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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 North East Creek to the CWCB for inclusion into the Instream Flow Program. North East 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 North East Creek flows through a BLM Wilderness Study Area and is the only known stream in the East Creek watershed that is capable of supporting a salmonid fishery. North East Creek is 18.7 miles long. It begins on Pinon Mesa at an elevation of approximately 9200 feet and terminates at the confluence with East Creek at an elevation of approximately 5400 feet. North East Creek is located within Mesa County. North East Creek generally flows in a northeast direction. The subject of this report is a segment of North East Creek beginning at the first unnamed tributary downstream of King Reservoir and extending downstream to the confluence with East Creek (see Map). The proposed segment is located southwest of Grand Junction. The staff has received only one recommendation for this segment, from the BLM. The recommendation for this segment is discussed below. Instream Flow Recommendation(s) BLM recommended 5.0 cfs, summer, and 1.0 cfs, winter, based on its June 24, 1997 and August 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 Total Length Land Ownership Upper Terminus Lower Terminus (miles) % Private % Public first unnamed confluence with tributary downstream East Creek 11.5 43% 57% of King Reservoir 57% ofthe reach is located on federal lands managed by the BLM. -2-