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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />721 State Centennial Building <br />1313 Sherman Street <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 866.3441 <br /> <br />STATE OF COLORADC <br />o <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />Roy Romer <br />Governor <br />David W, Walker <br />DIrector <br /> <br />TO: <br /> <br />Members, CWCB <br /> <br />FROM: <br /> <br />Dan Merriman <br /> <br />DATE: <br /> <br />July 16, 1991 <br /> <br />SUBJECf: <br /> <br />Agenda Item 12, July 23-24, 1991, Board Meeting-- <br />Lake San Cristobal - Hinsdale County - Presentation on Natural Lake <br />Stabilization Issues <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br />Lake San Cristobal is a natural lake which is located approximately four miles <br />south of Lake City in Hinsdale County. The lake was formed as a result of the <br />Slumgullion landslide which blocked the flow of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River. <br />Lake San Cristobal has a volume of approximately 14,000 acre feet and, as the State's <br />second largest natural lake, occupies 350 surface acres. The Board holds a water right <br />on the lake to maintain a natural lake level of approximately 8,995 feet above mean <br />sea level with a May 12, 1976, appropriation date. <br /> <br />Recently, two issues have arisen regarding Lake San Cristobal in which the <br />Board is involved. The first centers around concerns which have been expressed by <br />the Hinsdale County commissioners and others over the stability of the lake's outlet. <br />The other issue relates to a water right application recently filed by Gunnison <br />POWER, Inc. (~eople Qpposing Water Export Raids) and J.S. Ward for a water <br />storage right in Lake San Cristobal which the Board opposed. Since these issues are <br />not directly related, they will be addressed separately. <br /> <br />Natural Lake Stabilization Issue <br /> <br />The landslide which formed the lake created a natural dam which is composed <br />of highly erosive material. Over the years, flows through the natural outlet have <br />resulted in an armoring of the stream channel. However, this armoring is subject to <br />erosion during high streamflows, as were experienced in the 1950's, and more recently <br />in the mid-1980's. <br />