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<br />STATE OF COLORADO <br /> <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Bill Owens, Governor <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES <br />AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br /> <br />Bruce McCloskey, Director <br />6060 Broadway <br />Denver. Colorado 80216 <br />Telephone: (303) 297.1192 <br /> <br />September 2, 2005 <br /> <br />Mr, Dan Merriman <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br />Slream and Lake Protection Section <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 723 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br /> <br />Re: Colorado Division of Wildlife Instream Flow Recommendations for Pine River. <br /> <br />Dear Dan, <br /> <br />The purpose of this letter is to officially transmit the Colorado Division of Wildlife's (CDOW) Instream <br />Flow Recommendations for the Pine Rivet in La Plata County, as requested by the Colorado Water <br />Conservation Board (CWCB). The CWCB has requested the CDOW provide: <br /> <br />. Information documenting the existing natural environment; <br />· The biological recommendation for the amount of water required to preserve the natural environment <br />to a reasonable degree; and, <br />. The biological recommendation for 1he amount of water that would improve the natural environment <br />to a reasonable degree. <br /> <br />General Information <br />The Pine River is located in southwest Colorado about 18 miles northeast of the City of Duran go. The Pine <br />River is classified as a large river (over 100 feet wide). The CDOW has collected the necessary stream cross <br />section data and natural environment data needed to quantify the instream flow needs for the Pine River, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Biological Information <br />CDOW fishery surveys indicate 1he stream environment of the Pine River below Vallecito Reservoir <br />supports self-sustaining populations of brown 1rout (Sa/mo trutta), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), <br />mottled scuJpins (Cot/us bairdi), speckled dace (Rhinichthys oscu/us), white suckers (Catostomidea <br />commersoni), bluehead suckers (Catostomus discobo/us) and flannelmou1h suckers (Catostomus /atipinnis) <br />(see attached fishery data). In addition, the CDOW is curren1ly in the third year of a three year experimental <br />stocking program to reintroduce Colorado River cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki p/euriticus) back into <br />1he Pine River wi1hin the five mile stream teach immediately below Vallecito Reservoir. This experimental <br />stocking program was begun after the Missionary Ridge Fire in 2002 and the resulting mudslides. The <br />CDOW in1ends 10 continue monitoring these rein1roduced fish 10 determine if natural reproduction will <br />occur. <br /> <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES. Russell George, Executive Director <br />WILDLIFE COMMISSION. Philip James, Chair. Jeffrey Crawford, Vice-Chair. Brad Phelps, Secretary <br />Members, Bernard Black . Tom Burke. Rick Enstrom. Claire O'Neal. Robert Shoemaker. Ken Torres <br />Ex Officio Members, Russell George and Don Ament <br />