Board Meeting 12/09/1998

• Board Meeting Date: 12/9/1998
• Description: ISF Section - Additional Information Regarding the Water Availability Analysis for the Tennessee Creek Instream Flow Recommendation
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

East Tennessee Creek Flows

The staff field investigation on 11/24/98 showed that East Tennessee Creek in fact does
not contribute sigrlificant flows. It appears the undecreed historic practice of the Lucas
Ditch is to divert the entire flow of East Tennessee Creek into the ditch, even in the non-
irrigation season (see photos). In addition to the historical practice of the Lucas ditch,
ESF claims it also diverted water from East Tennessee Creek at an undecreed point of
diversion. Staff found no real defined stream channel for East Tennessee Creek
approximately I mile below the Lucas Ditch Diversion (see photos). Tennessee Creek
may benefit from these historic practices from delayed return flows. However as stated
earlier, it is difficult to tell exactly where these return flows will accrue to the stream
segment.

Erroneous Flow Data

Staff feels that its data is valid because we used several different methods to calculate the
estimated median monthly flows and did not rely solely on the Tennessee Creek gage
data. Staff used data from several gages (i.e. Arkansas River, East Fork Arkansas River,
and Halfmoon Creek) which had more recent data to confirm the Tennessee Creek data.

Undecreed Ditch Diversions

Staff accounted for all of the undecreed ditch diversions they knew about including the
undecreed Martin-Holn ditch location, the undecreed Lucas Ditch diversion on East
Tennessee Creek and the undecreed diversions occurring on East Tennessee Creek by
ESF. '

Staff Recommendation

Based on the above information and on Jay Skinner's evaluation of the additional field
cross section performed by the engineer for the ESF. Staff recommends that the
proposed Tennessee Creek recommendation be modified to the following (see Figure 7):

Tennessee Creek #1 (Figure 8)
Upper Terminus = confluence of Longs Gulch
Lower Terminus = confluence with Porcupine Gulch

17 cfs (5/15-8/14)
5.5 cfs (8/15-10/14)
3.0 cfs (10/15-5/14)

ESF measured 4.5 cfs in this reach of stream on December 2, 1998

Tennessee Creek #2 (Figure 9)
Upper Terminus = confluence of Porcupine Gulch
Lower Terminus = confluence with St. Kevin Gulch