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0 6 <br />Water Availability. BLM is aware of two water rights that appear to divert from Wheeler <br />Creek: <br />Akers Ditch —1897 priority — 6 cfs <br />Wheeler Ditch —1887 priority — 6 cfs <br />The official water rights tabulation notes that these diversions are located within the Wheeler <br />Creek system, but the legal descriptions provided for the water rights place them significantly <br />away from the creek. Further investigation is needed as to the exact location and status of these <br />water rights. <br />There are no historic gage records available for Wheeler Creek, or for the larger South Fork Big <br />Creek watershed in which Wheeler Creek is located. BLM recommends a two -step approach to <br />analyze water availability. First, a paired analysis should be conducted, using the USGS Roaring <br />Fork Gage near Walden, CO (06612500). This watershed is located close to Wheeler Creek and <br />the lower part of the watershed has similar elevations to the Wheeler Creek watershed. The <br />headwaters of the Roaring Fork are 1500 to 2000 higher in elevation than Wheeler Creek, but the <br />Wheeler Creek watershed faces due north, so the additional shading of the Wheeler Creek <br />watershed may offset the slightly lower elevation, in terms of water yield. <br />Second, the gage analysis should be compared to pressure transducer data currently being <br />collected on South Fork Big Creek. If that instrument produces useful data, it may be possible to <br />conduct a basin apportionment analysis on the transducer data. <br />Relationship to Management Plans. BLM is very interested in instream flow protection for <br />Wheeler Creek, because it is one of the very few fisheries managed by BLM in North Park. <br />Under the current resource management plan, the Wheeler Creek watershed is being managed for <br />silvicultural practices that reduce the risk of catastrophic fire, that address pine beetle infestation <br />issues, and that improve overall forest health. Any silvicultural practices are carefully managed <br />to avoid erosion and impacts in the riparian corridor. BLM will continue to avoid road <br />construction in the creek corridor, and the corridor will continue to be managed for dispersed <br />recreational uses such as hunting and fishing. <br />Data sheets, R2Cross output, fishery survey information, and photographs of the cross section <br />were included with BLM's draft recommendation in February 2009. We thank both the Division <br />of Wildlife and the Water Conservation Board for their cooperation in this effort. <br />If you have any questions regarding our instream flow recommendation, please contact Roy <br />Smith at 303 - 239 -3940. <br />