WSP01478

• File Number: 8240.200.40.H
• Description: Yampa
• State: CO
• Basin: Yampa/White
• Water Division: 6
• Date: 12/13/1995
• Title: Instream Flow Filings for Endangered Fish in the Yampa - Special Meeting
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Board Memo

Memo to Colorado Water Conservation Board Members
From Peter Evans and E.!. Jencsok
Date: December 5, 1995
Re: Endangered Fish !Ilstream Water Rights for the Yampa River
Page 3

Colorado. The Board received public comment at this meeting. Based on the comments
received at and prior to the October 10, 1995 special meeting, changes were made to the
Preliminary Notice which are reflected in the Final Notice.
Final Notice: A Final Notice was prepared for distribution to all interested parties on
November 15, 1995, announcing that the Board would review the staffs recommendation,
consider public input, and take final action regarding the proposed instream flow appropriations
for the endangered fish at its December 13, 1995 special meeting in Denver, Colorado. The Final
Notice reflects the comments received at and prior to the October 10, 1995 special meeting and
the November 7, 1995 regular Board meeting.

FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE FLOW RECOMMENDA nONS
The following are the amounts of water being recommended by the Service on a monthly
basis for instream flow water rights. These amounts reflect the Service's recommendations from
the November 1995 report.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Flow Recommendations

80 % (Dry) 187
50 % (Ave.) 230
20 % (Wet) 299

221 305 All Flow All Flow All Flow All Flow 125
266 443 All Flow All Flow All Flow All Flow 302
335 694 All Flow All Flow All Flow All Flow 520

45
139
242

88
181
335

172 157
239 209
336 320

PHYSICAL WATER AVAILABILITY
To evaluate the physical availability of water in the Yampa River, various studies were
conducted by consultants and the Board staff.
Physical Water Availability Studies: In 1994 Leonard Rice Consulting Water Engineers
(LRCWE) completed a Physical Water Availability Study for the Board. Seven major river
basins within Colorado were studied: Gunnison, Yampa, Little Snake, White, Dolores, Colorado
mainstem and the San Juan. The purpose of the study was to quantify the amount of water, in
volume and rate of flow for sections of rivers in the Upper Colorado River Basin which have or
will have endangered fish flow recommendations. The LRCWE study did the following:
~ Evaluated the study period of 1970-1992 to determine if it was representative of the
complete period of record.
~ Reviewed USGS gaging station records for their appropriateness in characterizing the
strearnt10ws Within stream reaches of interest.
~ Statistically generated gage records to fill incomplete gage records from the study
period.
~ Adjusted gage records to account for major changes of water use in the basins during