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<br />2 <br /> <br />Water Availability - BLM is not aware of any surface diversions in the surveyed reach. Since <br />there are no gages on this stream reach, BLM recommends obtaining data from the historic gage <br />at Howardsville, and then using a basin apportionment to obtain an estimate of water availability. <br /> <br />Relationship to Management Plans - BLM is engaged in a multi-year, multi-million dollar <br />effort to reduce acid mine drainage from historic mines in the Animas River basin. The objective <br />of this effort is restoring ecological functioning to water-quality degraded streams within the <br />basin. Minnie Gulch drains an area with very few mines, and it is one of the very few streams in <br />the basin that has sufficient water quality to support a trout fishery. Accordingly, BLM is very <br />interested in protecting flows in this system to maintain ecological functioning. <br /> <br />The BLM requests that the Board recognize that this recommendation is based only upon the <br />minimum flows necessary to support cold-water fishery values. BLM may wish to work with the <br />Board and/or through the Colorado water rights system to appropriate flows to optimally protect <br />fish values and to protect other water-dependent values specified in BLM resource management <br />plans. <br /> <br />Data sheets, R2Cross output, fishery survey information, and photographs of the cross section are <br />enclosed to support this recommendation. We thank both the Division of Wildlife and the Water <br />Conservation Board for their cooperation in this effort. <br /> <br />If you have any questions regarding our instream flow recommendation, please contact Roy <br />Smith at 303-239-3940. <br /> <br />Sincerely, <br /> <br />iw4 ~ Ct1{~(}; <br /> <br />Linda M. Anania <br />Deputy State Director <br />Resources and Fire <br /> <br />4 - Enclosures <br /> <br />cc: Kelly Palmer, San Juan Public Lands Center <br />Dave Goerhardt, San Juan Public Lands Center <br />Pauline Ellis, Columbine FO <br />Kathy Nickell, Mancos-Dolores FO <br />