ISFAPPC03841

• Case Number: 00CW0105
• Stream Name: Fourmile Creek
• Watershed: Fourmile Creek
• Water Division: 2
• Water District: 12
• County: Fremont
• Instream Flow App - Doc Type: Supplemental Data

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Stream: Fourmile Creek

SeQment: Felch Creek to Wilson Creek

Executive Summary

Upper Terminus:: Felch Creek at (Latitude 380 32' 35") (Longitude 1050 13' 13")
Lower Terminus: Wilson Creek at (Latitude 380 30' 11") (Longitude 1050 12' 30")
Counties: Fremont
Length: 3.3 Miles
USGS Quad(s): Cooper Mountain
Flow Recommendation: 9.50 cfs (April 15th - October 14th)
5.00 cfs (October 15th - April 14th)

Summary

The information contained in this report and the associated instream flow file folder for Fourmile
Creek forms the basis for staffs instream flow recommendation to be considered by the Board.
It is staff s opinion that the information contained is 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 statue vests the CWCB with the
exclusive 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 statue directs
the CWCB to request instream flow recommendations from other state and federal agencies. The
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recommended this segment of Fourmile Creek to the
CWCB for inclusion into the Instream Flow Program. Fourmile 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. According to the Colorado
Division of Wildlife, "Fourmile Creek is considered an example of a high-quality, high-diversity
fish community" (see CDOW Aquatic Community Report in Appendix B). The Fourmile Creek
natural environment includes but is not limited to self-sustaining populations of brown and brook
trout.

Fourmile Creek is a tributary of the Arkansas River and is approximately 46 miles long. It
begins on the northwest side of Pikes Peak in Pike National Forest, at an elevation of
approximately 10,670 feet, and terminates at the confluence with the Arkansas River near Canon
City, at an elevation of approximately 5,375 feet. It flows through federal lands (Pike National
Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands), state lands (Mueller State Park and State Land
Board Land) as well as private lands. It also flows through two counties, beginning in Teller and
ending in Fremont County. The total drainage area of Fourmile Creek is approximately 450
square miles. Fourmile Creek generally flows in a north to south direction.

The subject of this report is a 3.3 mile segment of Fourmile Creek beginning at the confluence of
Felch Creek and extending downstream to the confluence with Wilson Creek. This segment is
located southwest of the City of Cripple Creek and north of Canon City. To date, staff has
received and considered two different instream flow recommendations for this segment of
Fourmile Creek, one from the BLM and one from W. W. Wheeler and Associates (WWW) and
the Queen of the River Fisheries Consultants (QR). WWW & QR are representing the City of