BOARD00758

• Board Meeting Date: 3/21/2006
• Description: ISF Section - 2006 New Appropriations - Little Cottonwood Creek and Beaver Creek in Moffat County
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
J313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: (3D3) 866.3441
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.statc.co.us

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To: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

From: Jeff Baessler
Todd Doherty

Date: March 7, 2006

Re: Agenda Item 24, March 21-22, 2006, Board Meeting-
Stream and Lake Protection - 2006 InstreaID Flow Appropriations
Little Cottonwood Creek and Beaver Creek (Moffat County)

GENERAL BACKGROUND
At the January 24-25, 2006 CWCB meeting, the Board tabled instream flow appropriation
recommendations on two streams in Moffat County: Little Cottonwood Creek and Beaver Creek.
At that time, the Board also directed Staff to consult with Moffat County and landowners and to
report back at the March 2006 meeting. Staff has since contacted staff of the Moffat County Natural
Resources Department to inform them of the Board's action and to obtain a list of appropriate
landowners to contact. Staff contacted the landowners and notified them that the Board was
considering instream flow appropriations on these streams and helped answer any questions they
may have,

One of the concerns raised by the Moffat County Natural Resources Department was that there is
limited water availability in Little Cottonwood Creek, Specifically, they attest that the stream is
typically dry during the non-runoff periods. The County referred CWCB Staff to Mr. Dave Watson,
President of the NW Colorado Snowmobile Club, whom attested to these flow patterns. While
personal accounts are always taken into consideration, when analyzing water availability, Staff
utilizes the best available tools to estimate stream flows, In the case of Little Cottonwood Creek
staff: (1) analyzed gages on two very similar basins, (2) obtained verification from the water
commissioner that these flows existed at least 50% of the time and (3) examined actual stream
measurements taken by the DOW at the time the cross-section was performed (1.22 cfs measured on
10/16/1997). It should be noted that the original recommendation from the DOW was a year round
flow of 0.7 cfs and based on water availability, CWCB Staff lowered the recommended ISF amount
further based on this analysis. CWCB Staff is also recommending that the instream flow reach
remain from the headwaters to the inlet of Freeman Reservoir. Initially, CWCB Staff amended the
downstream terminus to 200 feet upstream of Freeman Reservoir to accommodate Moffat County's
concern that a future enlargement of Freeman Reservoir would result in an inundation of the
proposed instream flow water right. During the January CWCB meeting, DOW stated that they
were the owners of the reservoir and if an enlargement of this reservoir were sought by Moffat
Flood Protection. Water Project Planning and Financing. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Consclvation Planning