Colorado E-Flows Program
Information and technical reports from the Colorado Water Conservation Board.
- Flow-ecology relationships for the watershed flow evaluation tool
- The Colorado Water Conservation Board is assisting the Interbasin Compact Roundtables with their NCNA (Non-Consumptive Needs Assessments). The NCNA will (1) identify priority areas and reaches for environmental and recreational attributes, and (2) based on Roundtable direction and needs, identify the quantities of seasonal flows necessary to maintain priority areas and reaches. A component of goal 2 is the Watershed Flow Evaluation Tool (WFET), a coarse screening tool that can be applied by stakeholders in selected watersheds to assess the potential status of biological resources under existing hydrologic conditions. WFET pilot studies are underway for the Roaring Fork River and Fountain Creek (Colorado Springs) watersheds. After the pilot study is complete, results will be shared with the Basin Roundtables who may then decide to apply the tool in their basin. The goal of this report is to develop relationships (quantitative where possible) between measures of environmental condition and levels of stream flow for Colorado. These relationships will support the development of the WFET.
