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<br />--=:-..! <br /> <br />IN REPLY REFER TO: <br /> <br />United States Department of the Interior <br /> <br />BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT <br />Colorado State Office <br />2850 Youngfield Street <br />Lakewood, Colorado 80215-7093 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />www.co.blm.gov <br /> <br />CO-932 <br />7250 <br /> <br />DEe 20 2002 <br /> <br />Mr. Dan Merriman <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 721 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br /> <br />Dear Mr. Merriman: <br /> <br />The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is writing this letter to formally communicate its <br />instream flow recommendation for Big Beaver Creek, located in Water Division 6. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Location and Land Status. Big Beaver Creek is tributary to the White River approximately 16 <br />miles southeast of Meeker. The stream reach covered by this recommendation runs from the <br />confluence with Allen Creek to the confluence with East Beaver Creek. Of the 3.1 mile reach, 85 <br />percent is located on public lands. <br /> <br />Biological Summary. Fishery surveys indicate that the stream environment is in stable condition, <br />and it supports a self-sustaining population of Colorado River cutthroat trout and mottled sculpin. <br />Spawning substrate, cover, and food availability are good for salmonids. However, pools are <br />limited in this reach, underscoring the importance of protecting flows to maintain adequate depth <br />and physical habitat where pools are not available. <br /> <br />R2Cross Analysis. BLM collected one set of data on the creek. This effort produced a winter <br />recommendation that is within the confidence interval of the R2Cross model. BLM intends to <br />return to this stream system at a later date to gather more information about flow requirements <br />and water availability in the summer months. In the meantime, BLM recommends the following <br />flows to protect the natural environment to a reasonable degree: <br /> <br />2.90 cubic feet per second is recommended year-round. This recommendation is driven by <br />the average depth criteria and provides approximately 68 percent wetted perimeter and an <br />average velocity ofa.56 feet per second. This flow should protect the fishery during low <br />flow periods and allow for mobility between pools. Flows needed for reproduction and <br />recruitment will be re-examined at a later date, but it is important to provide interim <br />protection until that time. <br /> <br />. <br />