21

• Board Meeting Date: 7/11/2007
• Description: ISF Section - Pine River Water Acquisition
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

STATE OF COLORADO

01

Bill Owens, Governor
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

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

September 2, 2005

J\1r. Dan MelTiman
Colorado \Vater Conservation Board
Stream and Lake Protection Section
1313 Sherman Street, Room 723
Denver, Colorado 80203

Re:

Colorado Division of\Vildlife Instream Flow Recommendations for Pine River,

For ~V2
P

Dear Dan,

The purpose of !his letter is to officially transmit the Colorado Division of Wildlife's (CDOW) Ills Eo r
Flow Recommendations for the Pine River in La Plata County, as requested by the Colorado Water
Conservation Board (CWCB). The CWCB has requested the CDOW provide:

. Information documenting the existing natural environment;
. The biological recommendation for the amount of water required to preserve the natural
environment to a reasonable degree; and,
. The biological recommendation for the amount of water that would improve the natural environment
to a reasonable degree.

General Information
The Pine River is located in southwest Colorado about 18 miles northeast of the City of Durango. The Pine
River is classified as a large river (over 100 feet wide). The CDOW has collected the necessary stream
cross section data and natural environment data needed to quantify the instream flow needs for the Pine
River.

Biological Information
CD OW fishery surveys indicate the stream environment of the Pine River below Vallecito Reservoir
supports self-sustaining populations of brown trout (Salmo trutta), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss),
mottled sculpins (Cottus bairdi), speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus), white suckers (Catostomidea
commersoni), bluehead suckers (Catostomus discobolus) and flannelmouth suckers (Catostomus latipinnis)
(see attached fishery data). In addition, the CDOW is currently in the third year ofa three year experimental
stocking program to reintroduce Colorado River cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki pleuriticus) back into
the Pine River within the five mile stream reach immediately below Vallecito Reservoir. This experimental
stocking program was begun after the Missionary Ridge Fire in 2002 and the resulting mudslides. The

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Russell George, Executive Director
WilDLIFE COMMISSION, Philip James, Chair. Jeffrey Crawford, Vice-Chair. Brad Phelps, Secretary
Members, Bernard Black. Tom Burke. Rick Enstrom. Claire O'Neal. Robert Shoemaker. Ken Torres
Ex Officio Members, Russell George and Don Ament