BOARD02108

• Board Meeting Date: 5/19/2003
• Description: ISF Section - Gunnison River New Appropriation Recommendation - Water Division 4 - Montrose & Delta Counties
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Summary
The information contained in this report and the associated instream flow file folder forms the
basis for the instream flow recommendation to be considered by the Board,

Colorado's Il1stream Flow Program was created in 1973 when the Colorado State Legislature
recognized "the need to correlate the activities of mankind with some reasonable preservation of
the natural environment" (see 37-92-102 (3) C,R.S,), The statute vests the CWCB with the
exclusive authority to appropriate and acquire instream flow and natural lake level water rights,
In order to encourage other entities to participate in Colorado's InstreatIl Flow Program, the
statute directs the CWCB to request instream flow recommendations from other state and federal
agencies, The Department of Interior (01) recommended this segment of the Gunnison River to
the CWCB for inclusion into the Instream Flow Program, The Gunnison River is being
considered for inclusion into the Instream Flow Program because it has a natural environment
that can be preserved to a reasonable degree with an instream flow water right. The DI is very
interested in protecting stream flows in the Gunnison River because the River and its Black
Canyon represent one of the most spectacular gorges in the world, This segment offers a variety
of natural and geologic features and unsurpassed recreational opportunities, No other canyon
combines the narrowness, sheer walls, and startling depths of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison,

The Gunnison River is approximately 165 miles long, It begins at the confluence of the East and
Taylor Rivers near the Town of Almont at an elevation of approximately 8,000 feet and
terminates at the confluence with the Colorado River near Grand Junction at an elevation of
approximately 4,560 feet. Of the 28.9 mile segment addressed by this report, approximately
95% of the segment, or 27,7 miles, is located on federal lands, while the remainder of the
segment, 1.2 miles, is located on private lands, The river is located within Montrose and Delta
Counties, The total drainage area of the river is approximately 7,928 square miles. The
Gunnison River generally flows in a northwesterly direction,

The subject of this report is a segment of the Gunnison River beginning at the USGS Gage #
09128000 and extending downstream to the confluence with the North Fork of the Gunnison
River, The proposed segment is located west of the City of Gunnison. The staff has received
one recommendation for this segment from the DI. The recommendation for this segment is
discussed below.

Instream Flow Recommendation(s)

The DI has recommended spring runoff period flows (May, June and July) ranging from a low of
300 cfs to a high of 10,000+ cfs, based on its scientific studies and analysis undertaken by the
National Park Service (NPS) (see Appendix A),

Land Status Review

Upper Terminus
USGS Gage
#09128000

Lower Terminus
North Fork
Gunnison River

Total Length
(miles)

28.9

Land Ownership
% Private % Public

5%

95%

95% ofthll reach is located on federal lands managed by the 01 and the other 5% of the reach is
located on 'private lands,

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