4-07CW201 Supplemental Data

• Case Number: 07CW0201
• Stream Name: Pauline Creek
• Watershed: Tomichi
• Water Division: 4
• Water District: 28
• County: Saguache
• Instream Flow App - Doc Type: Supplemental Data

• r
Summary
The information contained in this report and the associated appendix forms the basis for staff s
instream flow recommendation to be considered by the Board. It is staff's opinion that the
information contained in this report is sufficient to support the findings required in Rule 5i.
Colorado's Instream Flow Program was created in 1973 when the Colorado State Legislature
recognized "the need to correlate the activities of mankind with some reasonable preservation of
the natural environment" (see 37 -92 -102 (3) C.R.S.). The statute vests the CWCB with the
exclusive authority to appropriate and acquire instream flow and natural lake level water rights.
In order to encourage other entities to participate in Colorado's Instream Flow Program, the
statute directs the CWCB to request instream flow recommendations from other state and federal
agencies. The Bureau of Land Management recommended this segment of Pauline Creek to the
CWCB for an enlarged water right under the Instream Flow Program. Pauline Creek is being
considered for an enlargement because it has a natural environment that can be preserved to a
reasonable degree with an enlarged instream flow water right. The BLM is very interested in
protecting stream flows because Pauline Creek supports a diverse fishery and very healthy
riparian environment in an otherwise very and location
Pauline Creek is 14.5 miles long. It begins on the northwestern flank of Stewart Peak in the La
Garita Wilderness at an elevation of approximately 13,100 feet and terminates at the confluence
with Cohcetopa Creek at an elevation of approximately 9,800 feet. Of the 4.1 mile segment
addressed by this report, 77% percent is located on federal lands. Pauline Creek is located within
Saguache County. The total drainage area of the creek is approximately 42.2 square miles.
Pauline Creek generally flows in a northeasterly direction.
The subject of this report is a segment of Pauline Creek beginning at the confluence with Chavez
Creek and extending downstream to the headgate of the Tarbell and Alexander Ditch, which is
immediately upstream of the confluence of Cochetopa Creek and Pauline Creek (see Map
Appendix). The proposed segment is located southeast of the City of Gunnison. The staff has
received only one recommendation for this segment, from the BLM. The recommendation for
this segment is discussed below.
Instream Flow Recommendations)
BLM recommended an enlargement of 2.75 cfs during the summer, based on its October 7, 2005
and August 19, 2004 data collection efforts (see Appendix). The modeling results from this
survey effort are within the confidence interval produced by the R2Cross model.
Land Status Review
Upper Terminus
Lower Terminus
Total Length
(miles)
Land Ownership
% Private
% Public
Confluence with
Confluence with
Chavez Creek
Tarbell &
4.1
23%
77%
Alexander Ditch
The 77% of public lands in this reach is comprised of 37% USFS lands and 40% BLM lands.