ISFAPPC00947

• Case Number: 02CW0268
• Stream Name: Groundhog Gulch
• Watershed: San Miguel River
• Water Division: 4
• Water District: 60
• County: San Miguel
• Instream Flow App - Doc Type: Supplemental Data

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Summary

The information contained in this report and the associated instream flow file folder forms the
basis for staffs instream flow recommendation to be considered by the Board. It is staffs
opinion that the information contained in this report is sufficient to support the findings required
in Rule 5.40.

Colorado's Instream Flow Program was created in J973 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 Instream Flow Program, the
statute directs the CWCB to request instream flow recommendations from other state and federal
agencies. The Colorado Division of Wildlife (CD OW) recommended this segment of
Groundhog Gulch to the CWCB for inclusion into the Instream Flow Program. Groundhog
Gulch 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 CDOW is very interested in protecting stream flows because Groundhog Gulch supports a
wide variety of aquatic macroinvetebrates indicative of high quality water and it supports a
healthy riparian community. CDOW also believes that the high quality water that is produced by
the tributary streams is extremely important to the impaired water quality of the San Miguel
River. Mine drainage into the San Miguel River and mill tailings piles adjacent to the river are
currently being cleaned up as a result of comprehensive reclamation effort above the Town of
Telluride. Dissolved levels of heavy metals in the San Miguel River continue to be a problem
for the river's fishery but conditions are improving; the high quality water from tributary streams
such as Groundhog Gulch are vital to the continued improvement of water quality and the San
Miguel's fish population.

Groundhog Gulch is a tributary of the Lake Fork San Miguel River. This stream is
approximately 1.9 miles long. Groundhog Gulch originates south of Ophir at approximately
11,425 feet and terminates at the confluence with the Lake Fork San Miguel River at
approximately 9,575 feet. The creek is located in San Miguel County. The total drainage area
of the creek is approximately 2.1 square miles. Groundhog Gulch generally flows in a westerly
direction: There are no significant tributaries to the creek within the reach. The subject of this
report is a 1.9 mile segment of Groundhog Gulch beginning at its headwaters and extending to
the confluence with the Lake Fork San Miguel River (See Figure 1). This segment is located
south of the Town of Ophir. To date, the staff has received only one recommendation for this
reach. This recommendation is discussed below.

Instream Flow Recommendation(s)
The CDOW has recommended a 0.9 cfs summer flow and a 0.6 cfs winter flow.

Land Status Review

Total Length Land Ownership
Upper Terminus Lower Terminus (miles) % Private % Public
Headwaters Lake Fork San Miguel 1.9 10% 90%
River

This segment is approximately 90% public land and 10% private land. 100% of the public land
is managed by the USFS.

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