Yampa River
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yampa River | |
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The Yampa River, seen from a high overlook.
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Country | United States |
State | Colorado |
Major cities | Steamboat Springs, Craig |
Length | 250 mi (402 km) [1] |
Watershed | 7,660 sq mi (19,839 km²) [2] |
Discharge at | At Deerlodge Park |
- average | 2,093 cu ft/s (59.27 m³/s) [2] |
- maximum | 32,300 cu ft/s (914.63 m³/s) |
- minimum | 1.9 cu ft/s (0.05 m³/s) |
Source | Rocky Mountains |
- coordinates | [3] |
- elevation | 7,833 ft (2,387 m) [4] |
Mouth | Green River |
- location | Dinosaur National Monument |
- coordinates | [3] |
- elevation | 5,080 ft (1,548 m) [4] |
Major tributaries | |
- left | Bear River, Williams Fork |
- right | Elk River, Little Snake River |
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 northwest, 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, are 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 ft³/s (17 m³/s) during low water summers to 20,000 ft³/s (600 m³/s) in spring runoff. Average flow at its confluence with the Green is about 2500 ft³/s (71 m³/s).
The Yampa is one of the finest Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike fisheries in the United States. However, due to the presence of endangered fish, for several years now, the US Fish and Wildlife, along with the Colorado Division Of Wildlife, have been removing and killing bass, pike, and channel catfish from the river, leaving them to rot on the banks by the thousands. The introduction of these fish has been hypothesized to have contributed to the demise of endangered fish. Over 20,000 smallmouth bass, 8000 pike, and 8000 catfish have been killed since 1999. Studies have shown these removals have done nothing to help endangered fish. These actions are ongoing, despite strong public opposition and a lack of scientific support.
[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.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Yampa River, The Columbia Gazetteer of North America. 2000.
- ^ a b Water Data Report, Colorado 2003, from Water Resources Data Colorado Water Year 2003, USGS.
- ^ a b USGS GNIS: Yampa River, USGS GNIS.
- ^ a b Google Earth elevation for GNIS coordinates.