9589

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9589
• Author: Colorado Division of Wildlife.
• Title: Aquatic Wildlife Management Plan Yampa River Basin, Colorado.
• USFW Year: 1998.
• USFW - Doc Type: Denver, CO.
• Copyright Material: NO

III. Lower Yampa River, Vermillion,
and Green River Hydrounits:
Lower Yampa River Hydrounit:
This hydrounit features the mainstem Yampa River, a
large ephemeral stream resource (excluding the Little Snake
River), and some coldwater lake and stream fisheries in the
southeast. Standing water habitats consist of small lakes and
ponds and few are suitable as fisheries. Management of
endangered Colorado River fishes and conservation of the
associated native fish community in the Yampa River is the
predominant emphasis. Only 2 intensive management waters
exist, and only the larger of the two, Axial Basin Lake (25 ac),
is on federal land and offers any fishing recreation potential.
It is proposed Axial Basin Lake (25 ac) be managed as a
warmwater put-and-grow fishery for smallmouth bass and as
a seasonal put-and-take trout fishery. Five optimum
management waters include 70 ac of coldwater lakes and 47 mi
of coldwater streams. These waters consist the three Aldrich
lakes (69 ac total) near the headwaters of Martin Creek, the
upper 41 mi of Milk Creek, and James Creek (6 mi), and are
managed as stocked trout fisheries within the Milk Creek
drainage. The Milk Creek drainage encompasses the southeast
corner of this hydrounit. The three lakes comprise about 56%
of the available lake resource. The lower 130 miles of the
Yampa River below the confluence of the Williams Fork River
(reaches #1 and #2), and the 880 miles of small and seasonal
high desert streams in the juniper and sagebrush landscapes at
lower elevation are dedicated to conservation of native aquatic
DRAFT - January 13, 1998
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