Extracted from Upper Rio Grande Water Operations Review FEIS, Appendix N.

5.5 River Recreation

Rafting, one of the most popular water-dependent activity on the river, requires certain minimal flows.... Through informal agreements, water operators currently time the release of water to meet desired flows of 1,000 cfs on weekends during the rafting season. Rafting would benefit from formalizing agreements to the extent that this does not conflict with meeting other priorities or contract obligations. It should be noted, that during some years, rafting operations have ceased when access to put-ins on public land were restricted due to fire hazard conditions.

Fishing on the Rio Chama and Rio Grande depends on suitable conditions for high quality fisheries, and for flows that are conducive to safe fishing, particularly for in-stream anglers. Angler activities have been increasing in New Mexico, due partially to population growth and increasing popularity of fishing as a recreational activity....

As reported in the Aquatic section, habitat for brown trout, the primary sport fish on the Rio Chama, and for channel catfish in the Rio Grande, would not change measurably between alternatives....