San Miguel River Appendices

• Case Number: 05CW0154
• Stream Name: San Miguel River
• Water Division: 4
• Water District: 60
• County: San Miguel
• Instream Flow App - Doc Type: Supplemental Data

Bruce McCloskey, Director
6060 Broadway
Denver, Colorado 80216
Telephone: [phone]

STATE OF COLORADO

Bill Owens, Governor
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

DIVISION OF WILDLIFE

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

December 20, 2004

Mr. Dan Merriman and Mr. Todd Doherty
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Stream and Lake Protection Section
1313 Sherman Street, Room 723
Denver, Colorado 80203

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Re: Colorado Division of Wildlife Instream Flow Recommendati<~ns for the San Miguel River.
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The purpose of this letter is to officially transmit the Colorado Division of Wildlife's (CDOW) Instream Flow'
Recommendations for the San Miguel River in San Miguel County. Th~ reach of stream covered by this
flow recommendation is from the confluence with Bear Creek to the confluence with the South Fork of the
San Miguel River, a distance of approximately 6 miles. ! " -
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In 1984, Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) appropriated a 6.5 cfs year-round water right for the
segment of the San Miguel River from the confluence of Bridal Veil and i,ngram Creeks to the confluence
with the South Fork. In 1996, the Upper San Miguel River Basin Stake~olders requested the CWCB and
the CDOW to revisit the upper San Miguel River Basin and evaluate the ~ow needs of all stream segments
located in the basin (see attached letter). The CDOW has, over several years, collected the additional
stream cross section information required to quantify the instream flow needs for an instream flow
enlargement of the San Miguel River. The existence of a natural en~ironment was established by the
CWCB in Case Number 4-84CW427. The upper San Miguel River is classified as a medium stream
(between 20 to 35 feet wide). Aquatic sampling shows that a self sustain:ing brook and rainbow trout fishery
exists in the upper San Miguel River Basin. In addition to the trout fishel'1Y, the upper basin also supports a
population of mottled sculpins. :
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The stream cross section data was analyzed using the R2CROSS pro~ram. The R2CROSS output was
evaluated using the methods described in Nehring (1979) and Espegren (1996). The CDOW has reviewed
the data collected to date and based on that review recommends that th~ CWCB appropriated the following
flow amount to preserve the natural environment of the San Miguel Ri~er to a reasonable degree:
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. 10.5 cubic feet per second is recommended for the period of May 15 through October 31. This
flow is required to maintain to a reasonable degree, the three p'rincipal hydraulic criteria of
average depth, average velocity and percent wetted perimeter.: Implementing this
recommendation would require a 4 cfs enlargement from May 15 through October 31.
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Dear Dan and Todd,

,
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Russell George, E,xecutive Director
WilDLIFE COMMISSION, Philip James, Chair. Jeffrey Crawford, Vice-Crair · Brad Phelps, Secretary
Members, Bernard Black. Tom Burke. Rick Enstrom. Claire 0' Neal. Rqbert Shoemaker. Ken Torres
Ex Officio Members, Russell George and Don Arilent