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<br />. <br /> <br />Summary <br /> <br />The information contained in this report and the associated instream flow file folder forms the <br />basis for staff's instream flow recommendation to be considered by the Board. It is staff's <br />opinion that the information contained in this report is sufficient to support the findings required <br />in Rule 5.40. <br /> <br />Colorado's Instream Flow Program was created in 1973 when the Colorado State Legislature <br />recognized "the need to correlate the activities of mankind with some reasonable preservation of <br />the natural environment" (see 37-92-102 (3) c.R.S.). The statute vests the CWCB with the <br />exclusive authority to appropriate and acquire instream flow and natural lake level water rights. <br />In order to encourage other entities to participate in Colorado's Instream Flow Program, the <br />statute directs the CWCB to request instream flow recommendations from other state and federal <br />agencies. The Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) recommended this segment of Chapman <br />Gulch to the CWCB for inclusion into the Instream Flow Program. Chapman Gulch is being <br />considered for inclusion into the Instream Flow Program because it has a natural environment <br />that can be preserved to a reasonable degree with an instream flow water right. The CDOW is <br />very interested in protecting stream flows because Chapman Gulch supports a wide variety of <br />aquatic macroinvetebrates indicative of high quality water and it supports a healthy riparian <br />community. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Chapman Gulch is a tributary of the Howard's Fork of San Miguel River. This stream is <br />approximately 0.8 miles long. Chapman Gulch originates east of Ophir at approximately 11,950 <br />feet and terminates at the confluence with the Howard's Fork of the San Miguel River at <br />approximately 10,240 feet. The creek is located in San Miguel County. The total drainage <br />area of the creek is approximately 0.8 square miles. Chapman Gulch generally flows in a <br />southerly direction. There are no significant tributaries to the creek within the reach. The <br />subject of this report is a 0.8 mile segment of Chapman Gulch beginning at its headwaters and <br />extending to the confluence with the Howard's Fork of the San Miguel River. (see Figure 1). <br />This segment is located east of the Town of Ophir. To date, the staff has received only one <br />recommendation for this reach. This recommendation is discussed below. <br /> <br />Instream Flow Recommendation(s) <br />The CDOW has recommended a 1.8 cfs year-round flow. <br /> <br />Land Status Review <br /> <br /> Total Length Land Ownership <br />Upper Terminus Lower Terminus (miles) % Private % Public <br />Headwaters Howard's Fork 0.8 0% 100% <br /> <br />This segment is approximately 100% public land. 100% of the public land is managed by the <br />USFS (See attached Figure 1). <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Biological Data <br /> <br />As reported for this reach of stream in CDOW'S recommendation letter to the CWCB, When <br />Chapman Gulch was sampled for the presence of fish, no fish were collected; this is not to be <br />interpreted in such a manner to say that Chapman Gulch is incapable of supporting fish. <br />Chapman Gulch supports a wide variety of aquatic macroinvetebrates indicative of high quality <br />water and it supports a healthy riparian community. The geology of the Telluride area is unique <br />in that the water of many the San Miguel's tributary streams have extremely low conductivity; in <br /> <br />- 2 - <br />