9604

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9604
• Author: Montgomery Watson.
• Title: Yampa River Basin Small Reservoir Study - Final.
• USFW Year: 2000.
• USFW - Doc Type: Steamboat Springs, CO.
• Copyright Material: NO

I

February 2000

CR WCD * YamJU Riu?r Basin Small Rese1Wir Study * Pa~ . 17

I

......

..

T ABLE 4
PO'l'EI'tIT1AL SMALl.RESERVOJR S1TESSUBJECT TO. ADDtTfONAl SCREEN'NGCONTlNUfD
. ...... ........ . .... .. ... (Continued)..

Site Identified From
Previous Study

....

I
I

Site

Discussions with
Local Water
Manager

Map
Reconnaissance

I

LITTLE SNAKE RIVER
South Fork Little Snake X (3 sites)
Willow Creek 1 X X (2 sites)
Slater Creek X X X (3 sites)
Willow Creek 2 X X
Fourmile Creek X X
GREEN RIVER
Shell Creek X
Talamentes Creek X X X
Beaver Creek X
Cove Reservoir X X
Pot Creek X

I
I
I

3.1.2.3 Environmental/Land Use/Recreation Considerations

I
I

In addition to water demand and hydrologic criteria, environmental flaws, land use issues and
recreational potential were evaluated. Fatal environmental flaws were examined. Fatal flaws included
immdation of existing irrigated acreage and impacts to sensitive wildlife species. All potential sites
have the potential to disturb wetlands and occupy deer and elk winter range.

I
I
I

Residential! ranchette development pressures are significantly increasing in parts of the watershed.
Prime areas for development are frequently lands used for irrigated agriculture (BBC, 1998).
Identification of areas that will potentially convert from agriculture to residential/ranchette properties
relied on knowledgeable local residents and Division 6 water commissioners.

Sites having potential recreational uses were noted.

3.1.2.4 Water Delivery Capability

The potential ability of a site to deliver water to meet demands was also a screening criterion. A site
had to be located upstream of the potential users most likely to benefit from the additional storage.

3.2 RESULTS OF THE DETAILED SCREENING

I

The objective of the detailed screening process was to reduce the field of potential sites to
approximately five or six sites that appeared to have the highest potential to meet existing and future
water demands. Many of the 106 sites meet the screening criteria requirements. Consequently, a
subjective comparison of several sites was required. The comparison incotporated Division 6 water
commissioner comments on existing and future water demand, as well as best professional judgement.
The following subsection describes the results of the detailed screening process.

I
I
I
I

I W,WPIO"/SmJi_SoJy(DMfiRpr./2-27-99)
/2/27/99SLW

3.3

Y AMPA RIVER BASIN SCREENING

The discussions within this subsection are grouped by each of the seven major Yampa River Basin
drainages previously described in Section 2.0 and outlined in Table 1.

M~ Watson Mining Gmup *P.D. Box 774018 * Sfet1J17JnaSpring,s, C%Y't1lh 80477 *[phone]