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38-657: The North Fork Gunnison River (locally known as the North Fork ) is a tributary of the Gunnison River , 33.5 miles (53.9 km) long, in southwestern Colorado in the United States . It drains part of the southwestern flank of the Elk Mountains northeast of Delta . It is formed in the mountains of northwestern Gunnison County by the confluence of Muddy Creek and Anthracite Creek. The confluence

76-515: A 43% reduction of selenium concentrations since the 1980s but additional reductions are needed to ensure the safety of the ecosystem. These attempts include giving funding to farmers of the Gunnison River Basin to reduce the amount of sedimentation deposited back into the river and therefore lower the overall amount of selenium being loaded into the river via tributaries. Salinity is being addressed by implementing local investments into

114-601: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Gunnison River The 180-mile long (290 km) river flows east to west and has a drainage area of 7,923 square miles (20,520 km ) according to the USGS. The drainage basin of the Gunnison collects water from different habitats, such as forests and alpine meadows, located along the Continental Divide . As the river flows westward, it carves through

152-576: Is abundant, the amount of selenium reaches well over the normal concentration in areas from Grand Junction to the tributaries in the upper Gunnison River. Some of the most concentrated tributaries of the Gunnison, namely the Uncompahgre, load large amounts of selenium to the Gunnison River. Selenium concentrations in the River can be as high as 11 ppm during peak times. Agricultural areas in

190-467: Is also a regional center of the coal mining industry, centered on the mining town of Somerset in the upper valley. Modern coal mining operations are highly visible along the upper valley walls. The creeks at the headwaters of the river pass through areas of highly erodible shale , resulting in high concentrations of sediment during springtime runoff. This article related to a river in Colorado

228-575: Is located along State Highway 133 on the south side of McClure Pass . It descends to the southwest through a widening valley past Somerset , Paonia , and Hotchkiss . It joins the Gunnison in eastern Delta County downstream from the Black Canyon between Delta and Hotchkiss. The valley of the river, called the North Fork Valley, has a temperate climate that has historically been a center of fruit growing in southwestern Colorado. It

266-624: Is part of Colorado's Bustang network. It is on the Durango-Grand Junction Outrider line. Delta County Memorial Hospital serves the city and the surrounding area. In addition to the main hospital, seven specialty clinics are available. In April 2021 a COVID-19 outbreak occurred among the Delta Police Department. This incident happened four months after COVID-19 vaccinations became available to all first responders in Colorado free of charge. Delta

304-565: Is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Delta County , Colorado , United States. The town population was 9,035 at the 2020 United States Census . The United States Forest Service headquarters of the Grand Mesa , Gunnison , and Uncompahgre National Forests are located in Delta. Delta was built as a trading post for the Ute people and early settlers. Fort Uncompahgre

342-573: The 2020 United States Census , the town had a total area of 8,659 acres (35.043 km ) including 164 acres (0.665 km ) of water. Delta is part of the Colorado Western Slope region. As of the census of 2010, there were 8,915 people, 3,530 households, and 2,337 families living in the city. The population density was 1,682.1 inhabitants per square mile (649.5/km ). There were 3,825 housing units at an average density of 721.7 per square mile (278.6/km ). The racial makeup of

380-546: The Dominguez Canyon into the Colorado River at Grand Junction , where some years it rivals the Colorado River in volume. The Gunnison River ranges in width from 100 to 1,000 feet (30 to 305 m) and in depth from 3 to 50 feet (1 to 15 m). The river's powerful current and many rapids make upstream travel nearly impossible. It is navigable by small craft throughout its course and by larger boats below

418-540: The San Juan Mountains . It flows into the Colorado River at Grand Junction . The Gunnison River Basin is popular for recreational activities such as fishing, rafting, boating, camping, hiking, and rock climbing. Contamination of the Gunnison River with selenium and mercury results from irrigation of high-selenium soils derived from the Mancos Shale and from mineral mining. The region surrounding

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456-485: The humpback chub , bonytail chub , Colorado pikeminnow , and the razorback sucker - are endemic to the region. Critical habitat for these species includes the lower Gunnison River. Elevated salinity concentrations are also a problem for the river and its users. Soils derived from the Mancos Shale , east of the Uncompahgre River , are naturally high in both selenium and salinity. Elevated selenium in

494-689: The 1850s and 1860s most commonly referred to the river as the Grand River. In subsequent years, however, the river was renamed for U.S. Army Captain John W. Gunnison of the Topographic Engineers, who was ambushed and killed by Pahvant Utes while mapping a trail west in Utah Territory in 1853. The lower section of the Gunnison River is designated as Gold Medal Water and Wild Trout Water. The designated area begins 200 yards below

532-469: The Black Canyon. Parts of the Black Canyon are non-navigable by any sort of craft because of giant cataracts. Navigation through the entire canyon is dangerous and for experienced boaters only. The first non-native to see and record information of the Gunnison River was Juan Maria de Rivera , who came to the banks of the river just below its confluence with the Uncompahgre River in 1761 and 1765. It

570-710: The Crystal Dam and stretches through the Black Canyon to the confluence of the North Fork and Gunnison rivers. Part of the river's water is diverted to irrigate the Uncompahgre Valley via the 5-mile-long (8 km) Gunnison Tunnel , which was built between 1905 and 1909. The Blue Mesa Dam , Morrow Point Dam , and Crystal Dam –built between the 1960s and the 1970s–are part of the Colorado River Storage Project . Throughout

608-526: The EPA. Humpback chub , bonytail chub , Colorado pikeminnow , and the razorback sucker are susceptible to elevated concentrations of mercury based on their long distance annual migrations to reproduce. The Colorado pikeminnow is especially vulnerable to high concentrations of mercury as its life cycle is relatively long and the distances they travel for migration are especially far. Organizations throughout Colorado are collaborating on pollution remediation in

646-565: The Gunnison River Basin are heavily farmed and provide large amounts of sediment during the growing months. Concentrations of selenium in the Gunnison River rise in April until they peak in August due to irrigation drainage. These peaks in selenium concentrations coincide with the reproduction events of the Colorado pikeminnow and the razorback sucker . High amounts of selenium are deposited into

684-411: The Gunnison River Basin reflects the underlying geology. The Gunnison River Basin sits atop the Mancos Shale which is naturally elevated in selenium. The seleniferous soil the shale produces have come to the subsurface due to weathering of the rock and uplift. Agricultural irrigation of seleniferous soils is one mechanism of selenium loading to the Gunnison River. As farmland in the Gunnison River Basin

722-721: The Gunnison River Basin to review options in order to reduce the impact of climate change . These plans for the future hope to strengthen the critical water infrastructure, reduce agriculture water shortages, and encourage the beneficial relationship between agricultural, environmental and recreational water uses. In addition, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund has awarded the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment almost $ 13 million for future research and development along with pollution control and mitigation attempts. Most recently,

760-470: The Gunnison River comes from human activities including surface mining and burning fossil fuels such as coal. As rain water is discharged, it transports mercury to the river where bacteria biotransform mercury into methylmercury . Methylmercury has no biological benefit but rather bioaccumulates and biomagnifies through the trophic levels of the Gunnison River ecosystem. These concentrations of mercury can be as high as 13% above thresholds set in place by

798-673: The Gunnison River in order to increase habitat quality for the razorback sucker and the Colorado pikeminnow . Some of these organizations and plans include The Gunnison River Basin's Selenium Management Plan, The Selenium Control Program, and the Bureau of Reclamation's Gunnison Basin Selenium Management Program. These programs aim to minimize the impact of selenium and salinity as unhealthy amounts of salinity lead to lower reproduction rates of fish as well as problems with agriculture. Current remediation attempts have led to

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836-565: The Gunnison River is part of the Colorado Mineral Belt . Contamination of the Gunnison River with selenium and mercury is a conservation concern for the bonytail chub , Colorado pikeminnow , humpback chub , and razorback sucker , whose critical habitat includes the lower Gunnison River. The Gunnison River is formed by the confluence of the Taylor and East rivers at Almont in eastern Gunnison County, Colorado . Just past

874-415: The Gunnison River will soon be evaluated by state water quality officials to determine if the improvement programs have been successful in reducing the selenium and salinity levels toxic to the endangered fish. If the selenium levels are above the 4.6 mg/L water quality standard, the Gunnison will be subject to reclassification. Delta, Colorado Delta is a home rule municipality that

912-535: The Gunnison and Colorado rivers." The Gunnison River is threatened by climate change , demand for water resources, and ongoing challenges regarding selenium contamination. Because of these factors the future of the Gunnison River is uncertain. Selenium and mercury contamination of the Gunnison River results from irrigation of soils that are naturally high in selenium, mining activity, and atmospheric mercury deposition. Selenium and mercury contribute to concerns about conservation of resident biota. Four fish species -

950-630: The Gunnison. Their efforts include conducting scientific research and publishing information that informs the general public how they can protect the river. According to a progress report from 2019, the Gunnison Basin Selenium Management Program continues its efforts to "develop and implement a Selenium Management Program (SMP) in cooperation with the State of Colorado and Gunnison River basin water users to reduce adverse effects of selenium on endangered fish species in

988-538: The city was 82.2% White , 0.2% African American , 1.1% Native American , 0.7% Asian , 12.5% from other races , and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.1% of the population. There were 3,530 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who

1026-414: The county. They also have a Facebook page that anyone could follow. Montrose Regional Airport , located 21 miles (34 km) south of Delta, is the closest airport served by scheduled airlines. In Grand Junction , which is 39 miles (63 km) to the north, there are also scheduled airline services, as well as an Amtrak train station with a daily California Zephyr departure in each direction. Delta

1064-462: The late 19th and early 20th century the Bureau of Reclamation built multiple dams ( Blue Mesa , Morrow Point , and Crystal ) and reservoirs ( Blue Mesa , Morrow Point , and Crystal ). All of these projects provided the area with large amounts of water which supported local agriculture, recreation, and other industries. Development of the Gunnison River prompted concerns from those wanting to preserve

1102-469: The scenic beauty of the river (especially the Black Canyon of the Gunnison ). In the 1930s President Herbert Hoover designated the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River a national monument in order to protect "the roar of the river". By the end of the 20th century the Black Canyon received more protections when Congress declared the canyon a national park . In 2008 the Black Canyon Decree

1140-541: The town of Gunnison , the river begins to swell into the expanse of Blue Mesa Reservoir , a 36-mile-long (58 km) reservoir formed by Blue Mesa Dam, where it receives the Lake Fork of the Gunnison . Just downstream, it is dammed again to form Morrow Point Reservoir and then dammed again to form Crystal Reservoir . The reservoirs produce hydroelectric power and supply the surrounding areas with water for both municipal and irrigation use. The reservoirs are located along

1178-568: The upper part of the Gunnison River. Below Crystal Dam, the Gunnison River begins to roar through massive cataracts. The Gunnison River then flows through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison , one of the longest, narrowest, and deepest gorges in the world. At the outlet of the Black Canyon, it receives the North Fork River, and then downstream, near Delta , it is joined by the Uncompahgre River . It then winds through desert canyonlands, where it receives Kannah Creek . It then empties out of

North Fork Gunnison River - Misplaced Pages Continue

1216-469: The water use infrastructure by converting old systems to direct pipeline and sprinklers to help reduce the amount of runoff into the Gunnison. By reducing the amount of runoff being directed into the Gunnison, less selenium has been deposited into the river by irrigation drainage. As climate change reduces stream flow in the Gunnison River, future concentrations of both selenium and mercury will continually rise. This has led water managers and stakeholders from

1254-423: The yolk by the mother and juvenile fish eat algae that is highly concentrated with selenium in August. Effects of high selenium concentrations in fish include reduced oxygenation rates and lowered total energy capacity used for movement and reproduction, with fitness consequences for migratory fish such as the Colorado pikeminnow. Elevated selenium exposure can also cause malformations in adult fish. Mercury in

1292-451: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49, and the average family size was 3.08. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males. Fort Uncompahgre

1330-696: Was again seen in 1776 by Silvestre Vélez de Escalante . At the time the Spanish name for the river was Rio de San Javier (Xavier) ; the Native American name was Tomichi . Escalante noted that Rivera thought it was "the great Rio del Tizon", the long-used Spanish name for the lower Colorado River. Through the mid-1800s, the river was variously named the Eagle, Eagle Tail, South Fork of the Grand, Grande, and Grand River. Exploration reports and published maps of

1368-488: Was built in 1828, established as a fur trading post by Antoine Robidoux . Tour guides dress in period attire and trap beavers, make buckskins , knap arrowheads , and work the forge . Parks: The principal newspaper is the Delta County Independent , which is published weekly on Wednesdays. Local readers also enjoy The High Country Shopper , a free paper that distributes over 15,000 copies throughout

1406-567: Was built in 1828. The town was named because of its location on the delta where the Uncompahgre River flows into the Gunnison River . The town was incorporated in 1882. Delta is located in southwestern Delta County. The downtown area is situated south of the Gunnison River and east of the Uncompahgre River. The city limits extend north across the Gunnison into the area now known as "North Delta", then west 6 miles (10 km) along U.S. Route 50 as far as Westwinds Airport. At

1444-614: Was passed which resolved legal disputes over water resources in Colorado and protect the Black Canyon of the Gunnison . The decree set a flow regime that "will protect the water-dependent resources of the Black Canyon and help restore the ecological balance in the river system disrupted by three federal dams immediately upstream of the Park." The condition of the Gunnison River continues to improve with increased protections for Black Canyon National Park and as stakeholders, scientists, and natural resource managers continue their efforts to protect

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