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.\ . . Segment Summary Seament: headwaters to Town of Telluride Diversion Point Upper Terminus: headwaters at (Latitude: 370 58' 36) (Longitude: 107048' 02") Lower Terminus: Town of Telluride Diversion Point at (Latitude 37057' 44") (Longitude 107049' 27") Counties: San Miguel Length: 2.0 Miles USGS Quad(s): Telluride Flow Recommendation: 6.7 cfs (May 15t - July 14th) 2.4 cfs (July 15th - November 30th) 1.9 cfs (December 15t - April 30th) Seament: Telluride Diversion Point to confluence San Miguel River Upper Terminus: Town of Telluride Diversion Point at (Latitude 37057' 44") (Longitude 107049' 27") Lower Terminus: San Miguel River (Latitude 370 56' 45") (Longitude 1070 50' 48") Counties: San Miguel Length: 1.9 Miles USGS Quad(s): Telluride Flow Recommendation: No ISF Recommendation/Water Availability Concerns Summary The information contained in this report and the associated instream flow file folder forms the basis for staff's instream flow recommendation to be considered by the Board. It is staff's 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 Colorado Division of Wildlife (CD OW) recommended this segment of Mill Creek to the CWCB for inclusion into the Instream Flow Program. Mill 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 CDOW is very interested in protecting stream flows because Mill Creek supports a wide variety of aquatic macroinvetebrates indicative of high quality water and it supports a healthy riparian community. 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 Mill Creek are vital to the continued improvement of water quality and the San Miguel's fish population. Mill Creek is a tributary of the San Miguel River. This stream is approximately 3.9 miles long. Mill Creek originates north of Telluride at approximately 11,790 feet and terminates at the confluence with the San Miguel River at approximately 8,700 feet. The creek is located in San