River Protection Workgroup Information Sheet: Hermosa Creek

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1 Page Two Fish Species: Species in the Hermosa Creek mainstem and many of the tributaries of Hermosa Creek drainage include, but are not limited to: rainbow, brown, brook, hybridized and pure strain Colorado River cutthroat trout, and other wild trout populations. Other Values: • presence of a G2 community of white fir - Colorado blue spruce - narrowleaf cottonwood /Rocky Mountain maple, considered globally imperiled, as measured on a scale of G1 -G5 by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program • horseback riding • Hermosa Creek's natural flow variation • area's sense of remoteness • Hermosa Creek was one of the first drainages outside a Wilderness Area or National Park to be designated as "Outstanding Water" by the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission • grazing • Hermosa Creek provides water for ditch users in the Animas Valley and it flows into the Animas River • ATV use • Hermosa drainage contains almost no private property (it is rare for such a large watershed to be publicly owned) • there is accessibility to the area and multiple access points • existence of biodiversity and large blocks of roadless, unfragmented land, providing ecological continuity and integrity; the area represents many major life zones and has large areas of intact old- growth and healthy ponderosa pine forest Outstandingly Remarkable Values ( "ORVs ") identified by the USFS: (1) Recreational use: The Area is subjected to heavy recreational use because of its proximity to Durango. Uses include mountain biking; motorcycle riding; hiking, camping, backpacking, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling on the East Fork, Class IV and V whitewater kayaking, cross - country skiing, and single -track use. (2) Cutthroat conservation use: This ORV is a result of the naturally isolated Hermosa Creek tributaries. These tributaries provide excellent habitat for existing Colorado River cutthroat trout and opportunities for restoration. An outcrop of limestone occurs at the terminus of many Hermosa Creek tributaries, providing a natural fish migration barrier. A pure strain of Colorado River cutthroat trout has been stocked in the East Fork of Hermosa Creek, Clear Creek, and North Hope Creek. Clear Creek was stocked from the native cutthroat trout population found in Big Bend Creek. A Colorado Division of Wildlife ( "CDOW ") Colorado River cutthroat trout restoration project, in cooperation with the USFS, is currently planned for the headwaters of Hermosa Creek, with the long -range goal of linking the East Fork and headwaters cutthroat trout populations. River Protections Currently in Place: USFS Management: The Hermosa Creek Area is managed by the USFS. Most of the Area is within the USFS 2001 Roadless Rule boundaries and managed under this rule. The Area contains the largest roadless land block under USFS jurisdiction in Colorado. The west side of Hermosa Creek, because of a lack of disturbance, has an unbroken sequence of various life zones, which can serve as reference areas for other parts of the San Juan National Forest. Under current USFS management, a majority of the area is classified as a Management Area 3 (MA3) which allows for grazing and some management activities that would benefit the resource conditions. The popular Hermosa Creek Trail is motorized and there are motorized trails on both the west and east sides. The San Juan Draft Land Management Plan /Draft Environmental Impact Statement released in December 2007 recommends Alternative B which features: the western portion managed as a MA1; the eastern side managed as a MA3; recommendation of 50,895 acres for Wilderness and