BOARD00362

• Board Meeting Date: 1/25/2005
• Description: ISF Section - Instream Flow Appropriations - Bear Creek
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

STATE OF COLORADO

Bill Owens, Governor
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

DIVISION OF WilDLIFE

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Bruce McCloskey, Director
6060 Broadway
Denver, Colorado 80216
Telephone: [phone]

December 20, 2004

Mr. Dan Merriman and Mr. Todd Doherty
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Stream and Lake Protection Section
1313 Sherman Street, Room 723
Denver, Colorado 80203

Re: Colorado Division of Wildlife Instream Flow Recommendations for Bear Creek.

Dear Dan and Todd,

The purpose of this letter is to officially transmit the Colorado Division of Wildlife's (CDOW) Instream Flow
Recommendations for Bear Creek in San Miguel County. The reach of stream covered by this! flow '!,
recommendation is from the headwaters to the confluence with the San Miguel River, a distance of
approximately 4 miles,

In 1984, Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) appropriated a 2.0 cfs year-round water right forthe
segment of Bear Creek from the headwaters to the confluence with the San Miguel River. In 1996, the
Upper San Miguel River Basin Stakeholders requested the CWCB and the CDOW to revisit the upper San
Miguel River Basin and evaluate the flow needs of all stream segments located in the basin (see attached
letter). The CDOW has collected the additional stream cross section information required to quantify the
instream flow needs for an instream flow enlargement of Bear Creek. The existence of a natural
environment was established by the CWCB in Case Number 4-84CW428. Bear Creek is classified as a
medium stream (between 20 to 35 feet wide). Aquatic sampling shows that a self sustaining brook and
rainbow trout fishery exists in the upper San Miguel River Basin. In addition to the trout fishery, the upper
basin also supports a population of mottled sculpins.

The stream cross section data was analyzed using the R2CROSS program. The R2CROSS output was
evaluated using the methods described in Nehring (1979) and Espegren (1996). The CDOW has reviewed
the data collected to date and based on that review recommends that the CWCB appropriated the follOWing
flow amount to preserve the natural environment of the San Miguel River to a reasonable degree:

. 6.2 cubic feet per second is recommended for the period of May 15 through October 31. This
flow is required to maintain to a reasonable degree, the three principal hydraulic criteria of
average depth, average velocity and percent wetted perimeter. Implementing this
recommendation would require a 4.2 cfs enlargement from May 15 through October 31.

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES. Russell George. Executive Director
WILDLIFE COMMISSION. Philip James. Chair. Jeffrey Crawford. Vice-Chair. Brad Phelps. Secretary
Members. Bernard Black. Tom Burke. Rick Enstrom. Claire 0' Neale Robert Shoemaker. Ken Torres
Ex Officio Members, Russell George and Don Ament