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<br />L Plan Purpose
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<br />The Yampa River is a vital element ofthe Steamboat Springs community, Its presence in the heart of the City
<br />is one of the prominent characteristics that distinguishes Steamboat from other mountain resort communities,
<br />and the river greatly contributes to the community's year-round appeal. Few other communities enjoy such
<br />proximity to a major river with a high quality trout fishery, broad range of recreational opportunities and high
<br />level of scenic quality,
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<br />Increasing recreational demands upon the Yampa River over the last decade have created the need to develop
<br />a management framework for the river to protect the health of this priceless resource, The Yampa River
<br />Management Plan (YRMP) is intended to help ensure protection of the biological integrity ofthe river and
<br />manage recreational uses at sustainable levels, As shown in Figure 1, the project study area includes a
<br />O.2S-mile wide corridor along the 6.S-mile stretch ofthe Yampa River within the Steamboat Springs vicinity,
<br />The YRMP was developed in conjunction with the residents of Steamboat Springs, a Citizens Advisory
<br />Committee (CAC), City staff and consultants, Near the beginning of an 8-month planning process, a single
<br />vision statement emerged to guide the management of the river, , .
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<br />The Yampa River will always be a flourishing, vibrant, bio-diverse natural river corridor that
<br />is enjoyed, respected, protected, and supported by its community with commitment, education,
<br />and sensible regulation,
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<br />The following plan provides a framework to implement this vision, The plan provides direction for
<br />management of the Yampa River, including the types, amount and location of recreation activities, The plan
<br />also focuses on the preservation and enhancement of the natural environment
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<br />II, Issues
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<br />In order to focus the planning effort, the CAC, key stakeholders and the public were asked to describe the
<br />key issues related to management of the Yampa River within the study area, A summary of these issues is
<br />provided below, The plan will address these issues in subsequent chapters,
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<br />Recreation Use ~
<br />Recreation demand on the river periodically exceeds the
<br />river's capacity to accommodate the demand. Even with
<br />regulations in place, user conflicts and other problems
<br />related to recreation management continue to increase, For
<br />example, certain types of uses continue to increase such as
<br />more private tubers on the river, Also, new water features
<br />concentrate kayakers at a few locations,
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<br />The quality of the recreation experience for all users of
<br />the river is affected by a number of factors, To allow ever- Canoers below Snake Island Bridge
<br />increasing use levels will eventually result in a diminishment of the quality of the experience and users who
<br />are less satisfied with their experience. Recreational use along the Yampa River is an important component
<br />of the local economy, Commercial tubing, kayaking, rafting and fishing attract a large number of visitors to
<br />the area. An important component in any management decision relating to the river is economic impact For
<br />example, it's important for commercial tubing operations to provide an experience that results in high visitor
<br />satisfaction while also providing sufficient economical retum. If commercial operations are not viable,
<br />private use may increase, An inevitable result of continued population growth in and around Steamboat
<br />Springs will be more river users and more demand for this finite resource.
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<br />Figure L Study Area
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