Stream: Alpine Gultch Executive Summary

• Description: Stream: Alpine Gultch Executive Summary
• State: CO
• Water Division: 4
• Title: Stream: Alpine Gultch Executive Summary
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

Staff Analysis and Recommendation
Summary
The information contained in this report and the associated instream flow file folder 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 5.40.
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 (BLM) recommended this segment of Alpine Gulch
to the CWCB for inclusion into the Instream Flow Program. Alpine Gulch is being considered
for inclusion into the Instream Flow Program because it has a natural environment that can be
preserved to a reasonable degree with an instream flow water right.
Alpine Gulch is approximately 5.7 miles long. Alpine Gulch originates on the northern flank of
Redcloud Peak at an elevation of 12,750 feet and flows generally northeasterly through the Red
Cloud Peak Wilderness Study Area as it drops to an elevation of 8,900 feet at its confluence with
Henson Creek. Approximately 92 percent of the land on the 5.7 mile segment addressed by this
report is publicly owned. Alpine Gulch is located within Hinsdale County and the total drainage
area of the creek is approximately 12.9 square miles.
The subject of this report is a segment of Alpine Gulch beginning at the headwaters and
extending downstream to the confluence with Henson Creek. The proposed segment is located
approximately 2 miles west of Lake City. Staff has received one recommendation for this
segment, from the BLM. The recommendation for this segment is discussed below.
Instream Flow Recommendation
The BLM recommended 5.0 cfs (April 15 to September 30), and 1.0 cfs (October 1 to April 14).
These recommendations were based on their October 9, 2008, data collection efforts and staff's
water availability analyses.
Land Status Review
Upper Terminus
Lower Terminus
Total Length
(miles)
Land Ownership
% Private
% Public
Headwaters
Confluence with
5.69
7.7%
92.3%
Henson Creek
100% of the public lands are owned by the BLM.
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