BOARD01665

• Board Meeting Date: 3/22/2005
• Description: ISF Section - Table Rock Properties, LLC ‎(Case No. 5-03CW331)‎ - Injury with Mitigation Proposal
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Queen of the River Consultants, Inc.

13810 N. 115" Street, Longmont, CO 80504. Pho n e [phone]. Fax [phone]

Final Report:

Table Rock Ranch Fishery Improvement Project description; results of

monitoring, and technical basis for stream flow sharing proposal on

Rock Creek

Table Rock Ranch, McCoy, Colorado
by:
Michael J. Mitchell, Jeremy Liley, and Tim Follensbee
Queen of the River Consultants

Executive summary

Table Rock Ranch has completed a trout habitat improvement project on 12,000 linear feet
of Rock Creek in Routt County Colorado. Habitat restoration included installation of240
rock habitat improvements, reshaping of the thalweg, installation of bank stabilization,
reconnection of the stream with its floodplain through abandoned oxbows and existing
ponds, and revegetation of affected areas. Improvements utilized native materials to
increase the area of suitable trout habitat, the value of habitat present, the stability and
longevity of habitat created, and the diversity and connectivity of the aquatic habitat in
Rock Creek.

The restoration was successful, as indicated by comparison of pre- and post- restoration
monitoring. Improvements realized are illustrated by physical cross sections taken
(Appendix I and Table I); trout habitat and channel stability ratings completed (Appendix
n and Figure 2); and biological monitoring of aquatic macroinvertebrates (Table 2).
Results indicate that width to depth ratios have decreased from 19-35 in 2002 to 13.5-21 in
2004; maximum depths in cross sections increased 67%-220%; average depths increased
from 43%-220%; and pool frequency, quality, and abundance all increased. The main
creek channel now has the capacity to support the same aquatic biota at a lower flows.

The overall habitat benefits of reconnecting the stream with its floodplain through
diversion structures will be maximized if the available flows in Rock Creek can be divided
between the main channel and the off-channel habitats that support increased numbers and
life stages of coldwater organisms. The Ranch and the staff of the CWCB and Division of
Wildlife have reached consensus on a schedule of flows that would allow the available
water in Rock Creek to be distributed through the fishery channels and ponds in a manner
that maintains increased trout, macroinvertebrate, wetland, and riparian habitat area and
diversity in the floodplain. The technical analysis presented in our report supports the
adoption of this flow-sharing agreement.

Exhibit A

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