4-07CW201 Supplemental Data - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

�MENT OF Ty United States Department of the Interior 7 � BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT 9 Colorado State Office �gRCH 3' 1aa 2850 Youngfield Street IN RePIY,e (CO -932) Lakewood, Colorado 80215 -7093 Mr. Dan Merriman Colorado Water Conservation Board DEC 1 9 1313 Sherman Street, Room 721 2006 Denver, Colorado 80203 Dear Mr. Merriman: U. S. DEWTHE BUR www.co.blm.gov The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is writing this letter to formally communicate its recommendation for an enlargement of the existing instream flow water right on Pauline Creek, located in Water Division 4. Location and Land Status. Pauline Creek is tributary to Cochetopa Creek approximately 26 miles south of Gunnison. The stream reach covered by the surveys conducted on BLM lands runs from the confluence with Chavez Creek to the confluence with Cochetopa Creek. Of the 4.1 mile reach, approximately 77% is located on federal lands while the remaining 23% is privately owned. Biological Summary. Pauline Creek is a moderate gradient stream with large substrate and good vegetative cover. Fishery surveys indicate that the creek supports a self - sustaining brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, and white sucker fishery. The stream environment is presently in good condition and provides suitable substrate, channel stability, water quality, and food supplies for salmonids. However, the stream has a high number of pools and beaver ponds, so spawning locations are limited. Accordingly, it is important to provide stream flows to maintain the limited amount of spawning habitat and to maintain water exchange in pools during low flow periods. R2Cross Analysis. BLM's data analysis, coordinated with the Division of Wildlife, indicates that the following flows are needed to protect the fishery and natural environment to a reasonable degree. The existing instream flow water right is 3.5 cfs year- round. A 2.75 cubic feet per second enlargement is recommended for the snowmelt period from May 1 to June 30. On the shoulders of the snowmelt runoff period, BLM recommends an enlargement of 2.0 cubic feet per second from April 1 to April 30 and 2.0 cubic feet per second from July 1 to August 31. For early fall, BLM recommends an enlargement of 1.0 cfs from September 1 to September 30. These recommendations are driven by the average velocity criteria. BLM was concerned that the existing 3.5 cfs instream flow water right did not provide sufficient physical habitat or velocity during the warm weather months, and the R2Cross surveys verified this concern.