft, and damage of paleontological resources

• Visitor use in the backcountry

• Potential for regional energy development

• Increased infrastructure development by the National Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation, or Colorado Department of Transportation lane expansion

Opportunities

• Increase staff awareness of paleontological resources

• Additional research opportunities for academic institutions

Existing Information and Plans

• General management plan

• Motorized vehicle access plan is complete; waiting for finalization of rule

• Draft wilderness and backcountry management plan

• Resource protection study

• Paleontology locality sheets

• Academic research reports and/or papers

• Geologic Resources Division summaries and park inventory reports

• Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN) inventory and monitoring paleontological report

Fundamental Resource or Value: Geology and Paleontology

Laws and Policies That Apply to This FRV, and Existing Park Guidance

Laws and Policies That Apply to this FRV

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (4 8) provides general direction on the protection of geologic and soil resources

• NPS Natural Resource Management Reference Manual 77

• Federal Cave Resources Protection Act of 1988

• Mining in the Parks Act of 1976

• Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979

• 2009 Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (P L 111-011, Title VI, Subtitle D)

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (5 3 5 5) states that the National Park Service “will collect, protect, preserve, provide access to, and use objects, specimens, and archival and manuscript collections…in the disciplines of archeology, ethnography, history, biology, geology, and paleontology to aid understanding among park visitors, and to advance knowledge in the humanities and sciences”

Existing Park Guidance

• None identified

Identified Data Needs to Protect FRV

• Continued inventory of fossil-bearing formations

• Inventory of geological hazards

• Climate change indicators to support adaptation strategy

Identified Planning Needs to Protect FRV

• Legislation to establish congressionally authorized boundaries

• Resource stewardship strategy

• Long-term plan for storage of paleontological specimens

• Data management plan

• Climate change adaptation strategy

• Climate change scenario planning

• Land protection plan

Stakeholders Interested in This Resource or Value

• Other federal agencies

• Visitors

• Permit holders (grazing)

• Climbing community

• Academic community (research)

• Educators (organized curriculum based education)

• Museum of Western Colorado

• Western National Parks Association

Fundamental Resource or Value: Aquatic Resources

Short Description of Importance

Exceptional water quality and sufficient quantity sustain the recreational and ecological function of the Gunnison River, its reservoirs and tributaries, and the associated water-dependent processes

Related Significance Statements

Curecanti provides an array of recreational opportunities based on three high-altitude reservoirs, tied together by the Gunnison River, and set in the Rocky Mountains featuring a Kokanee salmon and lake trout fishery that draws recreationists from around the country

Blue Mesa Reservoir, cradled by mesas and iconic pinnacles within a high desert landscape, is the largest body of water in Colorado Morrow Point and Crystal are two remote, fjord-like reservoirs located in the upper Black Canyon of the Gunnison that provide premier backcountry flat-water recreational opportunities

Globally and regionally imperiled cottonwood riparian woodlands found within Curecanti provide habitats for sensitive species such as great blue herons and river otters

Current Conditions and Trends

• Aquatic invasive species (AIS) threat is worsening as more nearby waters become infested

• AIS program is becoming more comprehensive and seeing more compliance with AIS prevention

• Water quality of reservoirs, and of streams and rivers discharging to Curecanti is exceptional and is characterized by cold water, neutral pH, and high concentration of dissolved oxygen

• Annual quantity of water discharged to Curecanti is trending downward This probably owes to upstream population growth, a shift in community water usage, and possibly to a longer irrigation season In addition, it is possible that discharge is trending downward in response to a longer growing season in higher elevation tributary watersheds

• Reservoir ecology is relatively healthy and stable in each of the three impoundments

• Reservoir fisheries are at risk of a predator-prey imbalance; however, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife actively manages fish populations to maintain balance

• Reservoir fisheries are continuously at risk of colonization by aquatic invasive species Based on habitat and chemical requirements, a quagga or zebra mussel infestation is possible However, no definitive evidence has been found The park has in place a watercraft inspection program dedicated to prevention of invasive mussels and other aquatic invasive species

• River and tributary fish populations are stable despite the presence of whirling disease

• The river and tributary overall ecology is believed to be healthy and stable

• During the 20th century, mean annual temperature increased significantly (1 6°F/0 9°C, 1901–2002) while precipitation showed high interannual variability and no directional trend, according to a 2012 NPS study prepared by Patrick Gonzalez

• According to the Western Water Association in 2008, peak spring streamflow shifted earlier by two weeks in Colorado between 1978 and 2004

Fundamental Resource or Value: Aquatic Resources

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• Decreases in water quantity due to climate change may impact water quality, channel morphology, and aquatic species diversity and abundance

• Heatwaves are likely to become more common and mean annual temperature projected to increase 5 2°F to 8 6°F (2 9°C to 4 8°C) during the 21st century for the region, including Curecanti, according to a 2012 NPS study prepared by Patrick Gonzalez

• Droughty conditions are projected to become more common as the precipitation regime becomes more variable and total precipitation is unlikely to increase at the same rate as temperature (National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee: http:// ncadac globalchange gov/)

• Increase in regional air temperature and decrease in snowpack accumulation, each consequently affecting both magnitude and timing of peak discharge into Curecanti This threat stems from processes originating outside of the park, including dust on snow and upward trending air temperatures owing to worldwide greenhouse gas emissions

• Loss of trees or reduction in propagation of cottonwood galleries due to winter flooding, icing, and changes in peak flow caused by modification of the Blue Mesa Reservoir December storage target and climate change

• Changes to the reservoir ecosystem due to colonization of aquatic invasive species such as quagga or zebra mussels

• Decreased inflow to the Aspinall Unit due to regional water development, including trans-basin diversion, population growth, or changing snowpack and runoff from climate change

• Reduced water quality from point and nonpoint pollution from within and outside of the park boundaries

• Water development at the local and statewide scale including large volume trans-basin diversion

Opportunities

• Colorado water law allows the park to defend downstream senior water rights from claims by other basins or municipalities

• Colorado water quality regulations allow the park to be party to water quality rule-making hearings

• Continue working with local watershed groups, state and federal agencies, adjacent landowners, and local municipalities to protect and restore the quantity and quality of streams and rivers that flow into Curecanti

• Continued funding of aquatic invasive species prevention program through Operation of the National Park Service annual funding or continuation of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act authority

• The park will continue monitoring quantity and quality of rivers, streams, and reservoirs

• The park will cooperate with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to continue the creel survey on Blue Mesa Reservoir

• Interpretation and education of the influences from climate change on aquatic resources

Fundamental Resource or Value: Aquatic Resources

Existing Information and Plans

• General management plan

• 1996 Water Resources Management Plan

• Resource stewardship strategy

• NPS zebra/quagga mussel prevention plan

• State aquatic invasive species plan

• Decades of baseline water chemistry data

• Decades of creel survey data

• Mussel monitoring data

• Watercraft inspection data (identifying level of threat)

• Aspinall Unit Operations Final Environmental Impact Statement

• Annual operations plan for Colorado River

• Western Area Power Administration’s power generation plan

• Colorado State University synopsis of fishery/reservoir ecology

• Decades of fish stocking data

• Federal reserved water right for Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (2008)

• Draft natural resource condition assessment Curecanti National Recreation Area

• Draft wilderness and backcountry management plan

• Climate Change Trends for Planning at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado, a 2012 NPS study prepared by Patrick Gonzalez

• “Gunnison Basin Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for the Gunnison Climate Change Working Group, 2011” (The Nature Conservancy; Colorado Natural Heritage Program; Western Water Assessment, University of Colorado, Boulder; and University of Alaska, Fairbanks)

Laws and Policies That Apply to This FRV, and Existing Park Guidance

Laws and Policies That Apply to this FRV

• State of Colorado basic water quality standards

• Adjudicated water right: Rhamy ditch (in 1890s)

• State of Colorado fishing regulations

• Colorado statute for aquatic invasive species

• Colorado River Compact of 1972

• The Clean Water Act of 1972

• The Clean Air Act (42 USC 7401 et seq ) gives federal land managers the responsibility for protecting air quality and related values, including visibility, plants, animals, soils, water quality, cultural resources, and public health, from adverse air pollution impacts

• Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899

• NPS General Authorities Act of 1970: all water resources of the park are protected by the federal government; only an act of Congress can change this fundamental responsibility of the National Park Service

• The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974

• The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976

• Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended

• National Invasive Species Act of 1996

• Lacey Act, as amended

• Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974, as amended

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (4 7 2) states that “parks containing significant natural resources will gather and maintain baseline climatological data for references”

• Director’s Order 77-1: Wetland Protection

Fundamental Resource or Value: Aquatic Resources

Laws and Policies That Apply to This FRV, and Existing Park Guidance (continued)

• Director’s Order 77-2: Floodplain Management

• NPS Natural Resource Management Reference Manual 77

• Executive Order 11988, “Floodplain Management”

• Executive Order 11990, “Protection of Wetlands”

• Executive Order 13112, “Invasive Species”

• Secretarial Order 3289, “Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change on America’s Water, Land, and Other Natural and Cultural Resources”

• Special Directive 93-4 “Floodplain Management Revised Guidelines for National Park Service Floodplain Compliance” (1993)

Existing Park Guidance

• Superintendent’s Compendium

Identified Data Needs to Protect FRV

• Completion of the natural resource condition assessment

• Research needed: springs/seeps data (flow volume, water quality, invertebrate/vertebrate diversity)

• Continuous data on tributary inflows

• Baseline data to address climate change (fisheries, water quality, etc )

• Additional soil moisture data, particularly in the sagebrush community

• Efficacy of polymerase chain reaction data for detection of aquatic invasive species

• The nearest snowpack telemetry (SNOTEL) site is on the opposite side of the West Elk Mountains, which represents different climatic conditions A station in closer proximity is needed

• Beaver habitat survey

• Grazing impacts study

• Climate change indicators to support adaptation strategy

Identified Planning Needs to Protect FRV

• Updated water resources management plan

• Resource stewardship strategy

• Data management plan

• Climate change adaptation strategy

• Climate change scenario planning

• Land protection plan

Stakeholders Interested in this Resource or Value

• Bureau of Reclamation

• Western National Parks Association

• Colorado Department of Natural Resources (Office of State Engineer, Colorado Water Conservation Board, Division of Parks and Wildlife)

• Colorado River Water Conservation District

• Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District

• Gunnison and Montrose counties

• High Country Citizens Alliance

• Adjacent federal agencies

• Adjacent landowners

• Traditionally associated tribes

• Park concessioner and commercial users

• Local tourism associations

• Trout Unlimited

Fundamental Resource or Value: Recreation

Short Description of Importance

Curecanti National Recreation Area was established with the primary purpose of providing for recreation in, on, and around its three reservoirs and the river that connects them

Related Significance Statements

Curecanti provides an array of recreational opportunities based on three high-altitude reservoirs, tied together by the Gunnison River, and set in the Rocky Mountains featuring a Kokanee salmon and lake trout fishery that draws recreationists from around the country

Blue Mesa Reservoir, cradled by mesas and iconic pinnacles within a high desert landscape, is the largest body of water in Colorado Morrow Point and Crystal are two remote, fjord-like reservoirs located in the upper Black Canyon of the Gunnison that provide premier backcountry flat-water recreational opportunities

Current Conditions and Trends

• Increase of new recreation types: kiteboarding (summer and winter), paddleboarding, parasailing (anecdotal)

• Increase in number of sightseers on Colorado Highway 92

• Numbers of recreation visits in 2011 trended downward (~-5%) from the previous year (and -4% from 5-year average), but is stable at more than 900,000 per year

• Overnight visits are stable (+/- 1% over past three years)

• Increase of nonmotorized use on lower reservoirs (anecdotal)

• Increase in staff contact with sightseers on Colorado Highway 92 and overlooks

• Boating use is probably downward/stable

• Fishing pressure is slightly down from all-time highs, but is trending upward

• Both rock- and ice-climbing occur in Gunnison River Canyon and throughout the Morrow Point area

• Dispersed recreation allows for few opportunities to provide resource and safety education to visitors

• The Kokanee salmon population is beginning to see a rebound from lake trout predation Colorado Parks and Wildlife continues management actions to balance the fishery

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• Lower reservoir water levels from climate change and water development is a threat to flat-water recreation and could impact the fishery due to loss of habitat

• High to extreme fire danger deters visits and overnight stays, especially when fire bans are in effect

• Unbalanced reservoir fishery

• Aquatic and terrestrial invasive species, (zebra/quagga mussels, New Zealand mud snail, aquatic and terrestrial plants) threaten the river and reservoir systems and could have a profound impact on recreation

• Poor economy can affect boating activities and visits from outside the area

• Inaccessible operations and facilities are a threat to recreational opportunities when lack of accessibility (Architectural Barriers Act accessibility standards) prevents visitors from reaching desired destinations

• Accessibility (Architectural Barriers Act accessibility standards) in all operations and facilities

• Maintaining adequate funding to provide access to resources and facilities (inspectors for boat ramps, staff for visitor center, interpretation, education, programs, clean facilities)

Fundamental Resource or Value: Recreation

Threats and Opportunities (continued)

Opportunities

• Opportunities to work with local tourism agencies to promote recreational use; very active tourism association in Gunnison/Crested Butte

• National fitness initiatives (Let’s Move Outside, Play60, etc ) are opportunities to showcase recreational uses

• Working with local communities (marinas, boat sales, concession) for education of recreational opportunities and AIS prevention and containment

• Opportunity to better articulate safety concerns and hazards of recreational use parkwide, but specifically on lower two reservoirs

• Opportunity to educate anglers about the Kokanee and lake trout imbalance and actions they can take to help with the issue

• Opportunity to educate boaters about the harm that aquatic invasive species could do to Blue Mesa Reservoir and the financial impact it may have to them

Existing Information and Plans

• General management plan

• Motorized vehicle access plan is complete; waiting for finalization of rule

• 2010 visitor use survey

• Annual visitor survey cards

• Annual use statistics

• Creel surveys (fish harvest and angler surveys)

• Resource protection study

• Draft wilderness and backcountry management plan

• Facility improvement plans

• Concessions contract and commercial use authorizations

Laws and Policies That Apply to This FRV, and Existing Park Guidance

Laws and Policies That Apply to this FRV

• Memorandum of agreement with Bureau of Reclamation (1965)

• State of Colorado fishing regulations

• Colorado statute for aquatic invasive species

• State boating regulations

• NPS Management Policies 2006

• NPS Concessions Management Improvement Act of 1998

• Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations

• Architectural Barriers Act of 1968

• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (28 CFR 36)

• Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards 2006

• U S Access Board Draft Accessibility Guidelines for Outdoor Developed Areas of 1999

• Secretarial Order 3289, “Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change on America’s Water, Land, and Other Natural and Cultural Resources”

Existing Park Guidance

• Superintendent’s Compendium

• Motorized vehicle access draft rule

Fundamental Resource or Value: Recreation

Identified Data Needs to Protect FRV

• Visitor use data including visitor trends, a statistically sound method to capture/quantify visitor use, a visitor capacity study, and backcountry visitor use information for the three reservoirs to quantify trail use, shoreline camping, dispersed camping, pack use, etc

• Economics data on recreational water value for visitors

• Visitor boat surveys (including better detection methods for presence of aquatic invasive species)

• Accessibility assessment

Identified Planning Needs to Protect FRV

• Long-range interpretive plan completion

• Traffic plan: visitor…