Yampa River
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Yampa River is a tributary of the Green River, approximately 250 mi (402 km) long, in the U.S. state of Colorado.
It rises in the Flat Tops in northwestern Colorado, in the Routt National Forest in southeastern Garfield County, and flows northeast, past Yampa, and north to Steamboat Springs, where it turns abruptly west. It then receives its chief tributary, the Elk River, near the small town of Milner. It continues west in the plateau region along the north side of the Williams Fork Mountains, past the town of Craig. It is joined by the Little Snake River in Moffat County, just east of Dinosaur National Monument. Inside Dinosaur National Monument, it joins the Green near the border with Utah.
The Yampa forms a noticeably wide, shallow stream throughout much of its course. The lower three fourths of the Yampa, from the Elk river down, is navigable by small craft. However the meandering, shallow nature of the river can render the river unnavigable during late summer in low water years. The discharge of the Yampa varies from about 600 cfs during low water summers to 20,000 cfs in spring floods. Average flow at it's confluence with the Green is about 2500 cfs.
The Yampa is one of the finest Northern Pike and Smallmouth bass fisheries in the United States. However for several years now, the US Fish and Wildlife, along with the Colorado Division Of Wildlife, have been killing bass and pike and throwing them on the banks to rot by the thousands. This is because the river is home to endangered species of fish, though the fish are not popular, nor highly valued for food or sport. The introduction of bass and pike has been stipulated to have contributed to the decline of the native fish. These actions are ongoing, despite much controversy and strong public opposition.
[edit] Proposal to pump water to the Front Range
In December, 2006, a report came out on a proposal to pump water from the Yampa 200 miles east, and under the Continental Divide, to the cities of the Front Range. The diversion would start near Maybell, Colorado, 20 miles downstream of Craig, Colorado[1][2] . The proposal faces widespread opposition because it could lower river flows in late summer due to the diversion. The Yampa is one of the West's last wild rivers since it has only a few small dams and diversions.
