Stream: San Miguel River Executive Summary

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

Land Status Review
Upper Terminus
Lower Terminus
Total Length
(miles)
Land Ownershi
% Private
% Public
Confluence w/
Confluence w/
17.24
72%
28%
Calamity Draw
Dolores River
100% of the public lands are managed by the BLM.
Biological Data
Over the past ten years, the CDOW and BLM have been collecting stream cross - section
information, natural environment data, and other data needed to quantify the instream flow needs
for this reach of the San Miguel River. The San Miguel River is classified as a large river (over
100 feet wide) and fishery surveys in 2001 indicate the stream environment supports: bluehead
sucker (Catostomus discobolus), flannelmouth sucker (Catostomus latipinnis), mottled sculpin
(Cottus bairdi), roundtail chub (Gila robusta), speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus) and white
sucker (Catostomus commersoni). In addition, the BLM has been collecting aquatic invertebrate
samples, for several years, at several sites within the proposed instream flow reaches. These
sites include the San Miguel upstream of the Dolores River, at Tabequache Creek, and upstream
of Tabequache Creek.
Roundtail chub (Gila robusta) is recognized by the State of Colorado as a species of special
concern. The roundtail chub, flannelmouth sucker (Catostomus latipinnis) and bluehead sucker
(Catostomus discobolus) are considered sensitive species by the BLM. Criteria that apply to
BLM sensitive species include the following: 1) species under status review by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service; or 2) species with numbers declining so rapidly that federal listing may become
necessary; or 3) species with typically small and widely dispersed populations; or 4) species
inhabiting ecological refugia or other specialized or unique habitats.
The CDOW, BLM and five other state wildlife have developed a "Range -wide conservation
agreement and strategy" to direct management for these species. This plan provides direction and
goals for research and management of projects. The success of management strategies will
depend upon the voluntary implementation of these strategies by the signatories. Special
attention will need to be given to habitat degradation and influence of non -native species
interactions within the native range of these species. The intention of these plans is to increase
populations and distributions of identified species, thereby assisting in the long -term persistence
of each species. The success of such plans could potentially curtail the need for federal listing of
these species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). These species are not currently federally
listed.
Historically, roundtail chub were known to commonly occur in most medium to large tributaries
of the Upper Colorado River Basin (Vanicek 1967, Holden and Stalnaker 1975, Joseph et al.
1977). Roundtail chub historically occurred in lower elevation (below 7,546 ft.) streams,
including the Colorado, Dolores, Duchesne, Escalante, Green, Gunnison, Price, San Juan, San
Rafael, White, and Yampa rivers (Bezzerides and Bestgen 2002). Roundtail chub are often
found in stream reaches that have a complexity of pool and riffle habitats (Bezzerides and
Bestgen 2002). Adults are found in eddies and pools adjacent to strong current and use instream
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