BOARD00223

• Board Meeting Date: 9/13/2004
• Description: ISF Section - Proposed Water Right Donation - Colorado Water Trust, Peabody #1 Ditch and Lund Enlargement, Boulder Creek and Blue River
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

I

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

I
I

For Boulder Creek, I have reviewed all of the data that I had in my files for this very old instream flow appropriation. The
R2CROSS method does not lend itself to incremental analysis; in other words, it is not appropriate to use R2CROSS data to
examine habitat gains and/or losses. The examination of the Boulder Creek case was largely a review of the hydrology, a
literature search, and my own professional experience, judgmen~ and knowledge of the structure and function of aquatic
ecosystems. The benefits of this acquisition range from maintaining CWCB's existing right to improving and enhancing the
aquatic and riparian ecology of Boulder Creek; in my opinion th~re is more weight on the "improve and enhance" side of the
equation.

I

I

The data that we have on the Blue River gave us the ability to be more rigorous in this analysis. The volume and type of data
we have for the Blue River gives us the ability to actually quantify the changes in habitat area with changes in flow. The
above tables illustrate that that the proposed acquisition results in increased (therefore improved) habitat conditious for nearly
all life stages for both rainbow and brown trout in the Blue River. Many of the nwnhers in these tables are small but it is
important to note that these increases in available habitat are based on an average representative sequence of habitat types and
the increases are expected to be realized in every 1000 foot segment of the stream.

I
I

Based on the foregoing, it is the recommendation of the Division of Wildlife to proceed with the proposed acquisition to
preserve, improve and enhance the natural environment of both Boulder Creek and the Blue River. ICyou have any questions
regarding this matter, please do not hesitate contacting me.

I
I

Sincerely,

I

(h.y e.m4i I )

Jay W. Skinner
Water Resources Unit SuperVisor
Instream Flow Program Coordinator

I
I

I
I
I

I
I

I
I