CWCB San Miguel PHS Final

• Case Number: 11CW0129
• Stream Name: San Miguel River
• Watershed: San Miguel
• Water Division: 4
• Water District: 60
• County: Montrose
• Instream Flow App - Doc Type: ISF INV - Hearing

EpT OFD
United States Department of the Interior
0 1
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Colorado State Office
M4RCH tis °� 2850 Youngfield Street
Lakewood, Colorado 80215 -7093
www.blm.gov /co
In Reply Refer To: DEC 15 2U'21
7250 (CO -932)
Ms. Linda Bassi
Colorado Water Conservation Board
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Dear Ms. Bassi:
TAKE PRIDE'
INAMERICA
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is writing this letter to formally communicate its
instream flow recommendation for the San Miguel River, between the confluence with Calamity
Draw and the confluence with the Dolores River. The importance of this stream reach has led to
cooperation between the BLM and the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) to document the
natural environment in this stream reach and to implement cooperative studies to determine the
flow rates needed to support the natural environment.
This portion of the river is known to provide habitat for flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker,
and roundtail chub. The BLM and the CDOW are signatories to a multi -state conservation
agreement designed to protect and enhance habitat for these species, with the objective of
preventing a listing of these species under the Endangered Species Act. Establishment of
instream flow protection for streams known to provide habitat for the species is identified as a
priority conservation action under this agreement.
The lower San Miguel River is also known to provide habitat for globally imperiled riparian
communities and other important riparian communities, because of the free - flowing hydrology of
the river. These globally imperiled communities include New Mexico privet riparian shrubland
and skunkbrush riparian shrubland. Other important riparian communities include narrowleaf
cottonwood communities and Fremont cottonwood communities. The Colorado Natural
Heritage Program has identified two potential conservation areas along this reach of the river
because of these riparian communities and species.
BLM believes that instream flow protection for these values can be achieved while allowing
water to be developed for current and future needs, including municipal, industrial, and
agricultural uses. Almost three years have elapsed since the BLM and the CDOW provided an
initial flow recommendation to the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), in the form of
a draft instream flow report. In those three years, the BLM, the CDOW, and the CWCB staff