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<br />of Q). CWCB staff relied on the recommending agency, the CDOW, for the winter flow <br />recommendation based on their expertise and biological judgment. <br /> <br />Land Status Review <br /> <br /> Total Length Land Ownership <br />Upper Terminus Lower Terminus (miles) % Private % Public <br />Headwaters Crawford 8.7 100% 0% <br />Reservoir <br /> <br />Biological and Field Survey Data <br /> <br />The CDOW has conducted field surveys of the fishery resources on this stream and have found a <br />natural environment that can be preserved. As reported in the letter from CDOW to the CWCB <br />"In the fall of 1998, the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW), with the assistance of staff from <br />the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), collected stream cross section information, <br />natural environment data, and other data needed to quantify the Instream Flow needs for Muddy <br />Creek. Field surveys indicate that the stream environment is presently in stable condition and <br />could support a cool or coldwater fishery. The flow in Muddy Creek is, at times, dependant on <br />irrigation return flows. Muddy Creek is classified as a minor stream (between 4 to 9 feet wide) <br />and fishery surveys of other similar streams, indicate the stream environment of Muddy Creek <br />could support populations of white suckers, bluehead suckers, fathead minnows and speckled <br />dace (See CDOW Recommendation Letter in Appendix A). Crawford State Park is known as a <br />perch, crappie, channel catfish, largemouth bass and northern pike fishery (See Appendix B). <br /> <br />Field Survey Data <br /> <br />CDOW staff used the R2CROSS methodology to quantify the amount of water required to <br />preserve the natural environment to a reasonable degree. The R2CROSS method requires that <br />stream discharge and channel profile data be collected in a riffle stream habitat type. Riffles are <br />most easily visualized, as the stream habitat types that would dry up first should streamflow <br />cease. This type of hydraulic data collection consists of setting up a transect, surveying the <br />stream channel geometry, and measuring the stream discharge. Appendix B contains copies of <br />field data collected for this proposed segment. <br /> <br />Biological Flow Recommendation <br /> <br />The CWCB staff relied upon the biological expertise of the cooperating agencies to interpret <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 instream flow recommendations. The CDOW has determined that maintaining these <br />three hydraulic parameters at adequate levels across riffle habitat types, aquatic habitat in pools <br />and runs will also be maintained for most life stages of fish and aquatic invertebrates (Nehring <br />1979; Espegren 1996). <br /> <br />For this segment of stream, one data set was collected with the results shown in Table 1 below. <br />Table 1 shows who collected the data (Party), the date the data was collected (Date), the <br />measured discharge at the time of the survey (Q), the accuracy range of the predicted flows <br />based on Manning's Equation (240% and 40% of Q), the summer flow recommendation based <br />on meeting 3 of 3 hydraulic criteria and the winter flow recommendation based upon 2 of 3 <br />hydraulic criteria. <br /> <br />- 3 - <br />