ISFAPPC01605

• Case Number: 05CW0153
• Stream Name: Middle Fork Escalante Creek
• Watershed: Lower Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Instream Flow App - Doc Type: Correspondence/Memos

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Shennan Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

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To: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Bill Owens
Governor

From: Dan Merriman
Todd Doherty

Russell George
Executive Director

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

Date May 12,2005

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

Re: Agenda Item 21.1, May 24-25, 2005- Board Meeting
Stream and Lake Protection - Uncontested Streams
Final Action Requested

GENERAL BACKGROUND
Pursuant to Rule 5h. of the In stream Flow and Natural Lake Level Rules ("ISF Rules"),
the attached 15 stream segments are being recommended to the Board for Final Action,
These stream segments have been noticed pursuant to the ISF Rules and the public was
afforded an opportunity to comment pursuant to Rule 5g. at the March 2005, CWCB
meeting. These stream segments are located in Water Divisions 4 and 7 in San Miguel,
Montrose, Ouray, Mesa, Delta and San Juan Counties and are listed on the attached
instream flow tabulations.

TECHNICAL INVESTIGATIONS
The Board was provided detailed information regarding all field data, studies and
analyses for each stream segment at the January 25, 2005 Board meeting. At that meeting
the Board declared its intent to appropriate the specific instream flow water rights.

Natural Environment Studies
The Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the
United States Forest Service (USFS) have conducted field surveys on these streams and
found a natural environment which can be preserved. To quantify the resources and to
evaluate instream flow and natural lake level requirements, the CDOW, BLM and the
USFS staff collected biologic and hydraulic data, and the CWCB staff reviewed and
analyzed this data. Based on the results of these reviews/analyses, the CWCB staff
prepared recommendations for the amount of water necessary to preserve the natural
environment to a reasonable degree for each of the streams on the attached tabulation of
instream flow recommendations.