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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 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 Instream Flow Program, the statute directs the CWCB to request instream flow recommendations from other state and federal agencies. The Bureau of Land Management recommended this segment of West Antelope Creek to the CWCB for inclusion into the Instream Flow Program. West Antelope 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. The BLM is very interested in protecting stream flows because West Antelope Creek supports a population of Colorado River Cutthroat Trout, and BLM is working to prevent a listing of this species under the Endangered Species Act. West Antelope Creek is tributary to Antelope Creek, which is tributary to the Gunnison River. The creek is approximately 11.2 miles long. It begins on the east flank of McIntosh Mountain at an elevation of approximately 10,650 feet, and terminates at Antelope Creek at an elevation of approximately 8,050 feet. Of the 7.8-mile segment addressed by this report, 85% is located on federal lands (USFS & BLM), while the Colorado Division of Wildlife manages the remainder. The creek is located within Gunnison County. The total drainage area of the creek is approximately 13 square miles. West Antelope Creek generally flows in a southeast direction. The subject ofthis report is a segment of West Antelope Creek beginning at its headwaters and extending downstream to the headgate of the Dooley Antelope Irrigation Ditch. This segment is located northwest of the City of Gunnison. The staffhas received only one recommendation on this segment, from the Bureau of Land Management. The recommendation for this segment is discussed below. Instream Flow Recommendation(s) BLM recommended 1.65 cfs, summer, and 1.20 cfs, winter, based on its August 15, 1995, and June 8, 2001, data collection efforts (see Appendix A). The modeling results from this survey effort are within the confidence interval produced by the R2Cross model. land Status Review Upper Terminus headwaters Lower Terminus Dooley Antelope Irrigation Ditch Total Length (miles) 7.8 Land Ownership % Private % Public 0% 100% 44% of the reach is located on federal lands managed by the BLM. - 2 -