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<br />STATE OF COLORADO <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Bill Ritter, Jr., Governor <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES <br /> <br />DIVISION OF WilDLIFE <br /> <br />AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br /> <br />Bruce McCloskey. Director <br />6060 Broadway <br />Denver, Colorado 80216 <br />Telephone: (303) 297-1192 <br />wildlife.state.co.us <br /> <br /> <br />February 20, 2007 <br /> <br />Mr. Jeff Baessler and Mr. Todd Doherty <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br />Stream and Lake Protection Section <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 723 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br /> <br />Re: Colorado Division of Wildlife Instream Flow Recommendations for Como Creek. <br /> <br />Dear Jeff and Todd, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The purpose of this letter and attached report is to formally transmit Trout Unlimited (TU) and the <br />Colorado Division of Wildlife's (CDOW) Instream Flow Recommendations for Como Creek. The <br />CD OW and TU have collected data, including stream cross section information and natural environment <br />data, needed to quantify the instream flow requirements for the reach of Como Creek identified in the <br />report to preserve the natural environment to a reasonable degree. In addition, TU and CDOW staff <br />conducted a preliminary evaluation of the stream hydrology to determine if water is physically available <br />for an instream flow appropriation. Como Creek should be considered for inclusion into the Instream <br />Flow Program (ISFP) because it has a natural environment that can be preserved to a reasonable degree <br />with an instream flow water right. <br /> <br />The State of Colorado's ISFP was created in 1973 when the Colorado State Legislature recognized "the <br />need to correlate the activities of mankind with some reasonable preservation ofthe natural <br />environment." (See 937-92-102 (3) c.R.S.). The statute vests the Colorado Water Conservation Board <br />(Board) with the exclusive authority to appropriate and acquire instream flow and natural lake level <br />water rights. In order to encourage other entities to participate in the ISFP, the statute directs the Board <br />to request instream flow recommendations from other state and federal agencies. TU and the CDOW are <br />recommending this segment of Como Creek to the Board for inclusion into the ISFP. <br /> <br />TU and the CDOW are forwarding this instream stream flow recommendation to the Board to meet <br />Colorado's policy "that the wildlife and their environment are to be protected, preserved, enhanced, and <br />managed for the use, benefit, and enjoyment of the people of this state and its visitors. _ _ and that, to <br />... carry out such program and policy, there shall be a continuous operation of planning, acquisition, and <br />(.. development of wildlife habitats and facilities for wildlife-related opportunities." (See ~33-1-101 (I) <br /> <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Harris D. Sherman, Executive Director <br />WILDLIFE COMMISSION, Jeffrey Crawford, Chair. T um Burke, Vice Chair. Claire O'Neal, Secretary <br />Members, Robert Bray · Brad Coors · Rick Enstrom. Richard Ray. James McAnally. Ken Torres <br />Ex Officio Members, Harris Sherman and John Stulp <br />