BOARD00246

• Board Meeting Date: 11/3/1994
• Description: Agenda, Minutes, Memos
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

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this tributary of Bear Creek.

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INDIAN CREEK

Indian Creek is another headwaters stream which flows off the slopes of Mount Evans from an
elevation of 10400 feet down through national forest land and DOW lands 5.4 miles to the
confluence with Bear Creek. The cross section rneasurements and the electro fishing survey were
conducted on 9/8/87 near the lower tenninus. The stream's fishery consists of wild populations of
both brook trout and native cutthroat trout. Due to the hydraulics of the cross section, the 1.00
fps average velocity criterion is never met so the Division's summer flow recommendation was
based on the flow which meets the other two criteria while maintaining an average velocity of
0.85 fps. The Division's original winter flow recommendation was for 1.5 cfs which met the two
remaining criteria; this recommendation had to be reevaluated after water availability analyses
showed that the 1.5 cfs was not available for mOst of the winter months. The reduction in flow
from 1.5 to 1.0 cfs resulted in a loss of only 0.03 feet in average depth and the Division's opinion
is that the natural environment is adequately protected with" 1 cfs during the winter months. The
flow recommendation is for 3 cfs April through August and 1 cfs for the remainder of the year;
these flows are necessary to preserve the wild trout population ofIndian Creek.

CORRAL CREEK

The final notice had two segments of Corral Creek and one Vance Creek segment; the Board
approved all but the headwaters segment of Corral Creek. The headwaters segrnent of Corral ..
Creek starts at an elevation of 9600 feet on the slopes of Squaw Mountain and flows in a ..
easterly direction through mostly private property. The Division conducted cross sectional
studies and electrofishing surveys on Corral Creek on 9/14/87. The electrofishing sample
included small populations of adult brook and btown trout. The Division's flow recommendations
were based on the standard application of the three hydraulic criteria to the R2CROSS output.
All three criteria were met at 1 cfs and two of three criteria were met at a flow of 0.5 cfs. The
Division's flow recommendation is 1 cfs April through July 15 and 0.5 cfs for the remainder of the
year; these flows are needed to protect the resident fishery of upper Corral Creek.

YANKEE CREEK

Yankee Creek is a small tributary of Bear Creek that originates at an elevation of 9600 feet
and flows in a northerly direction to its confluence with Bear Creek approximately 5 miles
downstream. The Division of Wildlife conducted stream cross section m~asurements and
electro fishing on 9/23/87 near the lower tenninl!s of the stream segment." The fishery survey
indicates the presence of naturally reproducing populations of both brook and brown trout as
well as some stocked rainbow trout. Due to the hydraulic characteristics of the stream cross
section, the 1 fps average velocity criterion is never met; the Division recommends a flow of
1. 75 cfs to meet the remaining two criteria and maintain an adequate average velocity of 0.68
fps. The Division's winter flow recommendation of 0.5 cfs-is a standard winter flow
recommendation - the lowest flow which meets two of the three criteria. This winter flow
value is driven by the 0.2 foot minimum average depth criterion. The Division's flow e