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<br />OJ}? 33 <br /> <br />I. Introduction <br /> <br />The purpose of this Repon is to provide a detailed description of the methodology used to <br />quantify the minimum amount of water necessary to "secure favorable conditions of water <br />flows" with respect to stream segments for which the United States Department of Agriculture. <br />Forest Service (Forest Service) has filed water rights claims in the Snake River Basin <br />Adjudication. 4 The Forest Service has filed 12 claims for instream flow reserved water rights <br />under the Organic Administration Act, 16 U.S.C. ~ 475. 5 These twelve stream segments are <br />located on: the Boise River near Twin Springs, Little Slate Creek, Lochsa River near Lowell, <br />Lolo Creek, North Fork Clearwater River near Canyon Ranger Station, Rapid River near <br />Riggins, Red River near Elk City, Selway River near Lowell, South Fork Payette River at <br />Lowman, South Fork Red River near Elk City, South Fork Salmon River near Krassel Ranger <br />Station, and Valley Creek at Stanley. (Locations of the stream segments are shown in figure 1.) <br />The "Notices of Claims" for the twelve sites are contained in Appendix 18. <br /> <br />For ease of use, this Repon is broken into sections, each with a specific purpose and <br />topic. Section I, the Introduction, explains the purposes of the channel maintenance claims, the <br />concept of channel maintenance and relevant alluvial river behavior to lay the groundwork for <br />determining channel maintenance streamflows. Section 2, Channel Maintenance Claim Sites and <br />Fluvial Process Study Sites, explains where the channel maintenance claim sites and fluvial <br />process study sites are located, how they were selected and the general geologic and hydrologic <br />setting for the sites. This is followed in Section 3 by the descriptions of the data available or <br />collected at the sites and the relevant data analysis. Section 4 describes the characteristics of and <br />processes occurring at the claim sites. Section 5 provides a detailed explanation of the claim <br />structure, claim methodology, justification for the components of the claim and the effect of the <br />claims on availability of streamflow for other uses. Finally, Section 6 summarizes the <br />conclusions of the Repon. <br /> <br />Each of the Forest Service's claims is a non-consumptive claim for instream flow; that <br />is, the claims do not reduce the amount of water available for downstream appropriators and <br />uses. Further, the claims are initiated only during high flow periods, thereby using the minimum <br />amount of water necessary and minimizing conflicts with upstream appropriators and uses. <br /> <br />While leaving all water available for downstream appropriation and use, and minimizing <br />upstream conflicts, the instream flow claims secure the minimum amount of water necessary to <br />maintain properly functioning stream channels by maintaining channel capacity and channel <br />features so that the ability to pass natural flows is unimpaired over the long-term. In so doing, <br /> <br />4 This is a report submitted pursuant to the Court's Order of May 19. 1997. As a result of the limited time <br />available to prepare this report, the United States reserves the right to supplement this report as additional <br />information becomes available through discovery and any field work. <br /> <br />S All documents supporting these claims have been previously produced and are available for review and <br />copying at the Forest Service Document Center, <br />United States' Expert Report Disclosing MeltlOdologies for Quantification of Organic Ad Claims Consolidated Subcase No, 63-25243 <br /> <br />3 <br />