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• Newlin Creek is a major area drainage with a total drainage area of <br />approximately 12.2 square miles. The headwaters of Newlin Creek are in <br />the Wet Mountains at an elevation of approximately 10,100 feet and the <br />stream flows approximately 14 miles from its headwaters to its junction <br />with Hardscrabble Creek approximately five (5) miles below the mine area. <br />From the confluence of Newlin and Hardscrabble Creeks flows continue <br />approximately five (5) miles downstream to the Arkansas River, the major <br />perennial drainage in this area. <br />The characteristics of Newlin Creek vary significantly from its headwaters <br />area to the junction with Hardscrabble Creek. The headwaters area, which <br />includes the tributary drainages of Second through Fourth Newlin Creeks, <br />is a relatively steep, mountainous area with heavy forest cover. The City <br />of Florence diversion on Newlin Creek is located approximately four (4) <br />miles downstream from the headwaters with this upper portion of the <br />drainage located entirely within mountainous terrain. The Newlin Creek <br />• diversion was constructed in approximately 1880 as a municipal water <br />source for the City of Florence. The City of Florence, through <br />condemnation and purchase, obtained rights to the entire flow of Newlin <br />Creek by an administrative water rights decision on November 24, 1915. <br />The Newlin Creek diversion consists of two (2) separate intakes with the <br />upper intake collecting surface flows and the lower intake capturing <br />groundwater sub-flow. The upper intake consists of a mortar stone and <br />earthfilled diversion dam approximately 12 feet high draining through a <br />trash rack into a drop box to the diversion pipeline. The diversion dam <br />is constructed with sufficient freeboard to provide for effective <br />retention of snowmelt and storm runoff. The second intake is located <br />approximately 3/4 of a mile downstream where an underground tunnel <br />collects the water and routes it to the diversion pipeline. The diversion <br />pipeline originally consisted of 12 inch the pipe which has been replaced <br />with similarly sized PVC pipe and conveys water from the diversion <br />approximately nine (9) miles to municipal reservoirs for the City of <br />• Florence. The dual diversion system is effective in capturing essentially <br />all surface and base flow in Newlin Creek as evidenced by the absence of <br />any base or sub-flow below the diversion. <br />2.04.7-23 <br />