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<br />,.. <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />The subject of this report is a 1.7 mile segment of East Middle Fork of Parachute Creek <br />beginning at the confluence of Northwater and Trapper Creeks and extending downstream to the <br />confluence with Corral Gulch. This segment is located northwest of the City of Rifle. The <br />Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recommended this segment to the CWCB for inclusion into <br />the Instream Flow Program. To date, staff has received only one flow recommendation for this <br />reach of East Middle Fork of Parachute Creek. That recommendation is discussed in detail <br />below. <br /> <br />Instream Flow Recommendation(s) <br /> <br />1 BLM's instream flow recommendation is for 5.75 cfs (April 1 - June 30), 2.5 cfs (July 1 <br />to July 31), 1.6 cfs eAugust 1 - August 31), 1.0 cfs eSeptember 1 - September 30),0.7 cfs <br />eOctober I - November 30), 0.5 cfs (December 1 - February 29) and 1.3 cfs eMarch I - <br />March 30) esee BLM letter in Appendix A). <br /> <br />Land Status Review <br /> <br /> Total Length Land Ownership <br />Upper Terminus Lower Terminus emiles) % Private % Public <br />Northwater & Corral Gulch 1.7 33% 66% <br />Trapper Creeks <br /> <br />This stream segment is 33% private land and 66% public land. Of the 66% of public land, 100% <br />is managed by the BLM eSee attached Figure 1). <br /> <br />Biological Data <br /> <br />The BLM has conducted field surveys of the fishery resources on this stream and have found a <br />natural environment that can be preserved. As reported for this reach of stream in their <br />September 24, 1999, letter to the CWCB and enclosed fishery surveys (See Fish Survey in <br />Appendix B), "Fishery Surveys indicate that the stream environment is in stable condition and <br />supports a self-sustaining Colorado River cutthroat trout fishery. Spawning substrate and food <br />availability are good for salmonids. However, cover and pools are limited, underscoring the <br />importance of adequate flows to maintain sufficiently cool stream temperatures during the <br />summer and fall high temperature period." <br /> <br />Field Survey Data <br /> <br />BLM and CWCB staff used the R2CROSS methodology to quantify the amount of water <br />required to preserve the natural environment to a reasonable degree. The R2CROSS method <br />requires that stream discharge and channel profile data be collected in a riffle stream habitat- <br />type. Riffles are most easily visualized, as the stream habitat types that would dry up first should <br />the streamflow cease. This type of hydraulic data collection consists of setting up a transect, <br />surveying the stream channel geometry and measuring the stream discharge. Appendix B <br />contains copies of the field data collected in regards to this proposed segment. <br /> <br />Biological Flow Recommendations <br /> <br />The CWCB staff relied upon the biological expertise of the cooperating agencies to interpret the <br />output from the R2CROSS data collected to develop the initial, biologic instream flow <br />recommendation. This initial recommendation is designed to address the unique biologic <br />requirements of each stream without regard to water availability. Three instream flow hydraulic <br />parameters, average depth, percent wetted perimeter and average velocity are used to develop <br />biologic in stream flow recommendations. The CDOW has determined that by maintaining these <br />