Stream: South Fork Slater Creek (Lower Segement) Executive Summary

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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 Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) and Trout Unlimited (TU) recommended this segment of South Fork Slater Creek to the CWCB for inclusion into the Instream Flow Program. South Fork Slater Creek 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. South Fork Slater Creek originates on the northern flank of the Elkhead Mountains just west of Bears Ears Peaks at an elevation of 9,560 feet. It flows generally northward for 7.1 miles through the Routt National Forest to its confluence with the Slater Creek at an elevation of 7,700. Approximately 54% the land on the 1.96 mile segment addressed by this report is publicly owned. South Fork Slater Creek is located within Routt County and has a total drainage area of the creek is approximately 16.64 square miles. The subject of this report is a segment of South Fork Slater Creek beginning at the confluence with West Prong South Fork Slater Creek and extending downstream to the confluence with Slater Creek. The proposed segment is located approximately 21.5 miles northeast of Craig. Staff has received one joint recommendation for this segment, from the CDOW and TU. The recommendation for this segment is discussed below. Instream Flow Recommendation CDOW & TU recommended 9.0 cfs (March 15 — July 15), 2.0 cfs (July 16 — August 15), 0.8 cfs (August 16 — October 15) and 5.25 cfs (October 16 — March 14) based on their data collection efforts and CWCB staff s water availability analysis. Land Status Review Upper Terminus Lower Terminus Total Length (miles) Land Ownership % Private % Public Confluence w/ West Confluence w/ 1.96 46% 54% Prong SF Slater Creek Slater Creek 100% of the public lands are managed by the USFS. -2-