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INTRODUCTION <br />This report is the culmination of two years of sediment trans ort <br />and river morphology investigation of the Yampa River in Dino our <br />National Monument. The purpose of this study was to define a min mum <br />streamflow which will preserve the processes and natural Condit. oils <br />vital to the channel morphology and aquatic life system of the ri er. <br />The proposed minimum streamflow was prepared in the form of a seas nat. <br />hydrograph which includes the constraints imposed by sediment deposi ion <br />in the canyon, fishery habitat, riparian vegetation, and o her <br />ecological considerations. <br />The Yampa River is the last remaining major free flowing tribu ary <br />of the Colorado River system. In 1938 the Monument was enlarge to <br />preserve the unique land and water resources associated with the incised <br />meanders and desert plateau country of the Green and Yampa Rivers. Now <br />the river flows forty-five miles through Dinosaur National Monu ent <br />before joining the Green River near the Colorado-Utah border. To <br />further protect and maintain the water and related resources of the <br />Yampa River the National Park Service, Department of the Inter - or, <br />initiated this minimum streamflow study. <br />Hydraulic and sediment transport data were collected during the <br />spring and summer high flow periods of 1982 and 1983. Athough stream <br />channel data was collected throughout the Yampa Canyon, all of the <br />sediment data was collected at a site in a cobble substrate reach of the <br />river. This four mile cobble bed reach is a unique substrate reach in <br />the Yampa River system and is an observed spawning area for the <br />endangered Colorado squawfish. <br />The report describes the field sampling program, data colle tion <br />methods and results. A computer program was developed to mod 1 a <br />portion of the cobble substrate reach. The computer model simulate the <br />sediment transport, deposition and scour in response to diff rent <br />discharge hydrographs. In this manner a minimum streamflow hydro raph <br />was designed to insure minimal sand deposition on the cobble subst ate. <br />SPECIFIC RESEARCH OBJECTIVES <br />The comprehensive objective of this study is to quantify, th ough <br />the understanding of hydraulic and sediment transport phenomen , a <br />minimum streamflow hydrograph that will preserve and maintain, on an <br />annual basis, the natural conditions and processes vital to biolo ical. <br />system of the Yampa River in Dinosaur National Monument. This <br />hydrograph would be sufficient to minimize any adverse impacts ar sing <br />from a reduced or otherwise altered seasonal stream discharge. The <br />specific requirements to accomplish this overall study objective are: <br />1) Define the natural conditions of the cobble bed reach i the <br />canyon including the hydraulic, sediment transport, subs rate <br />and channel morphological conditions. <br />2) Establish a sediment transport rating curve in the c?bble <br />substrate river reach.