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<br />addition, considerations of compact compliance, the Statewide Conprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy and the <br />CWCB instream flow program (including water-short reaches) will inform basin priority setting. <br /> <br />3.3. Quantification <br />3.3.1 "Triage" - Where do we need quantification? <br />The NCNA Workgroup does not expect that quantification will be necessary for all values in all reaches. To assist in <br />determining where quantification is truly necessary, the workgroup will develop criteria to help evaluate the need for <br />quantification in priority reaches. The "triage" process will begin with the prioritized reaches and areas. Roundtables, with <br />the assistance of the NCNA Workgroup (possibly through development of a set of criteria for this purpose) will consider the <br />condition of the reach or area as well as its existing status or land use protection. Based on this evaluation, the roundtable <br />will decide if it would be appropriate to perform a quantification <br /> <br />Here are two examples of how status and condition may affect the decision regarding whether a quantification is necessary: <br /> <br />· An area or reach may not need quantification because its flows and habitat are already protected as a result of land use <br />decisions (e.g., the area or reach lies within a wilderness areas without existing conditional water rights) and/or has an <br />appropriation for a CWCB instream flow water rights. Such an area or reach would likely be well functioning and not at <br />any present or likely future risk. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />An area or reach may not need a quantification because there are alternative mechanisms available to protect its <br />environmental or recreational values. For example, there is a senior downstream calling right and an instream ftow <br />water right. Or, in the case of, a tributary that does not reach the mainstem because there is a ditch diversion within a <br />mile of the mainstem confluence, it may be easier and more cost-effective to move the headgate to the mainstem with a <br />change in point of diversion, thereby re-connecting the tributary., as well as apply for a new state instream flow water <br />right, rather than perform a quantification which could then be used to acquire a water right for instream flow protection. <br /> <br />In addition, there may be upcoming proposed water projects or agency actions (e.g., listing under the Endangered Species <br />Act) that warrant gathering quantification data on a particular reach or area more quickly. <br /> <br />3.3.2 Templates (Coarse Characterization) <br />The COM Technical Team, with the assistance of outside expertise such as The Nature Conservancy and Colorado State <br />University, will develop approximately ten templates for Colorado stream and river types, based on gross differences in <br />hydrology and function. For example, there would be templates for: high mountain headwaters, ephemeral desert washes, <br />large, or mainstem rivers, plains groundwater fed streams and fens. The template would provide a model hydrograph as well <br />as specify which components of the hydrograph are important for specific ecological and recreational attributes. The model <br />hydrograph will be similar to a synthetic unit hydrograph and will prescribe the properties of the flow regime required to <br />maintain ecological and recreational function of a system. Note that, for some, but not all recreational attributes, maintaining <br />ecological function will also support the recreational attribute. For example, a high quality birding area may need high quality <br />riparian vegetation, so a model hydrograph that protects the reach associated with the birding areas riparian zone is likely <br />also to protect the birding attribute. <br /> <br />3.3.3 Site-Specific Quantification (Fine Characterization) <br />Based on the "triage" or where priority reaches warrant site-specific quantification, the COM Technical Team and outside <br />expertise will use the appropriate general template from the coarse characterization and apply it to the specific river reach <br />using existing data regarding flow (e.g., from existing gages, RiverWatch observations, the relevant OSS, or other sources) <br />and function (e.g., from the attributes). At a minimum, there should be sufficient data to develop site-specific quantifications <br /> <br />Page4of5 <br /> <br />O:\Rinker1olK\SWSf',strategy revised Olju1l07.doc <br />