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<br />C' <br /> <br />~:. <br /> <br />IN REPLY REFER TO: <br /> <br />United States Department of the Interior <br /> <br />BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT <br />Colorado State Office <br />2850 Youngfield Street <br />Lakewood, Colorado 80215-7093 <br /> <br /> <br />.~. <br /> <br /> <br />www.co.blm.gov <br /> <br />CO-932 <br />7250 <br /> <br />DEe 1 9 2002 <br /> <br />Mr. Dan Merriman <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 721 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br /> <br />Dear Mr. Merriman: <br /> <br />The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is writing this letter to formally communicate its <br />instream flow recommendation for Ford Creek, located in Water Division 3. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Location and Land Status: Ford Creek is tributary to Saguache Creek, approximately nine miles <br />northwest of the community of Saguache. The stream reach that was surveyed begins the <br />confluence with Baxter Creek and extends 3.5 miles to the head gate of the Piquet Ditch. <br />Approximately 70 percent of this reach runs through lands owned and managed by BLM, while <br />the remaining 30 percent of the reach is in private ownership. <br /> <br />Biological Summary: Fishery surveys indicate that the stream environment is in stable condition, <br />and supports a self-sustaining brook trout fishery. Food supplies and water quality are good for <br />salmonids. The stream has adequate channel and bank. stability, cover, pool habitat, and substrate <br />to sustain a salmonid fishery. However, high erosion, low flows, and occasionally high stream <br />temperatures limit the fishery. If the continued existence of the fishery is to be assured, it is <br />important to provide stream flows to prevent further stress to the fishery. <br /> <br />R2Cross Analysis: BLM collected two data sets on Eaglebrook Creek. Only one data set <br />produced a recommendation that is within the R2Cross confidence interval. BLM intends to <br />return to this stream system at a later date to gather more information about flow requirements, <br />and water availability in the summer months. In the meantime, BLM recommends the following <br />flows to protect the natural environment to a reasonable degree: <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />0.7 cubic feet per second is recommended year-round. This flow meets <br />both the wetted perimeter and average depth criteria, and provides an <br />average velocity of 0.5 feet per second. This flow should provide adequate <br />fish mobility between pools, and it should provide adequate habitat to <br />