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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 fmdings 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 instream 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 instream flow recommendations from other state and federal <br />agencies. The Colorado Division of Wildlife recommended this segment of Wildcat Gulch to the <br />CWCB for inclusion into the Instream Flow Program. Wildcat Gulch is being considered for <br />inclusion into the Instream Flow Program because it has a natural environment that can be <br />preserved to a reasonable degree with an instream flow water right. The CDOW is very <br />interested in protecting stream flows because Wildcat Gulch is one of the few streams tributary <br />to Chalk Creek that is not impacted by heavy metals from historic mining activities. In addition, <br />Wildcat Gulch supports a wild Pikes Peak cutthroat trout population. <br /> <br />Wildcat Gulch is approximately 3.0 miles long. It begins on the eastern flank of the continental <br />divide at an elevation of approximately 11,700 feet and terminates at the confluence with Chalk <br />Creek at an elevation of approximately 10,300 feet. The entire 3.0 mile segment addressed by <br />this report is located on federal lands. Wildcat Gulch is located entirely within Chaffee County. <br />The total drainage area of the creek is approximately 4.1 square miles. Wildcat Gulch generally <br />flows in an easterly direction. <br /> <br />The subject of this report is a segment of Wildcat Gulch beginning at the headwaters and <br />extending downstream to the existing confluence with Chalk Creek (see Map Appendix D). The <br />proposed segment is located approximately 14 miles west of Nathrop, Colorado. The staff has <br />received only one recommendation for this segment, from the CDOW. The recommendation for <br />this segment is discussed below. <br /> <br />Instream Flow Recommendation(s) <br /> <br />CDOW recommended Wildcat Gulch 4.2 cfs, summer, and 2.9 cfs, winter, based on its July 19, <br />2000 data collection efforts (see Appendix A). The modeling results from this survey effort are <br />within the confidence interval produced by the R2Cross model. <br /> <br />land Status Review <br /> <br /> Total Length Land Ownership <br />Upper Terminus Lower Terminus (miles) % Private % Public <br />Headwaters Chalk Creek 2.9 0% 100% <br /> <br />100% of the reach is located on federal lands managed by the CDOW. <br /> <br />-2- <br />