ISFAPPC01552

• Case Number: 03CW0270
• Stream Name: East Canyon Creek
• Watershed: Canyon Creek
• Water Division: 5
• Water District: 39
• County: Garfield
• Instream Flow App - Doc Type: Supplemental Data

Biological Data

The 13LM has conducted field surveys of the fishery resources on this stream and have found a
natural environment that can be preserved. As reported for this reach of stream in the letter to
the CWCB "Fishery surveys indicate that the stream environment is in good condition, and
supports a self-sustaining brook trout fishery. Substrate, water quality, pools, and cover are
excellent Jor salmonids. However, poor channel and bank stability, because of occasional large
flow events, are limiting factors for fish habitat, underscoring the importance of adequate flows
to prevent further stress to the fishery" (see CD OW Fish Survey in Appendix B).

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Field Survey Data

13LM staff used the R2Cross methodology to quantify the amount of water required to preserve
the natural environment to a reasonable degree. The R2Cross method requires that stream
discharge and channel profile data be collected in a riffle stream habitat type. Riffles are most
easily visualized, as the stream habitat types that would dry up first should streamflow cease.
This type of hydraulic data collection consists of setting up a transect, surveying the stream
channel geometry, and measuring the stream discharge. Appendix 13 contains copies of field
data collected for this proposed segment.

Biological Flow Recommendation

The CWC13 staff relied upon the biological expertise of the cooperating agencies to interpret
output from the R2Cross data collected to develop the initial, biologic instream flow
recommer~dation. This initial recommendation is designed to address the unique biologic
requirements of each stream without regard to water availability. Three instream flow hydraulic
parameters, average depth, percent wetted perimeter, and average velocity are used to develop
biologic instream flow recommendations. The CDOW has determined that maintaining these
three hydraulic parameters at adequate levels across riffle habitat types, aquatic habitat in pools
and runs will also be maintained for most life stages of fish and aquatic invertebrates (Nehring
1979; Espegren 1996).

For these segments of stream, five data sets were collected with the results shown in Tables 1
and 2 below. Tables 1 and 2 shows who collected the data (Party), the date the data was
collected (Date), the measured discharge at the time of the survey (Q), the accuracy range of the
predicted flows based on Manning Equation (240% and 40% of Q), the summer flow
recommendation based on meeting 3 of 3 hydraulic criteria and the winter flow recommendation
based upon 2 of 3 hydraulic criteria.

Table I: Data (upper segment)
Party Date
13LM 08/28/1996
13LM 6/20/2002

Q
1.90
4.36

250%-40%
4.8 - 0.8
10.9 - 1.7

Summer (3/3)
6.2(1)
4.2

Winter (2/3)
2.0
1.6

BLM - Bureau of Land Management DOW - Division of Wildlife
(I) Predicted flow outside of the accuracy range of Manning's Equation. ? = Criteria never met in R2CROSS Staging Table.

Table 2: Data (lower segment)
Party Date
13LM 6/19/2002
BLM 8/28/1996
BLM 6/19/2002

Q
7.17
2.23
8.51

250%-40%
17.9 - 2.9
5.6-0.9
21.3-3.4

Summer (3/3)
?
24.3U)
12.0

Winter (2/3)
3.8
2.4
2.8~1)

BLM - Bureau of Land Management DOW - Division of Wildlife
(I) Predicted flow outside of the accuracy range of Manning's Equation. ? = Criteria never met in R2CROSS Staging Table.

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