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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 recommended this segment of Dry Creek to the <br />CWCB for inclusion into the Instream Flow Program. Dry Creek 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 in stream flow water right The BLM is very interested <br />in protecting stream flows because this creek supports migratory trout in the upper reaches and <br />spectacled dace in the lower reaches. In addition, the creek supports a large and diverse riparian <br />community that is improving in quality as grazing management has been improved. <br /> <br />Dry Creek is 35.16 miles long. It begins at the confluence of the East and West Forks on the <br />southeastern flank of the Uncompahgre Plateau at an elevation of approximately 6,300 feet It <br />terminates at the confluence with the Uncompahre River at an elevation of approximately 5,000 <br />feet Approximately 87% of the 1O.3-mile segment addressed by this report is located on federal <br />lands. Dry Creek is located within Montrose County. The total drainage area of the creek is <br />approximately 39 square miles. Dry Creek generally flows in a northerly direction. <br /> <br />The subject of this report is a segment of Dry Creek beginning at the confluence of the East Fork <br />and West Fork and extending downstream to the Uncompahgre Valley Project CanaL The <br />proposed segment is located south of the City of Delta. The staff has received only one <br />recommendation for this segment, from the BLM. The recommendation for this segment is <br />discussed below. <br /> <br />Instream Flow Recommendation(s) <br /> <br />BLM recommended 7.30 cfs (April 1 to June 30), 3.00 cfs (July 1 to July 31),1.20 cfs (August 1 <br />to February 28), and 3.00 cfs (March 1 to March 31) (see Appendix A). The modeling results <br />from these survey efforts are 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 /> Confluence with <br />Confluence with East Uncompahgre 10.3 13% 87% <br />and West Forks Valley Project <br /> Canal and Siphon <br /> <br />-2- <br />