EF Escalante Creek Appendices - Laserfiche WebLink

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Summary The information contained in this report and the associated instream flow file folder forms the basis for staff's instream flow recommendation to be considered by the Board. It is staff's opinion that the information contained in this report is sufficient to support the findings required in Rule 5AOi. Colorado's Instream 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 lnstream Flow Program, the statute directs the CWCB to request instream flow recommendations from other state and federal agencies. The United States Forest Service recommended this segment of East Fork Escalante Creek to the CWCB for inclusion into the Instream Flow Program. East Fork Escalante Creek 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. East Fork Escalante Creek is 9.S miles long. It begins on the northeastern flank of Uncompahgre Plateau at an elevation of approximately S,900 feet and flows in a northeasterly direction. It terminates at the confluence with Middle Escalante Creek at an el"vation of approximately 6,440 feet. Approximately 94% of the 9.S-mile segment addressed by this report is located on federal lands (9.2 miles is owned by USFS in this reach), East Fork Es,:alante Creek is located within Mesa County. The total drainage area ofthe creek is approximately 25.7 square miles, The subject of this report is a segment of East Fork Escalante Cre:ek beginning at its headwaters and extending downstream to the confluence with the Middle Fork Escalante Creek. The proposed segment is located southwest of the City of Delta. The staff has received only one recommendation for this segment, from the USFS. The recommendation for this segment is discussed below. Instream Flow Recommendation(s) USFS recommended 3.9 cfs, summer, and 1.2 cfs, winter based on its June 2004 data collection efforts (see Appendix A). Only the summer flow recommendation was within the accuracy range of the predicted flows based on Manning's Equation (240% and 40% ofQ). CWCB staff relied on the recommending agency, the USFS, for the winter flow recommendation based on their expertise and biological judgment. land Status Review Total Length Land Ownershio Upper Terminus Lower Terminus (miles) % Private % Public Confluence with Headgate of 9.S 0% 100% Points Creek Campbell Ditch 94% of the reach is located on federal lands managed by the USFS and 6% is on state lands managed by the Colorado Division of Wildlife. - 2- '. ~