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~' IN REPLY REFER TO: United States Department of the Interior BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Colorado State Office 2850 Youngfield Street Lakewood, Colorado 80215-7093 www.co.blm.gov CO-932 7520 DEe 1 5 2004 Mr. Dan Merriman Colorado Water Conservation Board 1313 Sherman Street, Room 721 Denver, Colorado 80203 Dear Mr. Merriman: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is writing this letter to formally communicate its instream flow recommendation for West Fork Dry Creek, located in Water Division 4. Location and Land Status - West Fork Dry Creek is tributary to Dry Creek approximately 11 miles southwest of Montrose. The stream reach covered by the surveys conducted on BLM lands runs from the confluence with Grays Creek to the confluence with Dry Creek. Of the 5.97 mile reach, approximately 79% is located on federal lands while the remaining 21 % is privately owned. Biological Summary - Fishery surveys indicate that the creek supports a self-sustaining rainbow trout fishery. The stream environment is presently in excellent condition and provides suitable substrate, cover, channel stability, and food supplies for salmonids. However, the stream is very steep and high velocity, so pools and other feeding/spawning locations are limited. Accordingly, it is important to provide stream flows that maintain the limited amount of physical habitat. R2Cross Analysis - BLM's data analysis, coordinated with the Division of Wildlife, indicates that the following flows are needed to protect the fishery and natural environment to a reasonable degree. 3.40 cubic feet per second is recommended for the snowmelt runoff period from April 1 to June 30. This recommendation is driven by the average velocity criteria. Meeting the average velocity criteria is important for maintaining suitable habitat in the low gradient portions of this stream. It is also important for maintaining low stream temperatures during the late summer and early fall. 0.85 cubic feet per second is recommended from July 1 to July 31 and from March 1 to March 31. This flow will provide a transition period between the snowmelt runoff flows and the very low flow period from late summer through winter.