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<br />.. <br /> <br />Yampa, Colorado, it flows northward and then westerly fbrapproximately <br />320 km (200 mi), before joining the Green River in DNM. Flows begin to <br />rise in mid to late April due to snow melt, increasing from daily averages <br />of 100-500 cfs during August-March to daily averages in excess of 10,000 <br />cfs in June. In the winter of 1980-81, precipitation and snow pack were <br />much less than normal and 1981 spring runoff in the Yampa River was <br />consequently reduced in both duration and magnitude. In contrast, the <br />winter of 1982-83, was very wet and the 1983 runoff consisted of a large <br />volume and high peak flow. <br /> <br />The study area included the lower 160 km (100 mi), of the Yampa <br />River but emphasis was placed On the -lower 80 km (50 mi), which lies <br />within DNM. The river habitat in this location is composed of two main <br />types which extend from River Kilometer (RK) 198 to 74 and from RK 7Z to <br />RK 0 (confluence with the Green River) respectively. <br /> <br />From RK 198 (RM 124), downstream to RK 74 (RM 46), the Yampa River <br />meanders slowly through low gradient agricultural valleys. This flow <br />pattern is briefly interrupted at two points: Juniper Mountain, RK <br />141.9 - 145.6 (RM 88 - 9'1.0) and Cross Mountain RK 89 - 94 (RM 55.6 - <br />58.8), where the river has steep-sided canyons with boulder/bedrock <br />substrate. Near the lower end of Juniper Canyon is the only manmade <br />impediment to flow within the study area, a low level irrigation div- <br />ersion formed by bulldozing rubble into the river. <br /> <br />The Yampa River enters DNM at RK 77 (RM 48), and at RK 72 (RM 45) <br />it enters a steep-walled canyon with near-vertical walls which rise to <br />400 m (1370 ft) above river level. The upper canyon, from RK 72 (RM <br />45), to RK 32 (RM 20), is characterized by several long sections inter~ <br />rupted by side canyon flood depos its conta i ni ng bou 1 der that genera 11 y <br />result in riffles or rapids. At RK 32 (RM 20), the Yampa enters the <br />Weber sandstone and the boulder/cobble substrate where it gradually <br />picks up increasing amounts of sand. With the exception of Warm Springs <br />Rapid at RK 5.6 (RM 4.1), this section of the lower Yampa River is <br />relatively deep and slow-moving with many meanders. <br /> <br />The Green River receives the Yampa at RK 552 (RM 345), within DNM <br />and abruptly enters Whirlpool Canyon, a section with deep eddies and <br />steep, boulder-strewn cliffs. The Green River leaves Whirlpool Canyon <br />and meanders through cottonwood-lined sand/cobble shorelines in Island <br />Park and Rainbow Park until entering Split Mountain Canyon at RK 523 (RM <br />327). During its passage through Split Mountain the Green River passes <br />through several large boulder fields, which create four major rapids. <br />The river exits Split Mountain Canyon and DNM at RK 510 (RM 319) and <br />enters the agricultural valley of the Uintah Basin, where the river <br />becomes very broad, shallow and flat. <br /> <br />3 <br />