ISFAPPC02207 ‎(2)‎

• Case Number: 00CW0102
• Stream Name: Fourmile Creek
• Watershed: Fourmile Creek
• Water Division: 2
• Water District: 12
• County: Fremont
• Instream Flow App - Doc Type: Supplemental Data

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Stream: Fourmile Creek

Seament: High Creek to Cripple Creek

Executive Summary

Upper Terminus: High Creek at (Latitude 380 48' 48") (Longitude 1050 15' 27")
Lower Terminus: Cripple Creek at (Latitude 380 39' 59") (Longitude 1050 13' 42")
Counties: Fremont and Teller
Length: 3.4 Miles
USGS Quad(s): High Park and Cripple Creek South
Flow Recommendation: 8.20 cfs (April 15th - October 14th)
4.10 cfs (October 15th - April 14'h)

Summary

The information contained in this report and the associated instream flow file folder for Fourmile
Creek forms the basis for staff's instream flow recommendation to be considered by the Board.
It is staff's opinion that the information contained is 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 statue vests the CWCB with the
exclusive to appropriate and acquire instream flow and natural lake-level water rights. In oTder
to encourage other entities to participate in Colorado's Instream Flow Program, the statue directs
the CWCB to request instream flow recommendations from other state and federal agencies. The
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recommended this segment of Fourmile Creek to the
CWCB for inclusion into the Instream Flow Program. Fourmile 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. According to the Colorado
Division of Wildlife, "Fourmile Creek is considered an example of a high-quality, high-diversity
fish community" (see CDOW Aquatic Community Report in Appendix B). The Fourmile Creek
natural environment includes but is not limited to self-sustaining populations of brown and brook
trout.

Fourmile Creek is a tributary of the Arkansas River and is approximately 46 miles long, It
begins on the northwest side of Pikes Peak in Pike National Forest, at an elevation of
approximately 10,670 feet, and terminates at the confluence with the Arkansas River near Canon
City, at an elevation of approximately 5,375 feet. It flows through federal lands (Pike National
Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands), state lands (Mueller State Park and State Land
Board Land) as well as private lands. It also flows through two counties, beginning in Teller and
ending in Fremont County. The total drainage area of Fourmile Creek is approximately 450
square miles. Fourmile Creek generally flows in a north to south direction.

The subject of this report is a 3.4 mile segment of Fourmile Creek beginning at the confluence of
High Creek and extending downstream to the confluence with Cripple Creek. This segment is
located southwest of the City of Cripple Creek and north of Canon City, To date, staff has
received and considered two different instream flow recommendations for this segment of
Fourmile Creek, one from the BLM and one from W. W, Wheeler and Associates, Inc, (WWW)
and the Queen of the River Fisheries Consultants (QR), WWW & QR are representing the City