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<br /> <br />4", <br /> <br />110 <br /> <br />October 2000 <br /> <br />CWCS explores nevv frontier <br /> <br />Editor's Note: This article was, in part, based on <br />previously published articles by The Associated Press <br />and the US Forest Service. <br /> <br />By Bahman Hatami <br /> <br />InStream Colorado Editor <br /> <br />Thousands of travelers going <br />through the Glenwood Canyon on <br />Interstate 70 climb the steep <br />narrow trail that leads to an emerald-and- <br />sapphire lake, known as Hanging Lake. <br />This 1.2-mile trail along Dead Horse <br />Creek rises nearly 1000 feet-some 15 <br />percent grade. But, as difficult as going <br />up may appear, rarely does anyone regret <br />climbing this scenic, tree-shaded trail <br />because it provides more than just a <br />stretch for car-cramped legs. It is also an <br />example of state and federal cooperation <br />tro nrrot,::wt ~n imn{'ort~nt n::'<.:roTlrrp <br />, , <br /> <br />The trail ends at a breathtaking scene-a <br />long, wide wall of cascading waterfalls <br />that tumble into a three-quarter-acre of <br />blue-green lake. Trout swim in the crystal <br />waters, protected by a no-fishing rule. In <br />July yellow columbines, asters, harebells <br />and a host of other wildflowers complete <br />the idyllic scene. In August, the falls <br />infuse the forest with the rumble of a <br />freight train. In the winter, the falls freeze <br />into big blue icicles and cover the rock <br />face above the lake. <br /> <br />Hanging Lake was formed by a geological <br />fault that dropped the floor away from the <br />valley. The geology of the watershed <br />consists of interbedded sedimentary <br />rocks, including substantial limestone <br />that are permeable to water flow. The <br />limestone supports many springs where <br />water often emerges through the rocks. At <br />Spouting Rock, a quarter-mile above the <br />lake, water gushes from a fissure high <br />above, creating a natural shower. <br /> <br />The lake has a fragile ecosystem. The <br />geology, hydrology, and biology of the <br />watershed are closely linked. <br />Underground water in Upper East Fork <br />Dead Horse Creek emerges in Lower East <br />Fork, where it alternately loses through <br />sinks and gains through springs. Rare <br />sullivantia and black swifts live in mists <br />behind the many falls in the lower East <br />Fork above Hanging Lake. Red-osier <br />dogwood thickets occupy the flats and <br />yellow columbine proliferates in seeps <br />above and below Hanging Lake. Unique <br />travertine deposits form the Hanging <br />Lake dam. Main Dead Horse Creek has <br />many springs, and its flows vary by more <br />than lOG-fold during the year. <br /> <br />These ecological factors create a range of <br />natural environments and aesthetic <br />experiences that exist nowhere else in <br /> <br /> <br />Photos courtesy of Will Burt and Bill Haggerty <br /> <br />Colorado. According to the White River <br />National Forest, more than 80,000 visitors <br />per year hike up the trail to view Dead <br />Horse Creek, Hanging Lake, and Spouting <br />Rock. Visitor logs recount the depth of <br />enjoyment felt at all times of year and at <br />all range offlows. Hanging Lake is the <br />most heavily used trail in Colorado. <br /> <br />Protecting the distinctive natural <br />environment of Hanging Lake and Dead <br />Horse Creek watershed prompted the <br />CWCB to explore a new frontier. In 1996 <br />the CWCB, under its Stream and Lake <br />Protection Program, approved <br />recommendations by the U.S. Forest <br />Service to file an instream flow and <br />natural lake level claim for all <br />unappropriated water in Hanging Lake as <br />well as East, West and Main Dead Horse <br />Creeks. In many cases, the U.S. Forest <br />Service has resisted Colorado law and <br />initiated protracted and expensive <br />lawsuits ~ver federal reserved water <br />rights. But here, the U.S. Forest Service <br />and the CWCB collaborated to the benefit <br />of the environment and the public. <br /> <br />The CWCB realized that a full range of <br />flows is necessary to protect the unique <br />natural environment for plant and <br />wildlife habitat in the Hanging Lake and <br />the Dead Horse Creek watershed. The <br />CWCB member Eric Kuhn may have <br />stated the goal the best when he said, "we <br />have taken a big step to protect a treasure <br />and have also realized that the 'natural <br />environment' is much broader than the <br />traditional definition of a trout fishery." <br /> <br />The appropriation ofinstream flows for <br />the protection of the natural environment <br />is not limited solely to the protection of <br />fish habitat. Rather, fish are used as a <br />surrogate indicator of the existence of the <br />water-dependent natural environment. <br />The CWCB has proven on a number of <br /> <br />continued on page 2 <br />