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<br />Summary <br />The information contained in this report and the associated instream flow file folder forms the <br />basis for staff's instream flow recommendation to be considered by the Board, It is staff's <br />opinion that the information contained in this report is sufficient to support the findings required <br />in Rule 5.40, <br /> <br />Colorado's Instream Flow Program was created in 1973 when the Colorado State Legislature <br />recognized "the need to correlate the activities of mankind with some reasonable preservation of <br />the natural environment" (see 37-92-102 (3) c.R.S,), The statute vests the CWCB with the <br />exclusive authority to appropriate and acquire in stream flow and natural lake level water rights, <br />In order to encourage other entities to participate in Colorado's Instream Flow Program, the <br />statute directs the CWCB to request in stream flow recommendations from other state and federal <br />agencies, The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recommended this segment of Horsefly <br />Creek to the CWCB for inclusion into the Instream Flow Program, Horsefly Creek is being <br />considered for inclusion into the Instream Flow Program because it has a natural environment <br />that can be preserved to a reasonable degree with an instream flow water right. The BLM is <br />very interested in protecting streamflows because Horsefly Creek provides spawning habitat for <br />the San Miguel River Fishery and it supports a diverse and healthy riparian community, <br /> <br />Horsefly Creek is a tributary of the San Miguel River and is approximately 26,5 miles long, It <br />begins at the crest of the Uncompahgre Plateau at an elevation of approximately 8,625 feet, and <br />terminates at the confluence with the San Miguel River at an elevation of approximately 6,200 <br />feet. The creek is located within Montrose County, The total drainage area of the creek is <br />approximately 110 square miles, Horsefly Creek generally flows in a southwesterly direction, <br /> <br />The subject of this report is a segment of Horsefly Creek beginning at the confluence of Sheep <br />Creek and extending downstream to the confluence with the San Miguel River (see Figure 1), <br />This segment is located near the Town of Norwood, To date, the staff has received only one <br />recommendation on Horsefly Creek, from the Bureau of Land Management. The <br />recommendation for the Sheep Creek to the San Miguel River segment is discussed below, <br /> <br />Instream Flow Recommendation(s) <br />BLM's instream flow recommendation is for [3,0 cfs (April 1 - June 5), <br /> <br />Land Status Review <br /> <br /> Total Length Land Ownership <br />Upper Terminus Lower Terminus (miles) % Private % Public <br />Sheep Creek San Miguel River 5,2 0% 100% <br /> <br />The entire reach is located on federal lands, <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 the letter to <br />the CWCB "Fishery surveys indicate that the stream environment supports a self-sustaining <br />population of speckled dace, This stream environment also provides important habitat for <br />migratory brown trout from the San Miguel River and spawning habitat for rainbow trout from <br />the San Miguel River. Low flows are common in the late summer and fall, but the stream <br /> <br />-2- <br />