WSPC00554

• File Number: 8080.400
• Description: Sierra Club vs. Department of Agriculture ‎(Lyng, Yeutter, other names)‎
• Date: 9/22/1987
• Title: Report on Methods for Protecting Wilderness Water Resources on Lands in Colorado - related material to Sierra Club vs. Dept of Ag.
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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3. FOREST SERVICE POLICY FOR PROTECTION OF WILDERNESS WATER RESOURCES

This report was undertaken in keeping with the objectives of the Forest Service
policy to protect the water resources of wilderness areas administered by the
Forest Service so as to preserve and protect the wilderness characteristics for
which each wilderness was designated. Generally, this means preservation of
the natural conditions without noticeable. permanent effect from the works of
man. Except for de minimis incidental consumption by wildlife. livestock and
recreation users, and the maintenance of lakes or other standing bodies of
water, the wilderness water resources are characterized by nonconsumptive uses
of instream flows, e.g.. primitive recreation and maintenance of scenic values
and the natural ecosystems.

With regard to such flows or bodies of standing water. the quantity of water
necessary to preserve the wilderness characteristic is the flow regime or level
of water as of the date of establishment as wilderness, unless it is deter-
mined, based upon the specific facts and authorities related to a wilderness,
that a different quantity will achieve the purposes for which the wilderness
was established. The flow regimes and levels of water include the seasonal and
long-term variations created by both natural conditions and contemporary water
uses existing as of the date of wilderness designation.

However, the amounts of water necessary to support the numerous and complex
dynamics of the wilderness ecosystem are not easily determined, particularly
with precision. The dynamics of the system, the role of water in these dynam-
ics, and the related amounts of water vary considerably throughout the year and
from year to year. Quantification of this process throughout the entire reach
of all streams, lakes, springs, seeps, bogs, and other water sources in a
wilderness would be extremely difficult, time consuming, and expenSive. A team
of specialists in various disciplines, including hydrololgy, geomorphology,
aquatic and riparian biology, limnology, botany. and recreation, would need to
perform detailed and extensive field studies of the wilderness water resources
and the related wilderness values in order to analyze the specific correlation
between the water and water dependent resources, and to approximate the quan-
tification of the relationships.

Accordingly, the Forest Service analyzes wilderness water resources, and any
potential threats, as matters of concern arise to a specific wilderness water
resource. In this manner, the Forest Service can consider the facts related to
the identified water development and the related wilderness resources in order
to determine if the effects on the water resource will be noticeable or will
cause noticeable diminishment of the wilderness characteristics dependent upon
the water resources. Under this analysis, relatively small diversions of water
from a large flow or body of standing water may be determined not to have an
adverse effect on wilderness characteristics, while the same or even smaller
diversions from a lesser flow or body of water could be considered detrimental
to wilderness values.